World Happiness Report Says Social Media Makes Teens Unhappy
The report said heavy social media use appears to be contributing to the drop in wellbeing among young people, and affects girls disproportionately.
Photographer: Vincent Feuray/AFP/Getty ImagesPassively consuming algorithmic social media hurts teens’ mental health, according to the World Happiness Report for 2026, which joins a long line of critics arguing that such platforms are damaging for young people.
The widely cited, UN-backed index, which analyzes global happiness levels, zeroed in this year on the impact of social media usage on mental health. Finland, which has led the rankings in previous years, was again named the world’s happiest nation.