IS social media is the root cause of rising self harm, or "a conveniently simple scapegoat" for a complex issue.
A group of Black Dog Institute researchers are asking that question in an article published in the Australian Medical Journal where they highlight the potential harms of a social media ban.
While the potential harms of social media on adolescents cannot be ignored, a ban fails to consider broader societal issues that contribute to mental health and self-harm in young people.
The argument that social media is the cause of rising trends in youth self-harm was relatively week, says Professor Helen Christensen of the Australian National University and her co-authors.
"Social media is a fertile ground for disseminating harmful content, including graphic imagery and messages depicting gendered violence and religious intolerance," the article says.
That proliferation of harmful content can make social media an unwelcoming space, especially for women, minority groups, and young people, who are more likely to be targeted by such content.
That strengthens the narrative that social media is "at the crux" of a youth mental health crisis, but a parallel rise in social media use and youth mental health problems does not imply a causal relationship, the authors say.
"Increased social media use may be a correlate, exacerbating factor, or a consequence of rising trends in youth self-harm, which may have entirely separate causes."
Social media was also a source of information and support for young people experiencing mental health problems, they say, and restricting young people's access to social media could impede pathways for help-seeking.
Federal Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon is leading a Social Media and Australian Society inquiry which is investigating a wide range of social media issues including the use of age verification and age assurance technology to protect children from harm.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged to introduce laws to restrict teen access to social media by the end of 2024, though he has not specified an age for the ban.
The Black Dog Institute authors said the institute's Future Proofing Study, which followed over 6000 Australian adolescents, showed only small associations between social media use and future depression, and that was consistent with other studies.
Meta-analyses also report small associations, suggesting that even if a link exists, it may be too weak to explain population-level youth self-harm trends.
Meanwhile, young people often turn to online resources when they are experiencing symptoms, and the more severe suicidal ideation they experience, the more likely they are to seek help online.
"Complete bans could hinder health literacy development and help- seeking behaviours, especially among those at greater risk." the article says.
"Age restrictions might push young people into using less regulated platforms, while also undermining the responsibility of existing platforms to create safe online communities."
