<![CDATA[Social media has become an inseparable part of adolescent life, yet problematic social media use (PSMU) is increasingly linked to mental health problems, particularly depressive symptoms. Adolescence is a vulnerable developmental period, so understanding the association between these two conditions is important. This study aims to examine the relationship between PSMU and depressive symptoms in adolescents, together with the mechanisms and factors that influence it. The method used was a narrative literature review of national and international scientific articles published between 2021 and 2026, including systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and relevant cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. The review shows that PSMU has a significant positive relationship with depressive symptoms, with a meta-analytic correlation coefficient of r=0.273. This relationship is complex and potentially bidirectional, because depressive symptoms may also drive problematic social media use. The association involves several mechanisms, namely difficulties in emotion regulation, social comparison, low self-esteem, sleep disturbance, cyberbullying, anxiety, and repeated exposure to emotional content through recommendation algorithms. The implication is that early detection and education on healthy social media use should emphasize loss of control over use rather than mere duration, thereby supporting promotive and preventive efforts for adolescent mental health.]]>
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