Can Social Media Help or Hurt Mental Health?

Social media connects us, entertains us, and gives everyone a voice, but it can also lead to stress, comparison, or loneliness. Teens today spend more time online than any generation before. So it’s worth asking: Is social media doing more harm than good for mental health? And if it is, what can we do to make online spaces more positive and supportive?

Your Task:

1. Consider our favorite apps or platforms. How do you usually feel after spending time on them: energized, inspired, or stressed? What type of content or behaviors seem to make people feel worse or better online?

2. Talk to a few classmates about how social media affects them.

3. Imagine you’re in charge of redesigning one app to protect teen mental health. What new features would you add (for example, a ‘mood check”)? What harmful features would you remove or change? How could your version encourage kindness, real connection, or balance?

4. Describe your improved version of a social media app in 8-10 sentences. Give it a name and a short slogan that reflects a healthier online world.

Submitted by student: Matthew, Gray's Creek High School, North Carolina