The United States is facing a youth mental health crisis. Forty-two percent of high school students reported experiencing persistent feelings of sadness, including 29 percent of boys, 57 percent of girls, and 69 percent of LGBTQ+ students. Furthermore, 30 percent of high school girls and 14 percent of high school boys reported having seriously considered suicide. The developmental changes that youth experience during this time are often challenging, and the state of youth mental health is further compounded by external drivers, including the effects of social media use. With this in mind, identifying safeguards to support youth mental health in today’s digital world is critical.

The US must develop a preventative public health approach to youth mental health that prioritizes protecting youth online. Opportunities exist for communities, policymakers, and organizations to support scalable solutions that will alleviate the youth mental health crisis. This report outlines safeguards for youth online, with insights, actions, and case studies informed by this extensive data collection and reflective of the diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences of the interviewees.