A report says that heavy social media use has contributed to a “worrying decline” in well-being across Western countries, according to the World Happiness Report.
A United Nations-backed report has found that social media is playing a significant role in the declining happiness of young people in Western countries.
The latest World Happiness Report, released on Wednesday, says that heavy social media use is partly responsible for a “worrying decline” in youth well-being across the West.
According to the report, 15 Western countries—including United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand—have experienced notable drops in young people’s well-being over the past two decades.
However, this trend is not seen globally. In regions representing about 90% of the world’s population, young people are reporting higher life satisfaction than before.
The researchers noted that while many factors influence well-being, heavy social media use appears to be an important contributor in certain countries. They added that outside the English-speaking world and Western Europe, the relationship between social media use and well-being can be more positive and varies across platforms.
The report, published by the University of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre in collaboration with Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, draws on data from sources such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and research by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt.
Despite the decline in youth well-being, Western countries—particularly in Scandinavia—continue to rank highly in overall happiness. Finland has been ranked the world’s happiest country for the ninth consecutive year, followed by Iceland, Denmark, Costa Rica, Sweden, and Norway.
Meanwhile, Middle Eastern and African nations ranked lowest in happiness, with Afghanistan at the bottom, followed by Zimbabwe, Malawi, Egypt, Yemen, and Lebanon.
Growing concerns about social media’s impact on young people—such as bullying, exploitation, and mental health issues—have prompted some governments to introduce restrictions. Australia, for example, has introduced a ban on social media use for children under 16, while similar measures are being considered in countries like Indonesia, France, and Greece.
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