HMN 2026: How to challenge idea that social media harms teen empathy

Teenagers who use social media more frequently may show slightly higher empathy, according to a new meta-analysis by researchers at Georgia State University. The study, a systematic review published in the Journal of Adolescence, analyzed data from 13 studies involving more than 10,000 adolescents with an average age of about 16. It found a small positive association between social media use and overall empathy.

“While the association between social media use and total empathy was small, I was a bit surprised that it was positive given the mixed findings among the individual studies,” said Erin McDonald (Ph.D. ’25), the study’s lead author.

McDonald conducted the research as a doctoral student in psychology at Georgia State. She is now a postdoctoral fellow at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass., and Harvard Medical School.

How teens use platforms matters

Not all types of social media use showed the same relationship with empathy. Studies that measured how often teens engaged with social media—checking feeds, posting or messaging—showed stronger associations with empathy than studies that measured total time spent online.

Erin Tully, a co-author and associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Georgia State, said the frequency of teens’ social media use—rather than the duration—was most strongly linked to both overall empathy and perspective-taking.

“Cutting back on screen time alone is unlikely to improve adolescents’ empathy,” she said.

Age, nuance and individual differences

Age also played a role. The link between social media use and higher cognitive empathy—the ability to understand another person’s point of view—was stronger among younger adolescents than older teens.

Researchers say this may reflect developmental differences, as perspective-taking skills are still maturing during early adolescence.

The study found no evidence that social media use is broadly harmful to adolescent empathy, challenging a common assumption in public debate. At the same time, the authors emphasize that the relationship is complex and varies widely depending on individual behavior and context.

“The association between social media use and empathy is nuanced, meaning it’s not just all ‘good’ or ‘bad,'” McDonald said. “Parents might focus on how their kids are using social media and how social media may be affecting them individually.”

Tully said the popular debate often oversimplifies the issue.

“The association between empathy and social media use is not uniformly positive or negative. It likely depends on how adolescents are using social media—for example, to give and receive support versus for social comparison—and individual differences such as shyness and friendship quality,” Tully said.

Benefits, risks and research gaps

A qualitative review conducted alongside the meta-analysis found that adolescents who used social platforms specifically to connect with others showed higher empathy levels. However, according to prior research cited in the study, using social media primarily to stay connected with others is linked to higher levels of anxiety and checking accounts more frequently.

“While social media is often viewed negatively, we did not find evidence that social media use is broadly harmful to adolescent empathy,” McDonald said. “However, social media can be used in problematic ways, and there is evidence that problematic social media use is associated with negative outcomes.”

All studies reviewed were correlational, meaning cause and effect cannot be established.

“We are not assuming that social media shapes adolescents’ empathy,” Tully said. “It may be the other way around: Adolescents who are naturally more empathetic may choose to use social media differently.”

McDonald said future research should move beyond simply measuring time spent online.

“Future researchers should examine how social media is being used among adolescents, as many of the studies included in this meta-analysis only measured frequency or duration of use.”

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