UK news coverage emphasized risks of adolescent social media use
A content analysis found that potential harms dominated stories about adolescent social media, while potential benefits received much less attention.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The measured outcome was news coverage of adolescent social media use. Potential risks appeared much more often than potential benefits, and most articles did not support claims with evidence. The findings describe an imbalance in the selected coverage; they do not establish the actual balance of harms and benefits for teenagers.
This abstract describes a content analysis, so it cannot show that coverage changed public anxiety or policy. The included material represents selected UK outlets, not all social media reporting.
What researchers found
Articles mentioning potential risks versus benefits
Proportions of included UK news articles published during 2014–2024; these measure coverage, not adolescent health outcomes.
Tone and sourcing
Headlines were commonly negative, with tabloids tending toward a more negative tone than broadsheets. Articles that cited evidence more often used charity or government reports than academic research, according to the abstract.
What readers can conclude
The analysis reveals which themes dominated the selected coverage. It cannot determine whether a specific risk claim was accurate or whether readers changed their views or behaviour after seeing a story.
The original publication
The representation of adolescent social media use: a systematic review and content analysis of UK newspaper articles.
Davies J, Cadwallader S, Black L et al.
BMC Public Health · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40993567
- Record checked
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