Conference Program

This study examines the relationship between social media use and adolescent mental health in the European Union drawing on PISA 2022 data. The study moves beyond “screen time” narratives by analyzing intensity of social media use, gender disparities, contextual vulnerabilities, and policy responses under the EU’s regulatory framework.

The first theme addresses the pervasiveness of social media use among 15-year-olds in Europe. With 96% of adolescents engaging in social media daily and 37% spending more than three hours per weekday on passive browsing activities, social media has become a structural component of youth socialization. The study will contextualize these findings within broader digital transformation trends and adolescence as a sensitive developmental phase marked by cognitive, emotional, and social reconfiguration. It will highlight the distinction between moderate and intensive use, noting that excessive engagement, defined as more than three hours per day, is consistently associated with poorer well-being outcomes.

The second theme explores the correlation between intensive social media use and self-reported depression and anxiety. Drawing on regression analyses from four EU Member States (Hungary, Ireland, Slovenia, and Spain), the study shows that adolescents engaging in high-intensity social media use are significantly more likely to report symptoms of depression and anxiety compared to low- or moderate-use peers. Importantly, the analysis controls for socioeconomic background, academic performance, family support, sense of belonging at school, and experiences of bullying, thereby strengthening the robustness of the association. While causality cannot be firmly established, the evidence underscores a meaningful and policy-relevant correlation.

A third central theme concerns gender disparity. Female adolescents display both higher rates of intensive social media use and substantially higher prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms. However, the marginal increase in mental health risk associated with higher use appears broadly similar across genders, suggesting that time spent online interacts with other structural and psychosocial factors. This section will argue for gender-sensitive approaches that recognize differential vulnerabilities without oversimplifying the phenomenon as exclusively female-driven.

The fourth theme focuses on adolescents’ perceptions of digital regulation. Evidence indicates strong resistance to blanket bans on devices or restrictive filtering measures, while demonstrating support for collaborative rule-setting with teachers. These finding foregrounds youth agency and suggests that participatory governance models may be more effective than prohibition-based approaches. The study will connect these insights to ongoing EU policy initiatives, including the Digital Services Act, which mandates risk assessment and mitigation of systemic harms, and the broader agenda on youth mental health protection in the digital sphere.

Finally, the study outlines future research and policy directions. It calls for multidimensional interventions combining platform accountability, digital literacy education, parental and school engagement, and longitudinal EU-wide monitoring. It also emphasizes the need for improved access to platform data to better understand behavioral mechanisms and algorithmic exposure patterns. By integrating empirical evidence, youth perspectives, and regulatory developments, the proposed study aims to contribute to a balanced, evidence-based framework for safeguarding adolescent mental health while preserving the social and participatory benefits of digital environments.