Parents are more worried than teens about teen mental health. Both groups – especially parents – partly blame social media. But teens also see benefits.

The impact of social media on young people’s mental health and well-being is a growing topic of concern among parents, educators, health care professionals and regulators. And now, nearly half of US teens say social media has a mostly negative effect on people their age — and almost the same proportion say they’re cutting back on social media use.

Members of the NC Child Youth Advocacy Council, Avani Narayanan and Ben McMiller, speak about youth mental health on the Our Voices, Our Future panel moderated by Rwenshaun Miller at the 2025 State of the Child Summit. The panel also included Paige Roten, president of the NC Child Youth Advocacy Council. Liz Bell/EdNC.