The impact of social media on young people

Healthwatch Lancashire undertook research on the impact of social media on young people. They spoke to 1,025 young people aged 12 to 25, surveyed 44 parents and guardians, and gathered feedback from 167 people through in-person engagement sessions across Lancashire. 

The research found that social media plays a significant role in how young people access health information, with 67% reporting that they had used social media for health advice and TikTok emerging as the most commonly used platform. Many young people said social media had helped them learn about topics such as mental health, fitness, nutrition, symptom awareness and women's health. However, misinformation was a major concern, and while most young people reported checking information against other sources, 51% had encountered AI-generated health content and many were unsure how to identify it reliably. 

Parents were generally more concerned than young people about the impact of social media, particularly around misinformation, body image, mental health and online safety. In-person engagement revealed a clear generational divide, with young people tending to see both benefits and risks, while parents held predominantly negative views. AI emerged as the most frequently discussed topic during face-to-face sessions, with participants expressing concerns about trust, misinformation and the increasing difficulty of distinguishing genuine content from AI-generated material. 

Healthwatch Lancashire concluded that improving AI literacy and digital health literacy should be a priority. The report recommended updating online safety education in schools to include AI-generated content, providing more support for parents, strengthening engagement with seldom-heard groups, involving young people in the creation of health campaigns and increasing the presence of trusted NHS and public sector health information on the social media platforms most commonly used by young people.