Browse our Q&A Portal Library
Browse our library of all previously submitted questions here. Check back often as we add new questions regularly.
Welcome to the Social Media and Youth Mental Health Q&A Portal! Here you can read our featured Q&A Portal questions, view available resources to help build healthier digital habits and browse our library of previously submitted questions and responses to learn more about other topics.
Not finding what you're looking for? Feel free to submit your own question to our Center of Excellence team. Your question will receive an evidence-based response from our expert team and be added to our Q&A Portal library.
Featured Questions
Read our featured Q&A Portal questions and responses
Balancing Online Safety and Independence: Parental Monitoring by Age
Question: Does parents' monitoring of children's online activities stifle independent decision-making? What is appropriate at different ages?
Answer: We’ll start by reviewing the research literature on parental monitoring and connection to youth behaviors, and then we’ll provide some concrete age-based suggestions. Read the rest of this answer here.
Social Media & Youth Mental Health Q&A Portal
|December 4, 2025
Effects of Screen Time on Academic Performance and Mental Health
Question: What are common effects of excessive screen time on students’ academic performance and mental health?
Answer: It’s hard to determine the direct effects of screen time on students’ academic performance and mental health for a few reasons. The definition of “screen time” is highly debated and hard for researchers to measure. Read the rest of this answer here.
Social Media & Youth Mental Health Q&A Portal
|July 23, 2025
Social Media Regulations and Mental Health
Question: If social media is doing harm to teenagers’ mental health, should it have stricter regulations, and why?
Answer: To address the first part of your question, it’s important to know that the relationship between social media use and teen mental health is complex. The current scientific evidence shows that there is not a population-level clinically significant effect of social media on mental health. Read the rest of this answer here.
Social Media & Youth Mental Health Q&A Portal
|March 12, 2025
Submit a New Question
Don't see what you are looking for? Submit your own question below. Your answer will then be added to the Q&A Portal library to help others with similar questions.
Youth Advisory Panel
Learn about the CoE Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) and read advice they have for policymakers and members of the tech industry.
About the YAP
Learn about our Youth Advisory Panel and how their efforts inform the work of the CoE.
YAP Advice for Policymakers
Read what the YAP has to say about creating programs, policies, and regulation.
Tools & Resources
Use these resources to help develop healthy digital habits
Calm Toolbox
Explore the Calm Toolbox for stress relief, with screen-free activities, calming apps, and simple tools to help reduce digital overload.
Building Healthy Digital Habits Printable
When it comes to building healthy digital habits, you may not know where to start. Here are some research-based tips from pediatricians that can make a big difference. Also available in Spanish.
AAP Family Media Plan
Media is everywhere and managing it all can be tough. Use the AAP Family Media Plan to help you set media priorities that matter most to you. The tool can be used as an app too!
Multimedia Resources for Teens
4 Social Media Tips for Teens
Is social media good or bad for your mental health? It can be both! Create a healthy balance of time online by trying these four things.
Social Media & Mental Health: Tips for Teens
In this webinar, we explain the potential risks and benefits of social media use to your mental health and discuss resources and strategies to support healthy social media habits.
Funding for the Center of Excellence was made possible by Grant No. SM087180 from SAMHSA of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, SAMHSA/HHS or the US Government.
Last Updated
07/19/2024
Source
American Academy of Pediatrics