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Study Finds Heavy Social Media Use Linked to Higher Mental Health Risks Among Young Canadian Men
The survey of 2,000 men found social media use above 3 hours a day was linked to higher anxiety, depression, anger and suicidal ideation.
On Wednesday, the Canadian Men's Health Foundation released a national survey of 2,000 Canadian men aged 19-44, finding that 53% report using social media more than 3 hours daily.
Conducted between April 8 and 14, 2026, the study by the Canadian Men's Health Foundation and Intensions Consulting builds on previous academic research to analyze how digital habits affect mental health.
Frequent social media use more than doubles the risk of moderate to high anxiety and nearly triples the risk of moderate to severe depression among Canadian men.
Heavy users face triple the risk of problem anger and triple the likelihood of suicidal ideation compared to lighter users.
CMHF President and CEO Kenton Boston called the findings a "sobering lens" on social media's impact, saying the organization uses such data to tailor support programs to men's specific needs.