Time to end the ‘uncontrolled experiment’ of social media on kids, scientists say

Steven

Time to end the ‘uncontrolled experiment’ of social media on kids, scientists say

Summary

Jonathan Haidt and Zachary Rausch, writing in chapter three of the 2026 World Happiness Report, present a metastudy of existing research and documents arguing that social media is harmful to adolescents (aged 10–19). They did not conduct new experiments but reviewed academic studies, testimony from young people, parents and teachers, plus internal company documents from platforms such as Meta, TikTok and Snap.

The authors conclude that the preponderance of evidence indicates social media is unsafe for adolescents. They cite cross-sectional and longitudinal studies linking heavy use to higher depression risk and show that interventions that reduce social media time generally improve reported wellbeing. They also point to internal industry reports suggesting platforms were aware of harms.

Haidt and Rausch extrapolate study findings to population level for the US, estimating millions of affected adolescents (for example, several million with addiction-like issues and millions exposed to unwanted sexual advances). They urge stronger regulation — even recommending measures like Australia’s ban that keeps under‑age children offline until their brains are more mature, likening regulation to controls on tobacco or alcohol.

Key Points

  • The chapter is a metastudy that compiles academic research, stakeholder testimony and internal platform documents to assess harm to adolescents.
  • Authors find a preponderance of evidence linking social media use to mental health problems: cross-sectional, longitudinal and intervention studies point to harms.
  • Internal documents from big platforms are cited as evidence the companies knew of risks to young users.
  • Haidt and Rausch estimate population-level impacts by extrapolating study results to national adolescent populations, producing large absolute figures for addiction-like behaviour and unwanted sexual advances.
  • Policy recommendation: stronger regulation worldwide, including measures like Australia’s ban on under‑age social media use until maturity; call to stop the “uncontrolled experiment” on children.

Context and Relevance

This is a timely intervention in ongoing debates about tech regulation, youth mental health and platform responsibility. The report ties together scientific studies, anecdotal testimony and leaked/internal industry material — a combination that strengthens calls for policy action. For regulators, educators, parents and health professionals, the conclusions reinforce existing concerns and add weight to proposals for stricter age controls and oversight.

The piece also connects to wider legal and political activity: school and state lawsuits, surgeon-general advisories, and court disclosures from social platforms. Whether you work in policy, education, child health or technology, the arguments here matter because they push the debate from individual risk to population-scale impact.

Why should I read this?

Short version: this isn’t just another think‑piece — it stacks studies, testimonies and industry docs into a single alarm bell. If you care about kids, schools, policy or platform safety, it’ll save you the time of digging through dozens of papers. Read it to know what regulators and campaigners will point to next.

Source

Source: https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2026/03/19/social_media_bad_for_kids/