Increased Rates of Reported Depression in a Pandemic-Era of Excessive Teenage Social Media Use

The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with reported increases in hopelessness, sadness, and general mental health concerns for teenagers in the U.S., alongside increased social media usage in a context of evolving media platform regulations and widespread school closures. This review asks the following question: How has social media usage contributed to depression in American teenagers since the COVID-19 pandemic started? To answer this, this study systematically reviewed 21 articles published in psychology, psychiatry, behavioral health, and sociology from 2020 to 2025 on causes of teenage depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic saw a rapid increase in teenage social media usage, which has been linked to higher levels of depression through exposure to stressful news and media promoting unrealistic standards for physical appearance, life, and achievements. Unhealthy coping mechanisms implemented to cope with stress and social isolation during the pandemic, including substance use and increased overall screen time, further contributed to worsening depression among teenagers. The COVID-19 pandemic’s varied impact on teenage mental health across race, gender, sexual orientation, and economic stability highlighted the disparities in access to adequate mental health support in American healthcare systems. This paper argues that recent literature concerned with the increased rates of teenage depression in the US reveals that such increases are pandemic-induced and may be best conceptualized as a type of depression outbreak among adolescents in a critical stage of psychological development.