Teens + Screens: What the data really says
Why scrolling is hurting more than screen time and what we can do about it
First, the setup
The teen-tech debate tends to flip-flop between alarm and apathy. Either we panic about social media or shrug and say, ‘It’s just how things are now.’
And it is.
“In Australia, 97% of adolescents own a personal, screen-based device, and 50% have access to five or more devices.”
Black Dog Institute’s latest report tells us how it is. It draws on data from nearly 4,000 Australian teens aged 16+, part of Australia’s biggest adolescent mental health study to date.
Quick note: This is a research summary, not a personal opinion piece. I’ll share my take and a hopeful path forward in the free ebook, which will be available mid–to–late June.
It’s not about how long they’re online. It’s what they’re doing when they are.
Yes, a quarter of teens are on social media four hours or more each day. And yes, the ones using screens for longer are more likely to show signs of depression and anxiety.
But that’s not the whole story.
In reality, they’re living a ‘hybrid’ life that they enjoy. Our youngsters use tech for friendships, education, entertainment, relaxation, and finding creative expression and inspiration.
When they use social media to talk to people they know in real life, their mental health tends to be better, not worse.
The trouble starts when the bulk of their time is spent scrolling. Watching, comparing, consuming. Especially on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. That kind of passive, doomscrolling is where links to anxiety, poor sleep, disordered eating, and depressive symptoms show up.
Designed to keep them hooked
And the system is set up to trap them.
A Harvard School of Public Health study found that youth-focused ads across 6 top social media platforms brought in almost $11 billion USD in 2022.
Meaning…teens are worth a bomb, so there are rooms of marketing and tech wizards working hard to keep them on screens.
A digital divide
Parents and teachers didn’t grow up with this tech. And many feel out of their depth.
That gap shows. Adults tend to panic about screen use. Teens? Not so much.
In fact, a recent national survey found social media didn’t even make their top 10 list of concerns. Cost-of-living and climate change ranked higher.
The numbers
Teens average 3–4 hours of screen time a day
2–3 of those hours are on social media
28% clock 5+ hours a day on socials
What’s getting crowded out?
89% Doing homework or school work
62% Doing tasks or chores at home
57% Sleeping
19% Exercising or doing physical activity
19% Spending time with family
18% Engaging in hobbies
14% Eating meals
10% Spending time with friends face-to-face
Social connections still matter, but other basics are taking a hit.
The scroll spiral
One of the most striking findings?
Many teens turn to screens to manage tough emotions.
It’s called digital emotion regulation.
Sometimes, it helps. Often, it doesn’t.
Scrolling to cope can become a cycle:
Feel bad → scroll → feel worse → repeat.
Especially when algorithms feed distressing or triggering content.
What about gaming?
No link was found between gaming time and anxiety, insomnia or disordered eating.
The one red flag: depression rates spiked in teens gaming more than six hours a day. A quarter of them met criteria for clinically significant depression.
So what helps?
The report doesn’t just highlight the problem; it points to ways forward. Here’s what’s recommended:
For parents + carers:
Set consistent screen boundaries at home, especially around meals and bedtimes.
Encourage (and model) movement, making, or time offline.
Stay curious about what your teen is doing online. Ask questions. Watch or play together.
Remember: not all screen use is bad.
For schools:
Teach digital literacy from primary school onwards.
Make screen use part of wellbeing discussions.
Help students think critically about what they see online, especially around body image, identity and belonging.
For government + tech companies:
Co-design policies with young people.
Mandate safety-by-design features (limit infinite scroll and autoplay).
Make algorithm transparency a priority.
Boost verified healthy content.
The bottom line
Screens aren’t going anywhere. The goal isn’t to ban them, it’s to help teens use them in ways that support their mental health, not harm it.
That starts with awareness, better boundaries, and honest conversations.
How to stay up to date and support this crazy ride
Subscribe, if you haven’t already.
Don’t miss a chapter.
And being a paid subscriber obviously helps me out a lot. I’m beavering away trying to teach, support myself in solo life in a big city, and recreate myself in this niche to be helpful to some folks.
There’s a ‘founding member’ option for those of you feeling generous and able to be in this for all it becomes—my cheerleading squad, of sorts. I’ll send you the completed e-book in its full format glory once it’s done.
Or you can gift someone a subscription to someone who needs support getting off screens and into real life.
Or you can donate a coffee to me to say, “Keep going, and here’s some caffeine.” @
Buy me a coffee ☕️ 🙏
New chapters drop weekly, starting mid-June.
Comment or reply anytime, I’d love to hear from you.
Share with someone who needs it.
This is one small act of resistance in a world that wants to keep us numbed out and distracted.
Thank you for choosing REAL.
Suze x