Abstract

This study explores how swedish dail newspaper portray the impact of social media on young peoples health, focusing specifically on individuals aged 13-25. Through a critical discourse analysis of fourteen articles frome Dagens Nyheter and Svenska Dagbladet, published between 2010 and 2023, the study applies Faircloughs (2010) discourse model and Strömbäcks (2014) agendasetting theory. The analysis focuses in three dominant discourses, civic, media and political, and examines how language and thematicframing shape the understanding of health and digital behavior.

The results show that the newspapers primarily emphazise negative effects such as mental health issues, body image concerns and digital stress, particurarly among young girls. Responsibility is often attributed to adults, society and plattformsowners, while few articles offer concrete solution. The reporting is merked by a critical discourse that reinforces the image of young people are vulnerable in digital inviroments. Only a few artivles are highligths positive aspects or structural issues as algorithms and plattforms buisness models. The study concludes that swedish newspapers do not merely refect public debate on young and digital life, but also actively shape in through selection, language use and discoursive framing.