Using Social Media to Build Up Teenagers, Not Break Them Down

Using Social Media to Build Up Teenagers, Not Break Them Down

We hear it everywhere: social media is bad for teenagers. It fuels anxiety, crushes self-esteem, and chips away at their mental health. And it’s true, digital life can be overwhelming. Recent studies, like those published in Science Direct and The Conversation, show the real risks of smartphone and social media overuse: addiction-like behaviours, rising anxiety, and lower wellbeing, especially among younger users.

But what if social media could be used differently? What if it could be part of the solution?

That is the thinking of platforms like B-Wise, from the National Department ofHealth and Reach Digital Health, and Keready, part of Hold My Hand. Instead of fighting the digital world, these initiatives are stepping into it: connecting with teens on the screens they already use.  They are using social media and WhatsApp platforms that live on the same screens where young people spend their time. Not to add pressure, but to create space: for agency, for questions, for real connection.

Here’s why we believe it works:

·      Digital life is not going anywhere and teenagers are online. For learning, for connection, for self-expression. Telling them to simply "switch off"is not realistic (or even always helpful).

·      When young people feel isolated, they're more vulnerable to mental health struggles.Done right, digital platforms can deepen belonging and give teens access to real support.

·      Teenagers need spaces where they can ask questions, be heard, and share their own views.Platforms like B-Wise and Keready create these spaces by speaking with young people, not at them.

·      Research published in TechWeekly shows that not all social media exposure is harmful, with the right content, digital platforms can boost wellbeing by inspiring positive values and strong peer support.

In other words, it’s not just the medium. It’s the message.

B-Wise uses government-backed information to support sexual and reproductive health in real-time. Reach Digital Health harnesses behavioural science to shift health behaviours and support mental well-being. Keready taps into what social media does best: fast connection, storytelling, community-building. Young people lead the conversations about health, identity, relationships, and future dreams. These approaches reflect Hold My Hand’s belief that building teenage agency is as important as delivering information.It’s about doing with, not doing to. We know the risks of digital life. We also see its enormous potential. The goal isn’t to shut teenagers out of the online world, it’s to co-create safer, smarter, more supportive digital spaces with them.