Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Social Media and Youth Mental Health: Crisis or Moral Panic? Understanding the Research.
Christopher J. Ferguson is a professor of psychology at Stetson University and licensed clinical psychologist. He is also author of several books of fiction and non-fiction including: Catastrophe!: How Psychology Explains Why Good People Make Bad Situations Worse
This presentation provides a brief overview of various claims regarding both real-world ecological data and findings from correlational studies linking (or not linking) social media to youth mental health. It then focuses more specifically on a recent study with UK youth. Although tiny correlations do exist between social media and youth mental health, they vanish once proper theoretical controls are put into place. This may help explain some of the confusion, and why some studies point to small correlations while others find no associations. Study: Ferguson, C.J. (in press). Links between social media use and mental wellness in youth are an artifact of other factors: Implications for public policy and meta-analysis. Current Psychology.
Social Media and Youth Mental Health: Crisis or Moral Panic? Understanding the Research.
Christopher J. Ferguson is a professor of psychology at Stetson University and licensed clinical psychologist. He is also author of several books of fiction and non-fiction including: Catastrophe!: How Psychology Explains Why Good People Make Bad Situations Worse
This presentation provides a brief overview of various claims regarding both real-world ecological data and findings from correlational studies linking (or not linking) social media to youth mental health. It then focuses more specifically on a recent study with UK youth. Although tiny correlations do exist between social media and youth mental health, they vanish once proper theoretical controls are put into place. This may help explain some of the confusion, and why some studies point to small correlations while others find no associations. Study: Ferguson, C.J. (in press). Links between social media use and mental wellness in youth are an artifact of other factors: Implications for public policy and meta-analysis. Current Psychology.
