New study looks at how young people are using social media to cope during pandemic and last updated 2021-03-17 17:02:08-04 SAN DIEGO, Calif. â After a year of missed milestones, isolation, and uncertainty, weâre getting a better sense of the pandemicâs mental health toll on young people. âDuring the pandemic, they've oftentimes turned to social media as a positive outlet to relieve anxiety. Yet, at the same time, there's no question; the data is clear that young people who spend a lot of time on social media are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety and other mental health disorders," said James P. Steyer, founder, and CEO of Common Sense Media.