More adolescents are struggling to control their use of social media, with the share reporting problematic use rising from 7 per cent in 2018 to 11 per cent in 2022, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) study covering nearly 280,000 young people.
The findings point to a growing problem beyond the amount of time teenagers spend online, with some adolescents showing addiction-like behaviour such as being unable to control their social media use, feeling withdrawal when they cannot access it and neglecting other activities.
The figures are contained in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, an international survey conducted every four years in collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for Europe.
The latest survey gathered information from 279,117 young people aged 11, 13 and 15 across 44 countries and regions in Europe, central Asia and Canada.
In an X update on Tuesday, WHO said the increase was about more than the growing presence of social media in young people's lives.
“A WHO regional study of nearly 280,000 young people across 44 countries in Europe, central Asia and Canada found that problematic social media use rose from 7% to 11% between 2018 and 2022.”
WHO said the rise reflects a growing number of adolescents whose use of social media is becoming difficult to manage and is starting to affect their lives away from digital platforms.
“That increase may seem modest, but across a generation it represents many more young people struggling with a relationship with social media that has become difficult to control. These figures are about more than screens. They reflect lost sleep, mood shifts, and reduced confidence. This shows how online life can also show up offline.”
The study found a clear difference between girls and boys, with 13 per cent of adolescent girls reporting problematic social media use compared with 9 per cent of boys.
Girls also recorded a larger increase in problematic use between 2018 and 2022, with the rise especially notable among 13-year-old girls.
The level of problematic social media use also differed widely between countries and regions. Romania recorded the highest rate at 22 per cent, followed by Malta at 18 per cent and Bulgaria at 17 per cent.
The Netherlands had the lowest reported rate at 5 per cent.
WHO researchers found that problematic use increased across 18 countries and regions, while some other areas recorded little or no change during the period.
Despite the concerns, social media remains an important part of how adolescents maintain friendships and communicate with others.
The study found that 36 per cent of young people were in continuous online contact with friends and other people. The figure rose to 44 per cent among 15-year-old girls.
The findings therefore do not call for young people to stop using social media altogether. Instead, they draw a line between normal online interaction and use that becomes difficult to control or begins to affect other parts of daily life.
The wider HBSC study also examined digital gaming, another major part of adolescents' online lives.
About 34 per cent of adolescents said they played digital games every day, while 22 per cent reported playing for at least four hours on days when they gamed.
Overall, 12 per cent of adolescents were considered at risk of problematic gaming. Boys recorded a higher rate at 16 per cent compared with 7 per cent among girls.
WHO said the findings point to the need for governments, schools, families and other institutions to help young people develop safer and healthier ways of using digital platforms.
The organisation recommended age-appropriate, gender-sensitive and culturally tailored measures, including digital literacy, healthier online habits and support for adolescents who may be at risk of problematic use.
It also called for greater attention to regulation and young people's access to digital technologies.
The findings come as the same HBSC survey points to wider concerns about adolescent wellbeing. Separate WHO analysis found that girls generally reported lower life satisfaction and mental wellbeing and higher levels of loneliness than boys, with the differences becoming more marked as they grew older.
WHO said the purpose of releasing the findings was not to create fear, but to encourage action based on evidence.
“The purpose of this data isn't to alarm. It's to help guide meaningful action.”
The rise in problematic social media use from 7 per cent to 11 per cent gives policymakers, families and schools a clear measure of the growing challenge.
WHO's findings suggest that the key concern is not simply how long adolescents remain online, but whether social media begins to interfere with sleep, relationships, confidence, mental wellbeing and other parts of everyday life.