Sexual and gender identity differences in mental health concerns as a function of social media use and cyberbullying among U.S. youth

Abstract

As adolescents increasingly engage with social media, concerns have emerged about its potential implications for youth mental health and about disparities in digital experiences by sexual orientation (SO) and gender identity (GI). However, the mechanisms linking social media use (SMU) to mental health and SOGI disparities in digital contexts remain unclear. Using nationally representative data from the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS; n = 12,773), the current study examines associations between SMU, cyberbullying, and mental health concerns (i.e., sadness and suicidal ideation), with attention to SO and GI differences in these processes. Results showed that associations between higher SMU and greater risks of sadness and suicidal ideation were largely explained by exposure to cyberbullying. SO and GI disparities were also evident in digital risks and mental health concerns: Despite similar levels of SMU frequency, sexual and gender minority youth reported greater exposure to cyberbullying and greater mental health concerns compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers, respectively. In addition, sexual and gender minority youth experienced more pronounced mental health impacts when cyberbullying occurred, indicating a potential manifestation of minority stress processes, whereby bias-based harassment may be particularly harmful to youth mental health concerns. These findings highlight the importance of interventions that move beyond regulating social media use to instead address harassment and cyberbullying in order to promote safer online environments for youth, particularly sexual and gender minority youth.