The age at which adolescents first start using social media may be more important to their mental health than whether they have a social-media account at all, new UNSW Sydney research suggests.
With growing concern about the connection between teenage phone use and mental health, these findings are especially relevant.
A survey of 365 Australian adolescents aged 10 to 15, plus one of their parents, found that those who began using social media at a younger age reported more symptoms of anxiety and depression. Simply having a social-media account showed a weaker relationship with those symptoms, according to the findings published today in JAMA Network Open.
Conducted in the six weeks leading up to the Australian social media ban that came into effect in December 2025, participants were asked if they had ever used social media, the age at which they first used it and whether they currently had a social media account. They were also asked questions to measure symptoms of anxiety and depression.
The researchers found 70% of the youngsters had used social media, about half had a social media account already, while the average age they first started using social media was 11 years old.
“What surprised us was that the age children first started using social media appeared to matter more for their mental health than simply whether they had an account,” study chief investigator Associate Professor Susanne Schweizer says.
“It suggests that delaying children’s first exposure may be a promising policy, especially if paired with training good digital hygiene and citizenship during the delay.”
Anxiety, depression and social media
Australia’s social media ban was introduced in response to growing concerns about rising rates of anxiety and depression among young people and the increasing use of social media. Lead author and UNSW PhD candidate Anna Bilston says governments may need to think beyond simply restricting access if they want to protect young people’s mental health.
“If we want to protect young people’s mental health, we need to think not only about whether they can access social media, but also about how young they are when they first start using it,” Ms Bilston says.
The findings are the first published results from a larger Australian study tracking the mood of young people before and after the social media ban.
The researchers argue protecting young people’s mental health will require more than restricting access alone. “As parents and educators we have an equally important role in helping young people develop healthy digital habits and delaying their first use of social media.”
The results published today represent the first stage of a larger study that will follow young people before and after the social media ban. The researchers will continue tracking participants over the next year to see whether the policy changes behaviour, attitudes, mental health and exposure to online harms.
“This is one of the first opportunities anywhere in the world to understand what happens when a policy like this is introduced. We now need to follow these young people over time to see whether our teenagers benefit from the new restrictions, and what could be improved,” A/Prof. Schweizer says.
