High school junior Hana Widman describes the impact of scrolling on TikTok. “I’ll see tennis content and funny pet videos. All of a sudden I swipe and it transitions into a tragic news headline like the Cornell 7 case,” said Widman, who attends Cupertino High School. “It is scary to think that over time I don’t react to things like this even if it is really serious.”

Doomscrolling— constantly scrolling through disturbing news—can take a severe mental toll on teens. According to research by the Stanford Center for Digital Health in conjunction with JAMA Pediatrics, teens face heavy exposure to distressing online news with 50% saying that it disrupts their sleep.

“The No. 1 protecting mechanism [against emotional fatigue] is actually sleep. If a teen sleeps better it truly changes the development and function of that teen,” said Dr. Sunny Xun Liu, director of research at Stanford Social Media Lab.

Social media can have a strong impact on how teens view the world, especially since most teens consume news through their social media feeds rather than traditional news outlets.

“I usually see news first on platforms like TikTok,” said Harmony Vuong, a junior at The Kings Academy in Sunnyvale.

According to a study by the News Literacy Project, 84% of teens view the news media negatively, describing it as “biased” or “depressing.”

“Teenagers, their brains have not been fully developed and any stimuli or outside technology actually has a heightened impact on adolescents than other populations,” Liu said.

Like high schoolers nationwide, sensory overload is part of daily life for South Bay teens.

“When I see a tragic headline, I’ll typically send it to my friends,” said Vuong. “I do feel like I should react, but am not sure what to do.”

Breaking the cycle

Algorithms drive this rapid cycle by keeping users glued to their screens. A study on the impact of prolonged scrolling on a teenager’s brain described how AI-driven algorithms analyze user behavior to curate the most engaging feeds.

“Algorithms, once they see that you engage in one type of content and that you will show interest, they’ll push that content further to all users. So it almost becomes harder and harder for young people to disengage,” said Liu.

“The shock value has never been there from the start because that’s how social media wants to present things to you.”

— Olivia Shin, senior at Maria Carrillo High School

Olivia Shin, a senior at Maria Carrillo High School in Santa Rosa, has experienced how social media algorithms normalize extreme content, turning disturbing online media into a regular everyday occurrence.

“After a long day, I’ll just lay on the floor and doomscroll a little bit […] In the past, it’s not been like that.” said Shin. “The shock value has never been there from the start because that’s how social media wants to present things to you.”

Under new California legislation taking effect in January, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and other social media platforms must display health warning labels, cautioning teens about mental health risks, sleep disruption and graphic content.

“When I’m on my phone late at night, there’s times where I just can’t put my phone down and stay up late, causing me to lose sleep. It just ruins my mood,” said Nanami Kai, a junior at Cupertino High School in Cupertino.

The mandate follows an over $17 billion legal settlement in August with Meta, owner of Facebook, stemming from lawsuits accusing Instagram and Facebook of harming children with intentionally addictive features. It requires major social media platforms to restructure algorithms for users under 16, restrict late-night notifications, impose daily time limits and maintain stricter guidelines for graphic content.

Guidelines from the American Psychological Association advise teens to adjust their habits to prevent digital fatigue and protect against emotional numbness.

If teens feel sad or anxious, Dr. Liu advises them to ask for help. “Talking to parents, friends or a therapist can be very helpful,” she said.

Beyond seeking support, Shin believes recognizing how social media platforms distance users from reality is crucial. “I think no matter what, when you see things on social media, it’s going to be more desensitized. It’s an inherent barrier with the screen,” said Shin.

Kayla Lee is a member of the class of 2028 at Cupertino High School.

Editor’s note: This story is part of the annual Mosaic Journalism Program for Bay Area high school students, an intensive course in journalism. Students in the program report and photograph stories under the guidance of professional journalists.