Digital technologies open new possibilities for education and play, enabling young people to find information faster and offering new opportunities to foster creativity and connection. Young people interact in a range of digital environments – from browsing the Internet and playing video games to connecting with their peers on social media platforms. Social media plays a central role in how young people communicate online. Those born in the early to mid-2000s have grown up connecting on platforms like Snapchat and Instagram. Communicating via social media platforms is thus an integral part of their daily lives.
While social media has become central to how young people communicate and consume information, it also has potential downsides. Parents, educators and policymakers increasingly worry about the effect of social media on academic performance, learning environments, risks to mental health and overall well-being. The appeal of social media for young people and its potential for distraction, unhealthy comparisons and harmful information sharing have led several countries to restrict mobile phones in schools (French Ministry of National Education, 2025[1]). Other countries have enacted laws to regulate how social media companies can offer their services to young people (OECD, 2025[2]). In addition, some countries have established laws that set a minimum age for social media accounts (Australian Government, 2024[3]; Australian eSafety Commissioner, 2026[4]).
This paper reviews the literature on the impacts of social media use on young people, focusing primarily on 15-year-olds, and explores trends in their social media use. Drawing on newly derived insights from the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) data for 2022, it analyses the associations between social media use and academic outcomes and skills, particularly creative thinking – a key complementary skill to thrive in highly digital environments. Finally, the paper discusses how policy can support young people in making the most of social media’s many opportunities while protecting them against related risks.