Youth Self-Reports and Parental Observations of Negative Perceptions of Social Media (in the past 30 Days)

This chart from the 2026 Flash Eurobarometer 'Impact of excessive screen time and social media on young people’s mental health' reveals a significant 'visibility gap' between the physical and mental experiences of adolescents and how these are perceived by their parents. The data show that adolescents consistently report much higher levels of distress than their parents notice in almost every category. The most significant discrepancies are found in 'hidden' physical symptoms: adolescents are twice as likely as their parents to report headaches (33% vs 17%), tired eyes (34% vs 18%) and back/neck pain (24% vs 10%). While parents are relatively aware of their children’s concentration difficulties (27% vs. 32%), they are largely unaware of their children’s sleep problems (30% vs. 16%) and substance use (13% vs. 4%).