ReviewThe Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry2025
Will restricting the age of access to social media reduce mental illness in Australian youth?
Review in The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed.
- Global Perspectives on Adolescent Suicide and Self-Harm: Findings and Insights From the ASCAPAP Grand Forum.Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry · 2026Article
- Adolescents' Perspectives on Self-Regulation and Need for Change in Digital Media Use: A Focus Group Study.Journal of adolescence · 2026Article
- Young minds in distress: Exploring the global rise in youth mental health diagnoses.Molecular psychiatry · 2026Review
- Adolescent social media use and psychiatric outcomes: a longitudinal mediation analysis via interpersonal distrust, sleep, and self-image.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2026Article
- Digital paternalism and adolescent autonomy: ethical reflections on Australia's under-16 social media ban.BMC medical ethics · 2026Article
- Burden of 375 diseases and injuries, risk-attributable burden of 88 risk factors, and healthy life expectancy in 204 countries and territories, including 660 subnational locations, 1990-2023: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023.Lancet (London, England) · 2025Article
- A Double-Edged Sword Perspective on Young Australians' Use of Social Media: A Structured Narrative Review.Health promotion journal of Australia : official journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in the prevalence of youth mental illness which has coincided with the growing use of social media throughout society. Studies have demonstrated associations between social media use by young people and mental ill health leading the Australian government to declare a ban on social media by Australians below 16 years of age. This paper aims to critically examine the existing literature reporting these associations and highlights key methodological limitations. We argue that before implementing any restrictive measures that will affect all young people across Australia, it is crucial to consider the evidence to ensure that the proposed legislation is well informed and evidence-based. We suggest there is inadequate evidence at this time to conclude that the rise in youth mental illness is attributable to social media. While the concerns about social media's impact on youth mental health warrants attention, it is essential to consider alternative explanations and to conduct studies that inform highly impactful public health measures. Preventative strategies to address mental illness in young people must be feasible to implement, effective and not give rise to unintended harms.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.