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IZA Discussion Paper No. 18013
July 2025
Riskonnected: Social Media, Puberty and Risky Behaviours in Adolescence
Margherita Agnoletto, Marina Della Giusta, Silvia Mendolia

We examine the impact of intensive social media use on puberty timing, particularly earlier menarche in girls. Using data from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), a nationally representative longitudinal dataset tracking around 19,000 children in the UK, we analyse how digital engagement influences adolescent development. Our results show that intensive social media use significantly accelerates menarche in girls but has no clear effect on male puberty markers. The likely mechanism behind this effect is the negative impact of social media on mental health, particularly stress and anxiety, which have been linked to earlier menarche. Our findings highlight social media use itself as a potential risky behaviour, reinforcing concerns about its effects on adolescent well-being.

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Mark Fallak
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+352 585-855-526
World of Labour
Olga Nottmeyer
olga.nottmeyer@liser.lu
+352 585-855-501
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Christina Gathmann
christina.gathmann@liser.lu

The IZA@LISER Network is a global community of scholars dedicated to excellence in labor economics and related fields, now coordinated at the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) following its transition from Bonn.

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