Protect Your Child from Digital Threat: A Comprehensive Medical Reference for Researchers and Clinicians

Social media use among adolescents has reached near-ubiquitous levels in high- and middle-income countries. The rapid proliferation of social media platforms has fundamentally transformed the social landscape in which contemporary adolescents develop, communicate, and construct their identities. Over the past decade, mounting evidence has linked heavy and habitual social media use to a constellation of adverse mental health outcomes in young people, including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, disrupted sleep, and heightened vulnerability to cyberbullying. This review introduces and critically examines the construct of "digital dysphoria"—a state of persistent psychological discomfort, disconnection, and dissatisfaction arising from prolonged immersion in algorithmically curated online environments. This review seeks to synthesise the extant evidence on the relationships between social media use and adolescent mental health, with particular attention to the emerging concept of digital dysphoria as a unifying framework. Drawing on evidence from epidemiological cohort studies, systematic reviews, and theoretical frameworks spanning social comparison theory, fear of missing out, and neurobiological reward mechanisms, the review synthesises current knowledge on the pathways through which social media use undermines adolescent psychological wellbeing. It further considers the differential effects of passive versus active use, gender-specific vulnerabilities, and the amplifying role of the COVID-19 pandemic. The review concludes with a consideration of policy and regulatory responses, platform design ethics, and evidence-based interventions including digital literacy programmes, parental mediation, and clinical strategies. The evidence collectively suggests that digital dysphoria, as a proposed framework, may represents an emerging public health concern that warrants coordinated attention from clinicians, educators, policymakers, and technology developers alike.