Increased social media use linked to anxiety, suicidal ideation among young adults

MedicalXpress | Jul 24, 2026

Teenagers who spent six or more hours a day on social media were twice as likely to experience symptoms of anxiety and three times as likely to report suicidal ideation than those who spent less than one hour on social media each day, according to researchers at UTHealth Houston. The findings were published today in Pediatrics Open Science and led by Jeff Temple, Ph.D., professor and associate dean for clinical research at UTHealth Houston School of Behavioral Health Sciences.