A team of American researchers tracked the mental health of 183,000 adults over 11 years to explore the connection between social media use and depression. Their findings, published in the journal npj Mental Health Research, suggest that the risk of depression increases significantly when individuals spend more than 150 minutes a day on social media. Participants, aged 18 to 70, reported their daily social media usage and self-reported depressive symptoms. Using a machine learning model, the researchers found that the risk of depression rises by 0.26% for every additional minute of daily use, or about 17% per additional hour. This effect becomes more pronounced once daily use passes the 150-minute threshold. The study took place between 2014 and 2024, with around 16,700 participants each year, totaling 183,300 individuals. The influence of social media on depression risk grew over the years, increasing from 0.024 in 2014 to approximately 0.04 in 2020 and 2021. The model used had a precision score between 0.71 and 0.75, meaning it was fairly accurate in identifying cases of depression. However, its ability to distinguish between those with and without depression ranged from 0.661 in 2014 to 0.739 in 2022. Martin Block, a co-author of the study from Northwestern University, emphasized that the link between social media use and depression remained consistent each year, even after accounting for the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite these findings, the study has some limitations. Participants were recruited through a commercial provider, and data were collected in January of each year, which might not reflect year-round patterns. The researchers did not differentiate between passive scrolling and more active use, such as posting or messaging. They also relied on self-reported symptoms rather than clinical diagnoses, and they did not follow the same individuals over time, making it difficult to prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship. In France, a study by Insee, published in October 2025, surveyed 65,423 adults about their digital habits and mental health. More than half of 18- to 24-year-olds reported using screens for four hours or more daily outside of work or study. Among women in this age group who checked social media at least five times per hour, 29% reported depressive symptoms, compared to 18% overall. However, the American study focused on adults aged 18 to 70, who were not affected by a French law that was invalidated in August 2024. This law, which banned social media access for those under 15, was fully annulled due to concerns about age verification and data privacy. While the French Parliament had previously supported the ban, a recent study has cast doubt on some of the fears surrounding social media’s impact on the brain. Researchers in the U.S. caution that while the link between social media use and depression is clear, it is not yet certain whether the observed usage levels alone pose a clinically significant risk.