HELSINKI — According to the World Happiness Report released on March 19, heavy social media usage is associated with a decline in wellbeing among young people, particularly girls, in several English-speaking nations.

In response to these findings, various countries are developing strategies to limit children's access to social media, following Australia's decision to impose restrictions on users under the age of 16 last December.

This year's report, conducted by a global team led by the University of Oxford and based on data from US market research firm Gallup and other studies, reveals significant insights.

The Importance of Genuine Social Connections

While the report did not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship, it combined Gallup data with information from the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment and other research. The analysis led to the conclusion that extensive social media use tends to diminish happiness.

Professor Jan-Emmanuel de Neve, an Economics professor at the University of Oxford and one of the report's editors, stated, "The message is clear: we should aim to restore the 'social' aspect of social media." He noted that content driven by algorithms and consumed passively, often from influencers, negatively impacts users more than platforms that foster genuine social connections.

While acknowledging the complex relationship between social media and wellbeing, de Neve mentioned that data showed 15-year-old girls who spent over five hours a day on social media reported lower life satisfaction compared to their peers who used it less.

Gallup's global polling data revealed a significant decline in life satisfaction among individuals under 25 in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, with scores dropping by nearly one point on a 0-10 scale over the past decade. In contrast, young people in other parts of the world reported an average increase in life satisfaction during the same period.

Julie Ray, managing editor at Gallup, indicated that the disparity in life satisfaction between youth in English-speaking countries and their peers elsewhere likely stems from broader social conditions. "Social support is one of the strongest predictors of wellbeing, and previous research indicates that in some countries, younger individuals report feeling less supported, which may help explain this trend," she explained in an email to Reuters.