Instagram identified as bigger mental health risk than WhatsApp in new study

Countries across the world are rushing to ban social media apps for under 16s on the grounds of mental health concerns.

A new global study named the World Happiness Report has not only validated these concerns but also ranks the apps based on its potential to cause more damage to people.

According to an annual barometer of global happiness, social media apps such as Instagram and TikTok which rely on algorithm-driven scrolling are far worse for mental health than other platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook.

The report led by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, found the direct link between the time spent on these social media apps and the prevalence of unhappiness among young people. Unfortunately, the impact is highly unsettling in English-speaking countries and western Europe.

In the UK, the overall happiness levels were at the lowest since 2012.

A study across 17 countries in Latin America found the users who frequently use Facebook and WhatsApp found to be experiencing high life satisfaction. On the other hand, users of Instagram, TikTok and X showed lower happiness and higher mental health issues due to the presence of algorithm-driven content.

Prof Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, director of the Wellbeing Research Centre and an editor of the report, said “It suggests we need to put the social back into social media, and nudge both the providers of these platforms, as well as the users, to leverage these tools for social purposes and connecting with real people.”

The report also shed light on the association between the duration of apps usage and levels of satisfaction.

Ranking of countries by happiness level

As per report findings, Finland topped the happiness leader board for the ninth consecutive year, with the UK in 29th place, down from 23rd last year, the US in 23rd, Australia in 15th and Ireland in 13th.

“American youth or British youth will say things such as affordability, anxiety relating to the future of work and having jobs vanish before their eyes, also really concern them,” Neve said.

In 2026, no English-speaking countries made their way to the top 10 in the index of happiness.

Countries like Costa Rica, Slovenia, Kosovo, and the Czech Republic witnessed an improvement in their rankings.