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World Happiness Report highlights social media’s negative impact, ranks Finland as happiest country
Finland tops happiness rankings for the ninth year, while heavy social media use is linked to nearly one-point drop in youth life satisfaction in English-speaking and Western European countries.
- On March 19, 2026, the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford published the World Happiness Report, ranking Finland as the happiest country for the ninth year with a score of 7.764.
- Researchers said algorithmic feeds and influencer-driven platforms fuel social comparisons, adolescents spend 2.5 hours daily on social media, and causes vary by region, gender, and socio-economic status.
- Evidence indicates life evaluations among under‑25s in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand dropped by almost one full point, with Jan‑Emmanuel De Neve saying 'Heavy usage is associated with much lower wellbeing, but those deliberately off social media also appear to be missing out on some positive effects.'
- Policy-Makers elsewhere are considering social media restrictions as Australia last year introduced the world’s first ban for under 16s, with Denmark, France, and Spain planning similar limits.
- Nordic dominance persists as Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway lead while Costa Rica climbed to fourth, based on around 100,000 responses across 147 countries averaged over three years.
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Heavy social media use weighs on teens, finds UN happiness report
Heavy use of social media may be contributing to a decline in young people’s well-being in English-speaking countries and Western Europe, with teenage girls among the hardest hit, according to the latest UN-sponsored survey of global happiness.
·Paris, France
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Total News Sources245
Leaning Left60Leaning Right22Center89Last UpdatedBias Distribution52% Center
Bias Distribution
- 52% of the sources are Center
52% Center
L 35%
C 52%
13%
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