A 2026 Pew survey asked 1,500 US teens about which social media apps negatively affect sleep; 40% found one app hurts the amount of sleep they get, but the same app is also more likely to help their mental health

For teenagers, social media can be both a source of connection and a reason to stay awake longer than planned. As many of us experience, a few minutes of scrolling can easily turn into hours, leaving the next morning feeling shorter on sleep and the day ahead harder to get through.

A new 2026 survey from the Pew Research Center offers a striking look at that contradiction. The survey of about 1,500 US teens found that TikTok users were more likely than Instagram and Snapchat users to say the platform hurts their sleep and productivity.

But there is a good side to the story: TikTok users were also slightly more likely to say the platform helps their mental health than to say it hurts it.

TikTok stands out when it comes to lost sleep

The DC-based think tank surveyed 1,458 US teens ages 13 to 17 and their parents between September 25 and October 9, 2025, asking about their experiences on TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat.

Among the three platforms, TikTok stood out for its connection to sleep problems. Roughly four in ten TikTok users said the platform hurts the amount of sleep they get, compared with about a quarter of teens who said the same about Snapchat or Instagram.

TikTok users were also more likely to say the platform hurts their productivity.

That creates an interesting pattern: the app that many teens say interferes with their sleep and productivity is also one they overwhelmingly use for entertainment.

The same app can feel harmful and helpful

The findings become a bit complicated when mental health enters the picture.

Across TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat, most teen users said the platforms neither hurt nor help their mental health. Still, among TikTok users, the balance leaned slightly positive. Teens were somewhat more likely to say TikTok helps their mental health than to say it hurts it.

The same pattern appeared on Snapchat, while Instagram users were statistically split between those who said it helps and those who said it hurts.

So the survey does not paint TikTok as simply harmful. Instead, it shows a more convoluted relationship: the platform can interfere with sleep and productivity while still making some teens feel better mentally.

Entertainment is a major reason teens keep coming back

One reason may be obvious: teens are on these platforms largely because they enjoy them. Pew found that roughly nine-in-ten or more teens say entertainment is a reason they use TikTok, Instagram or Snapchat.

TikTok stood out particularly strongly. Roughly eight in ten TikTok users described entertainment as a major reason they use the platform.

That entertainment can also keep the scrolling going. About three-in-ten TikTok users said they spend too much time on the app, a larger share than among Instagram or Snapchat users.

Yet the most common response across all three platforms was that teens felt they spent about the right amount of time on them.

It isn't only about scrolling

Social media also serves a social purpose. Teens use these platforms to keep in touch with friends and family and to connect with people who share their interests. Snapchat, in particular, stood out for messaging and maintaining relationships: roughly two-thirds of its users said keeping up with friends and family was a major reason they used it.

TikTok and Instagram also play other roles. Around six-in-ten TikTok users said they use the platform for product reviews, while TikTok and Instagram users were more likely than Snapchat users to say they use them for news.

And when it comes to self-esteem, about six-in-ten users of all three platforms said what they see on the apps makes no difference in how they feel about themselves.