What type of study is this?

This is a Systematic Review study (also classified as: Meta-Analysis).

September 24, 2025Open Access

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

Key Points

Short-form video platforms are linked to significantly worse mental health outcomes compared to other content modalities.
The meta-analysis pooled data from 47 studies involving over 156,000 adolescent participants to evaluate these effects.
Unique psychological pathways linked to video content include intensified social comparison and enhanced parasocial relationships.
These findings emphasize the need for tailored interventions addressing the specific risks associated with video platform usage.

Abstract

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.Keywords: digital content, video platforms, adolescent mental health, social media, systematic review, meta-analysis, TikTok, Instagram, parasocial relationships

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