Mechanisms of Differential Vulnerability to Social Media and Digital Technologies in Adolescence

Teen mental health has declined sharply over the past decade, and this research programme will test whether social media is partly responsible by tracking how puberty, brain development, and cognitive changes make some adolescents more vulnerable than others. The problem is urgent but poorly understood. While many assume social media harms all teenagers equally, the evidence is mixed. This programme will identify which specific cognitive changes—such as heightened sensitivity to social rejection or peer influence—predict a stronger negative impact from digital technology. It will also focus on adolescents already diagnosed with mental health disorders, using interviews and surveys to separate general risks from disorder-specific ones, such as exposure to eating-disorder content. If successful, the research could give clinicians and policymakers precise, age-specific guidance on who is most at risk and why. That might inform targeted interventions—for example, tailoring digital literacy programmes to adolescents at a particular stage of brain development, or designing clinical support for those with specific diagnoses. The work is fundamental science: it aims to map the mechanisms linking digital technology to mental health, not to deliver an immediate app or policy. But understanding those mechanisms is a necessary first step before effective, evidence-based solutions can be built.