What fascinates young people about social media?

They look at photos of friends or videos of celebrities they follow. They find out about clothing styles, workouts and cooking recipes. Or consume activist content. They share funny pictures or videos, so-called memes, or exchange information about pranks, posts in which someone is tricked.

Teenagers like a post here, comment on a post by peers with heart-eyed emoji there. They use chat functions within social networks to send messages or photos and video messages with funny filters. And sometimes they also post their own photos or stories that are visible 24 hours a day, be it of pets, from holidays, of funny events with their peers or of themselves.

Social media are like rehearsal stages

Young people have a profile on social networks as ubiquitous as the smartphone in their hands: Nine out of ten are on platforms such as Instagram or Tiktok every day or several times a week . These are the findings of the latest James Study by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), which examines the media usage behaviour of 12 to 19-year-olds in Switzerland.

«Social media is like a rehearsal stage,» says media psychologist and co-project leader of the James studies Daniel Süss, explaining the appeal of the platforms for young people. «When posting, young people can try things out, present themselves in different ways and immediately see how they are received.» Seen in this light, social media for teenagers has a lot to do with the central developmental task of finding an identity and a playful approach to identity.

The mobile phone as a mirror

Identity development also includes questions such as «Who am I?» and «How do others see me?». These are questions that young people used to grapple with in the playground, for example. Or in their diaries. According to Süss, this self-analysis now also takes place via selfies that young people post and can see over time. «Just as adolescents like to check their appearance in the mirror, the mobile phone also takes on a kind of mirror function.»

In addition, the view from the outside is particularly fascinating on social media. If you then receive a lot of likes on a post, this boosts your self-esteem. According to the media psychologist, many young people are mainly observers, meaning they post something themselves rather sporadically. But even those who only comment or like express their friendship and values. «Even a like is never just an individual response, but always a statement that others see.»

It becomes problematic when boredom or unpleasant feelings are routinely drowned out by reaching for the mobile phone.

Daniel Süss, media psychologist

Of course, no one consciously uses a platform with the aim of developing their identity, says Süss. «Rather, young people want to feel connected to their peers and have a say.» Last but not least, digital media offers entertainment, relaxation - and distraction.

Forgetting about stress, such as stress at school, is also a positive thing. «It only becomes problematic when boredom or unpleasant feelings are routinely drowned out by reaching for the mobile phone - and social media consumption gets out of hand.»

Is everything really that bad?

But isn't that already the case? Many parents ask themselves this question when their teen can't be taken away from their device. And: What are the effects of being online all the time? What about the constant comparison? What if algorithms lead to a downward spiral? And aren't social media to blame for the increasing mental health problems among young people? These and other questions are explored in the following dossier.

The debate about the dangers of social media is nothing new - but it has recently become more intense. One reason for this is the book «Generation Anxiety» by US social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, which was published in 2024. Haidt writes that children are overprotected in the «real» world and underprotected in the virtual world. The previously game-based childhood has changed into a smartphone-based one - which has led to an «anxious generation» and explains the worldwide increase in anxiety disorders and depression among teenagers.

The book seemed to hit a nerve - but there were also voices that found it too one-sided, too alarmist. A short time later, a large meta-study was published in a journal of the American Psychological Association (APA), which analysed 46 studies from 2012 to 2022 and came to the conclusion that there was no evidence of a negative influence of social media on mental health. So is it all safe after all?

Social media as an amplifier of mental health problems

Psychologist James Weiss suspects that the «truth» lies somewhere in between. Weiss is head of youth counselling in the city of Zurich. With 15 employees, he looks after a good 300 clients aged between 13 and 25 - and has recently noticed an increase in insecurities, anxiety disorders and panic attacks.

«I don't believe that social media is the only reason for this,» says Weiss, pointing to factors such as pressure to perform, the pandemic, war on European soil and polarisation in politics. «But I do think that social media acts as a moderating, reinforcing factor in the development of mental health problems.»

In other words, they are not necessarily a trigger, but could exacerbate existing problems. And they are particularly stressful for young people who are already insecure : «Imagine you are someone who is quite reserved and finds it difficult to socialise. And then you constantly see other people chatting with each other and maybe even posting stupid comments about you. It would be more beneficial if you didn't even notice that, wouldn't it?»

Of course, when counselling young people, he mainly sees those who have problems. But concentration problems or the urge to constantly check how many likes you have received are not surprising with such a high-performance device in your pocket, which most adults also find difficult to resist.

Social media and eating disorders

It is therefore not easy to say how great the danger posed by social media is for adolescents. However, in order to investigate the question of what it is, it is worth taking a differentiated look at some aspects that worry parents and professionals alike.

