The debate about social media and mental health has been running for a decade. The research has caught up, and the picture is sharper than it used to be.

The harm is not social media use broadly. It is specific: heavy algorithmic feed consumption, particularly among adolescent girls, correlates meaningfully with depression, anxiety, and disordered eating. The correlation survives controls for pre-existing conditions and reverse causality in the most rigorous studies now available. It is not a proven causal chain in every case, but it is strong enough that the “no evidence of harm” position is no longer defensible.