Developmental Costs of Youth Social Media Require Policy Action

Recently, few questions in adolescent health have sparked more controversy than “is social media good or bad for youth?” This simple yet unresolved question is entrenched in a polarizing debate. For every study linking social media to harm, a counterclaim is made of no measurable impact. This controversy has arguably slowed progress toward policies that could provide clear guidance or protections for children and families. Yet, from a public health perspective, the most urgent question may not be whether social media is universally good or bad, but rather, what kind of evidence would be good enough to motivate policy action?