Rethinking Social Media in Youth Health Promotion: Navigating Ethics, Equity, and Algorithmic Risk

BackgroundSocial media platforms offer scalable opportunities for youth-focused health behavior interventions, but their commercial design, data extraction practices, and algorithmic content delivery raise ethical, legal, and equity-related concerns.MethodsThis commentary examines how these platform features may introduce unintended risks for youth participants, including surveillance, screen time-related harms, and digital exclusion.ResultsKey risks include (1) data collection and surveillance practices that may undermine privacy and informed consent; (2) engagement-driven platform features that may increase screen time exposure, amplify exposure to harmful ot conflicting content, and contribute to adverse psychosocial outcomes; and (3) structural inequities in digital access, literacy, and targeted content that may exacerbate health disparities. Platform-specific affordances further shape exposure to risks such as social comparison, misinformation, and algorithmic bias.ConclusionSocial media-based interventions hold promise but require careful evaluation of platform environments. Research should prioritize transparency in data practices, evaluate psychosocial and equity-related outcomes, and incorporate safeguards to support safer, more equitable youth health promotion.