The Dangers of Social Media for Youth and the 25th Anniversary of 9/11
September 11, 2026
Editor's Note
In a landmark ruling late last month, Meta settled with attorneys general from 47 U.S. states for up to $17 billion, agreeing to make changes to features on Instagram and Facebook for teens in response to claims that the platforms caused mental health issues in young people and were addictive.
In parallel, more countries are restricting social media for youth, and it is unclear if those actions will improve adolescents' worsening mental health, write Think Global Health (TGH) Senior Contributing Editor Katherine Leach-Kemon, Research Associate Alejandra Martinez, and Data Visuals Designer Lara Yeyati Preiss. To evaluate and gauge early reactions to new social media regulations, the authors interviewed a mental health expert and three youth advocates about the bans.
Social media platforms can enable online violence while also serving as spaces for social connection, write Research Associate Professor Illana Seff, Associate Professor Julia Fleckman, and Professor Lindsay Stark, who stress the need for those affected by cyberbullying, harassment, and sexual exploitation to have access to greater support systems.
Lastly, as the United States marks the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks today, TGH Research Associate Elena Every examines the mental health needs of incarcerated veterans in the United States. If veterans are jailed, they lose access to Veterans Affairs mental health care benefits, following a policy that was enacted just before the 2001 attacks. A pilot program led by a bipartisan group of lawmakers is attempting to change that by providing those services and collecting better data.
Until next week!—Allison Krugman, Interim Managing Editor, Katherine Leach-Kemon, Senior Contributing Editor, and Alejandra Martinez, Research Associate
Recent court rulings have exposed harms caused by social media, but experts say accountability on its own will not counter online violence, including cyberbullying
