Digital Content Modalities and Adolescent Mental Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Video versus Non-Video Platform Effects

Background: Rising adolescent mental health concerns have paralleled the proliferation of multimodal digital platforms, with short-form video consumption reaching unprecedented levels. Current research aggregates diverse social media platforms, potentially obscuring content-specific psychological mechanisms that may differentially impact mental health outcomes.Objectives: To systematically examine how different digital content modalities (text, image, video) affect adolescent mental health outcomes, with particular focus on the psychological mechanisms linking short-form video platforms to anxiety and depression.Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following PRISMA guidelines. Electronic databases (PsychINFO, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus) were searched for studies published 2020-2024 examining digital content consumption and adolescent mental health. Inclusion criteria required adolescent participants (10-19 years), validated mental health measures, and content modality specification. Random-effects meta-analysis was performed using Cohen's d and odds ratios, with subgroup analyses by content type.Results: Forty-seven studies met inclusion criteria (N=156,789 participants). Short-form video platforms showed significantly stronger associations with mental health outcomes (pooled d=0.45, 95% CI: 0.32-0.58) compared to image-based platforms (d=0.28, 95% CI: 0.18-0.38) and text-based platforms (d=0.21, 95% CI: 0.12-0.30). Video content demonstrated unique psychological pathways including enhanced parasocial relationships (d=0.35), intensified social comparison (d=0.48), and algorithm-driven attention disruption (d=0.33). Longitudinal studies revealed accelerated symptom development among video platform users compared to other modalities.Conclusions: Digital content modality significantly influences adolescent mental health outcomes, with video platforms creating distinct psychological risks requiring targeted interventions. Current aggregated approaches to social media research may substantially underestimate video-specific effects. Clinical assessment and prevention programs should differentiate content modalities in their approaches.