Abstract for: Webs of Influence: Exploring links between social media and anxiety from a teen perspective

In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General reported growing concerns about Social Media and Youth Mental Health, noting a 92% rise in Generation Z (10-23) anxiety since 2010, coinciding with social media's rise. Anxiety rates for other generations remain stable despite their use of social media. This project, in collaboration with a St. Louis, MO, public charter school, uses CBSD to explore youth perspectives on the connections between social media and anxiety. We conducted a two-hour CBSD session with 12 youths using scripted systems mapping exercises to explore the relationships between social media use, mental health, and daily life. Youth perspectives were garnered to identify the reinforcing and balancing feedback loops affecting digital engagement. The participants drew causal loop diagrams to depict the challenges and opportunities provided by social media for themselves and their peers. Participants identified 44 social media variables that increase OR decrease anxiety. Feedback loops weren’t all negative--some included the soothing effect of cat videos and others noted the feedback loop driving anxiety, which they labeled the “doom scroll.” This project deepened understanding of key factors influencing teen social media engagement, the identification of system-wide feedback loops that contribute to both positive and negative experiences, and youth-driven insights into potential interventions. This work lays the foundation for future efforts at the school to embed systems thinking into the curriculum, equipping young people with tools to critically analyze and navigate digital and social challenges in their communities. Another outcome of this engagement was that participants shared how learning about the feedback loops driving social media use may change their own behaviors and engagement patterns with various platforms.