Media scientist Maya Götz, for example, is investigating the question of whether social media contributes to the development of eating disorders. In a qualitative study, she interviewed 143 people, mainly girls and women, who were undergoing treatment for eating disorders.

Boys can score points with coolness or humour. With girls, it's all about outward appearances.

Maya Götz, media scientist

Götz wanted to know what role influencers - such as those with extremely slim or toned bodies - played in the development of the disease and in their lives with it. And came to the conclusion: Influencers have a clear influence - not only on ideals and body images, but also on girls' and women's training and eating behaviour. According to the study, they can thus support eating disordered behaviours.

Imitate influencers

In other studies, Götz noted the high pressure to conform that girls feel on Instagram, for example: the longer they use the platform, the more they begin to stage themselves like influencers, according to the media scientist. «The girls think they always have to look cheerful, learn poses that make their stomachs «disappear» and use filters to create the perfect picture.»

As a result, their own photos look more and more like each other and increasingly resemble the influencer images. At some point, the girls also perceive images with filters as more natural than without, says Götz. «This leads to distorted ideals and lowers self-esteem - because the ideal can never really be achieved.»

Even boys are not spared such influences. «But boys have other ways of creating status with photos,» says Maya Götz. «For example, by scoring points with coolness or humour.» For girls, it's still all about outward appearances. So it's not surprising that girls also use filters much more often, according to Götz.

The fact that beauty filters in particular have a negative effect on self-image is often described. According to studies, they can even lead to a desire for cosmetic surgery. Nevertheless, Tiktok announced last November that it would be restricting certain effects for under-18s. The Bold Glamour AI filter, which enlarges eyes, plumps up lips and makes cheekbones appear more defined - and does so in an unusually realistic way - was particularly criticised.

Compare and exchange ideas

Being on social media means comparing yourself. And while people used to compare themselves with the girls in the same school or the boys in the football club, young people now compete with the whole world on social media. And often with people in pictures that are not only edited with filters, but also perfectly staged. It's clear that they will always find someone who appears to be more successful, more muscular, more beautiful, thinner and has the better life.

Violence in videos has been covered by the new Youth Protection Act since 1 January 2025 and is therefore better regulated than videos concerning anorexia or self-harm.

Yvonne Haldimann, Project Manager of Youth and Media

However, media psychologist Daniel Süss also warns against the illusion that young people would not be exposed to any harmful influences without access to social platforms. «Comparisons can also be made in advertising, the fashion industry and sport, and ideals are often staged there too.» Both Daniel Süss and Maya Götz also emphasise the opportunities offered by online platforms: There are counter-communities for many topics.

Has the utilisation period reached saturation point?

Götz mentions the «Body Positivity» movement, which campaigns for the abolition of unrealistic and discriminatory beauty ideals, and Süss mentions communities for queerness, which propagate sexual diversity. This is where people share difficult experiences and exchange ideas, says Süss. «This can support young people in their development.»

However, if being online increases as steadily as well-being decreases, it is reasonable to assume that the former is responsible if the latter suffers. However, according to Süss, media consumption can also be a «coping» strategy, an attempt to deal with a difficult life situation. There are even researchers who - contrary to the fear that social media favours depression - suspect an opposite connection: that intensive media use could be the result of depression.

In any case, it is reassuring: Young people are not spending more and more time on their mobile phones. According to the James Study 2024, they use their devices for around three hours on weekdays and around four hours at weekends. In 2022, they used them for just as many hours on weekdays and even a quarter of an hour more at weekends. «There are signs that a saturation point has been reached in terms of usage time,» says Süss.

The unfortunate algorithms of social media

It is surprising that this is the case, as the providers do a lot to keep you on the platforms - in order to sell the attention they attract to advertisers. "They use «Like» buttons, notifications or the option to scroll endlessly for this purpose, as highlighted in the Netflix documentary «The Social Dilemma» from 2020. Algorithms that feed you content that you seem to like also serve this purpose.

What's more: «Once you've watched something specific, you often get caught up in a maelstrom of the same content,» says Yvonne Haldimann, project manager of Youth and Media, the national platform of the Federal Social Insurance Office, which promotes media literacy among young people. That may be the case with cute kittens. «It's a different matter when it comes to anorexia or self-harm,» says Haldimann.

It is important that young people learn to use mobile phones in a reflective way. Rules are more useful than bans.

Daniel Süss, media psychologist

«Young people can get into real downward spirals here.» She has therefore already been in contact with Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook. «They said they were already doing a lot to counteract downward spirals. But they are not obliged to do so.» Corresponding mechanisms are not regulated by law. The situation is different for topics such as violence in videos. They fall under the new Youth Protection Act, which came into force in Switzerland on 1 January 2025.

