Adolescents’ experiences of social media content types and wellbeing: A photo-elicitation interview study

Background: Research on social media and adolescent mental health has often focused on screen time, with less attention to the types of content encountered within algorithmically curated feeds. Different forms of content may have distinct implications for wellbeing, yet adolescents’ own perspectives remain underexplored.Methods: We conducted semi-structured photo-elicitation interviews in 2025 with 27 adolescents aged 14-19 years in the United Kingdom (mean age = 17.15 years, SD = 1.49; 70% self-described female). Participants shared screenshots from their TikTok For You or Instagram Explore pages to support discussion of recommended content. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.Results: Participants described diverse content types, including entertainment, consumerism, identity-related, mental health, news and activism, body image, and AI-generated content. Across themes, content was experienced as double-edged. Perceived impacts were shaped by recurrence of exposure and by developmental and personal contexts, including mood, age, and literacy. Repeated exposure could transform initially neutral or beneficial content into experiences of excessive scrolling, pressure, distress, or emotional burden.Conclusions: Adolescents’ experiences of social media and their perceived implications for wellbeing appear to depend on the content repeatedly encountered and how it is interpreted in context. Interventions should move beyond screen time alone to address the quality and emotional consequences of content exposure.Key words: Algorithmic recommendation; Adolescents; Social media content; Wellbeing; Mental health; Photo-elicitation; Qualitative research