There was a time when walking out of the school gates or coming home offered a genuine break from the minor humiliations, rivalries and tensions of school life. That essential respite has all but disappeared with the widespread use of smartphones. The schoolyard now follows teenagers into their bedrooms, 24 hours a day, bringing with it an endless stream of notifications, constant comparisons and judgments that are quantified for all to see.
Disrupted sleep, eroded attention and persistent anxiety... the effects of this continuous flow on minds that are still developing have become too significant to ignore. When the privacy of home no longer provides protection and the quest for validation becomes a constant source of pressure, the issue is no longer simply how to guide young people in their use of social media, but how to confront what has become a genuine trap for their mental health.
In this interview with Le360, Yousra Lahlou, PhD in clinical psychology and psychopathology, examines the mechanisms behind this hyperconnectivity, while cautioning against simplistic conclusions: while platforms can exacerbate psychological distress, they can also become a refuge for adolescents who are already struggling, creating a vicious cycle that must be approached with nuance.
Le360: Is there an established link between excessive social media use and anxiety or depression among adolescents?
Yousra Lahlou: Research today shows an association between social media use and symptoms of anxiety or depression among adolescents, but this association remains complex and does not mean that social media directly cause depression or anxiety.
The link appears to be particularly pronounced when use becomes problematic: loss of control, a compulsive need to connect, and repercussions on sleep, relationships or school life. We should therefore focus less on the sheer number of hours spent online than on how social media are used and the place they occupy in an adolescent’s psychological life.
Is this a cause-and-effect relationship or merely a correlation? What does science tell us today?
Research does not allow us to speak of a simple, one-way cause-and-effect relationship. The most recent evidence instead suggests a dynamic and potentially bidirectional relationship.
Problematic use can indeed contribute to worsening certain symptoms, while an adolescent who is already struggling may also turn more frequently to social media. We can therefore envisage a kind of feedback loop in which psychological vulnerability and digital habits can, for some young people, reinforce one another.
How do social media act as an outlet for, or amplify, pre-existing psychological vulnerabilities in adolescents?
Social media can contribute to psychological distress, but their effects depend on each adolescent’s vulnerability and circumstances. They can reveal a pre-existing vulnerability, amplify it, or become the space in which it is expressed.
For some adolescents, social media use may be a response to loneliness, a sense of emptiness, a need for recognition or difficulty relating to others. The clinical question is therefore less “how much time are they spending online?” than “what psychological need is this use supporting, seeking to meet, or helping them avoid?”
Do constant notifications and the fear of missing out create a state of chronic alertness?
They can contribute to maintaining a state of constant vigilance and availability. The fear of missing information, an interaction or social recognition can lead adolescents to check their phones repeatedly and make it more difficult for them to disconnect.
«Above all, we must avoid any deterministic interpretation. The risk depends on the interaction between the young person’s vulnerabilities, their environment and the way they use social media.»
— Yousra Lahlou
The problem arises when this constant stream of demands leaves less and less room for withdrawal, rest and periods of mental downtime. Research has notably found an association between problematic social media use, anxiety and Fear of Missing Out (FoMO).
Which adolescents are most at risk of depression?
There is no single profile, but certain vulnerability factors recur regularly, including low self-esteem, loneliness, relationship difficulties, a tendency toward social comparison, and a history of anxiety or depressive symptoms.
Some studies also find stronger associations among adolescent girls. Above all, we must avoid any deterministic interpretation. The risk depends on the interaction between the young person’s vulnerabilities, their environment and the way they use social media.
Are we seeing forms of distress specific to this generation, with no equivalent among previous generations?
I would be cautious about the idea that these forms of suffering are entirely new. The need for recognition, comparison with others, fear of rejection and loneliness already existed. What has profoundly changed are the conditions in which these experiences unfold.
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Peer scrutiny can now be permanent, public and quantifiable, while certain experiences of rejection or humiliation can continue long after the school day has ended. It is therefore not necessarily a new form of suffering, but a new way of experiencing it, exposing it and, at times, prolonging it.
How does intensive social media use affect adolescents’ ability to concentrate and learn at school?
Problematic social media use can be associated with greater attention difficulties among adolescents. Frequent stimuli and rapidly switching from one piece of content to another can make it more difficult to sustain attention over time, particularly when reading or learning requires patience and continuity.
The issue, therefore, is not that social media “destroy” attention, but that, when used excessively, they can compete with the conditions required for deeper learning.
Through what mechanisms does the appetite for novelty and immediate gratification encouraged by short-form content make tasks requiring sustained effort more difficult to tolerate?
We do not currently have enough evidence to conclude that short-form content causes lasting or irreversible damage to attention.
It can, however, encourage consumption habits based on novelty and immediate gratification, making certain activities requiring sustained effort more difficult to tolerate. At this stage, it is therefore more accurate to speak of a possible effect on attentional habits than of a lasting deterioration in attention.
Through what mechanisms do screens disrupt adolescents’ sleep? What impact does chronic sleep deprivation have on mood and academic performance?
Several mechanisms may be involved: delaying bedtime, cognitive and emotional stimulation from content, notifications, and the difficulty of ending online conversations.
«Social media notably change the timeframe of conflict. What might once have had a beginning, a moment of confrontation, and then an opportunity for tensions to subside can now continue through messages, posts, screenshots or the involvement of peers. »
— Yousra Lahlou
For adolescents, being connected can thus seem as though it never has to end. Yet sleep plays a direct role in emotional regulation, attention and memory. Chronic sleep deprivation can therefore increase irritability, undermine mood and impair learning abilities.
How do social media change the way adolescents deal with conflict?
Social media notably change the timeframe of conflict. What might once have had a beginning, a moment of confrontation and then an opportunity for tensions to subside can now continue through messages, posts, screenshots or the involvement of peers.
The ability to step away and allow tensions to ease can become more difficult, while an impulsive reaction can immediately become public. But social media can also make it possible to seek support or maintain connections. Their effect therefore depends greatly on the context and on the role digital communication plays in an adolescent’s relationships.
