Youth mental health levels used to be relatively stable until something changed about a decade ago. After 2012, as some of the most popular global social media platforms were taking off, young Australians began reporting a sharp drop in mental well-being, research shows. Between 2011 and 2022, young women and girls aged 15 to 24 reported their mental health scores dropped from 73 per cent to 62 per cent after remaining largely unchanged for the 11 years prior.
"We value our culture of diversity and inclusion and want you to feel supported and heard," its website reads. Instagram also promotes ways to "stay safe". The decline in mental health corresponded with a fall in friendships and a rise in loneliness metrics. Adults older than 25, who typically use social media less than younger Australians, experienced a less-pronounced fall in mental health of about three per cent.