In one key study, girls who were heavy users of social media were three times as likely to be depressed as non-users. Were there any particular data points about smartphones and social media that persuaded you they were causing a mental health crisis? 3: “No social media until age 16 or later.” That seems a lot tougher than what most families practice. I have not found that with my kids — that they’ve been socially isolated for not having social media. Usually that ends up tilting toward texting, but it does not have to be social media.