Is social media really driving a mental health crisis, or are we just looking at the wrong data? Most studies, like Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation, focus on the U.S., showing a strong correlation between rising social media use and worsening teen mental health. However, correlation isn’t always causation. To truly understand this issue, we need a global perspective. This research goes beyond American trends, analyzing international longitudinal data to see if the same patterns hold worldwide. By comparing countries with different cultural, economic, and technological landscapes, we can determine whether social media is a universal risk factor or if other forces are at play. This project evaluates mental health indicators—like depression, anxiety, and self-harm—alongside social media penetration rates. Countries with varying levels of digital access, regulations, and societal norms provide a natural experiment to test causality, not just correlation. The findings could reshape how we think about social media’s impact on mental health. If the effects are consistent across different regions, stricter regulations might be necessary. If not, the real problem may lie elsewhere. Either way, this research aims to bring clarity to a debate too often fueled by fear instead of facts.