Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/325071 
Year of Publication: 
2025
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 18013
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
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.
Subjects: 
menarche
stress
social media
risky behaviours
JEL: 
I12
I31
J13
J16
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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