World Happiness Report 2026: Heavy Social Media Use Linked to Lower Life Satisfaction Among Teenagers

Social media use is widespread among adolescents

Social media use is widespread among adolescents Heavy social media use is linked to lower life satisfaction among teenagers, according to the World Happiness Report 2026, based on self-reported data from over 270,000 students across 47 countries. Girls who used social media for less than an hour a day reported the highest satisfaction, with levels declining as usage increased. Among boys, results varied by region, though heavy users were more likely to report low satisfaction. Both heavy users and non-users showed greater variation in wellbeing. Social media use remains widespread among adolescents globally.