The new Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health is a response to youth mental health and social media trends that dominated the scene until 2025. The center, a project of the American Academy of Pediatrics, is organizing a 2025 Virtual Youth Forum with over 80 teenagers from diverse regions of the United States to analyze the social media effects on youth mental health and discuss what a healthier online world might look like.
The participants thus named comparison, cyberbullying, and doomscrolling as phenomena they had individually experienced; however, they also emphasized that online spaces might be vital for the mental health of the youth, especially LGBTQ+ youth, youth of color, and those residing in rural areas. It is not a matter of blaming the phones but rather collaborating on the establishment of rules and the creation of instruments that safeguard the mental health of the youth and at the same time allow for connection, creativity, and community. Teen advisors in collaboration with pediatricians and tech experts are presently drafting a set of recommendations for families, clinicians, and platforms.
The center’s work complements the U.S. Surgeon General’s earlier advisory on youth mental health, which flagged excessive social media use and harmful content as key factors contributing to distress. Many parents feel caught in the middle, wanting to safeguard youth mental health without cutting kids off from their friends and support networks. Having young people themselves shape the conversation brings nuance and real-world insight that adult-only panels often miss.
On the ground, some schools are piloting “phone-free but not connection-free” programs—creating youth mental health–friendly zones where students can focus on in-person relationships and mindfulness, then reflect on how to bring healthier habits back online. Teens are also launching their own content campaigns, using platforms like TikTok and Instagram to share practical tips, boundaries, and personal stories about youth mental health and digital life.
The hope is that, over time, youth mental health online will be guided by norms of kindness, consent, and conscious use, rather than endless scrolling and silent suffering. Listening to teens—not just about what harms them, but also about what helps them—is becoming a cornerstone of any serious effort to improve youth mental health in the digital age.
Source: American Academy of Pediatrics – Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health; U.S. Surgeon General – Youth Mental Health
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