MHRC Report Associations Between Social Media Use, Personal Screen Time, and Mental Health Indicators Among Canadian Youth

This report is a focused analysis of how social media use, personal screen time, and cybervictimization relate to youth mental health outcomes in Canada.

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Drawing from over 27,000 responses to MHRC’s national population polling initiative), this report highlights how extended screen use and negative online experiences are associated with poorer mental health among youth aged 16–24, including higher rates of anxiety, depression, psychological distress, and suicidal ideation.

The information for this report was collected January 2024 -February 2025, from Polls 19-23 of our Canada-wide surveys. The data represents 27,039 respondents aged 16 and older who answered questions about their mental health in a blind online survey.

Published on

July 9, 2025