Social Media Addiction As an Emerging Public Health Concern Among Youth in South Africa: A Focused Review Mapping Synthesis

Abstract

Social media has become embedded in the daily lives of South African youth, shaping communication, identity formation, learning, leisure, political participation, and access to social support. At the same time, excessive and poorly regulated use has raised public health concerns because problematic social media use is associated with depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness, sleep disturbance, social comparison, cyberbullying, and relational strain. This article reframes social media addiction, more cautiously conceptualised as problematic social media use, as an emerging public health concern among youth in South Africa. Drawing on a qualitative desktop design and a focused review-mapping synthesis, the article integrates evidence from public health, psychology, social work, communication studies, and South African youth research. The synthesis shows that problematic social media use cannot be sufficiently explained as an individual failure of discipline. Rather, it is produced through the interaction of youth developmental vulnerability, persuasive platform design, attention-based digital business models, family and peer dynamics, psychosocial stressors, unequal access to offline recreational spaces, and broader social determinants such as poverty, unemployment, and digital inequality. The article argues for a multi-level prevention approach that combines digital literacy, family and school-based support, youth mental health services, community alternatives, platform accountability, and policy attention to commercial digital environments. The South African context requires interventions that are developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, equity-oriented, and grounded in youth participation.