Providers shy away from regulation

However, it is encouraging that the pressure on providers has increased. «States are realising that they can demand something,» says Haldimann. She does not hide the fact that law enforcement is difficult. What is also still far too little the case is that providers themselves recognise their responsibility. Meta has now taken a number of measures to protect young people. «But more needs to be done,» says Haldimann.

She refers to unwanted contact. «It is important to control this in order to prevent cybergrooming - the attempt by paedophiles to make contact with minors via the internet.» However, as initial contact is not a criminal offence, the question always quickly arises as to the extent to which privacy can be invaded.

Tiktok is now also more active when it comes to protecting minors, but the problem is the same, says Haldimann. At Meta, it also remains to be seen what effect the new US government will have on regulatory measures. The fact that the company is abolishing fact-checkers in the US, as it announced in January, hardly invites optimism.

The increased pressure on providers, the more intensive debate about risks: These are reflected in examples of countries that are introducing new laws. Australia, for example, passed the strictest social media law in the world at the end of 2024. It prohibits access for under-16s and is due to come into force at the end of 2025. The US state of Florida has banned access for under 14-year-olds since this year.

A ban on mobile phones in schools?

One approach is to make the social media platforms themselves safer or to limit the access of minors to these platforms. Another is to start with the device: After all, the tool with which social media is generally used is thesmartphone.

Many countries now have bans on mobile phones in schools. In Italy, for example, the use of mobile phones during lessons has been banned since the current school year. The Netherlands has also banned mobile phones from classrooms since last year. In France, a ban on mobile phones during school hours has been in place since 2018.

Most schools in Switzerland have regulations on the use of mobile phones. However, the Bernese municipality of Köniz was one of the first to introduce a blanket ban on mobile phones in February. The city of Zug has similar plans from next school year. The Generation Barometer 2024/25 conducted by the Berner Generationenhaus shows that the Swiss are in favour of a ban in schools: 82% of respondents tended to be in favour.

Instead of discussing bans, we should give young people more room to participate.

Petra Marty and Susanne Lüscher from the Netphatie association

Media psychologist Süss, on the other hand, doesn't think much of strict bans. «It's important that young people learn how to use the device in a reflective way. It seems more appropriate to me to negotiate rules.» He believes that bans at schools are more likely to lead to young people leaving the premises without authorisation to use their device. According to Süss, young people would probably also quickly switch to other channels if, for example, Instagram was only permitted from the age of 16.

Youth counsellor James Weiss is also sceptical about laws. «But I welcome mobile phone-free periods in schools.» He is deliberately not talking about bans. But he hopes that schools and training companies will do more «to help young people with the difficulties and endless possibilities of this device».

Involving young people

And what do those who are involved in this whole discussion say? Petra Marty and Susanne Lüscher are two people who can answer this question. The designer and the curative teacher founded the Netpathie association three years ago. Their aim was to bring together experts on topics such as safety and respectful communication online in order to support children and young people as well as parents and schools.

«We realise time and again how valuable it is to involve young people and listen to them,» says Marty. In workshops that they run with young people, they are often impressed by how much the teens know about social media and how precisely they sense what is good for them and what is not.

If they feel stressed by apps, for example, they sometimes delete or deactivate them of their own accord, according to Lüscher and Marty. Counter-movements are also noticeable, especially among older teens. Many are bothered by exaggerated fitness and beauty ideals and images in which nothing is real.

In turn, Marty and Lüscher experience a lot of uncertainty and worry in workshops with parents. «But in our experience, not everything is as negative as it is sometimes portrayed. Instead of conducting monologues and discussing bans, we should give young people more room to participate and support them at an early stage.»

Media expertise is the be-all and end-all

The fact is that the risks of social media are numerous. In addition to constant comparisons, filters and manipulative mechanisms with all their possible consequences, there are also dangers such as cybergrooming and bullying, hate, fake news, conspiracy theories and the risk of radicalisation. And as if that wasn't enough, the threat of escalation through the possibilities of artificial intelligence looms over everything.

Experts agree that policymakers must ensure effective youth media protection and that providers share responsibility for safe digital spaces. In addition, the term media literacy comes up again and again. «We can't avoid it,» says Yvonne Haldimann. «Especially as regulations always lag behind developments.» In addition to schools, parents are also called upon here. «They should accompany and guide their child step by step, from an early age.»

Last but not least, it is important to Daniel Süss to emphasise the generally good balance of media use among young people in Switzerland. «They still prefer to meet up with friends, play sport or go out in the city and go out.» Of course, the smartphone is always there. However, young people are not just travelling digitally, says Süss. «Rather, they live in a hybrid world.»