The latest World Happiness Report has been published, and the findings show that in the last 15 years happiness levels of children and young people have decreased dramatically.

A major focus of the report is the decline in wellbeing among young people in some regions, particularly in English-speaking countries, where happiness levels have dropped over the past decade alongside rising social media use. The report highlights that moderation matters: light or moderate use (around an hour a day) tends to be linked with higher wellbeing than either heavy use or no use at all. It also emphasizes that social media can displace real-world social connections, which are one of the strongest predictors of happiness. Overall, the summary argues for “putting the social back into social media”, encouraging platforms and users to prioritise meaningful interaction over passive consumption.

Its central message is that social media is not inherently good or bad – its impact depends heavily on how, how much, and why it is used. Across multiple international datasets, the report finds that heavy and passive use (such as scrolling through algorithm-driven or influencer content) is associated with lower life satisfaction and poorer mental health, while more active, socially oriented use (e.g. messaging or interacting with friends) is less harmful and can even be beneficial.

The full report as well as an executive summary can be found on the World Happiness Report website.