Opinion: Tech and social media bans alone cannot fix teen mental health

You’re probably not worried about the role that Strava is playing in the teen mental health crisis. But you should be.

Strava seems extremely benign — especially compared to an app like Instagram or TikTok. It simply “lets you track your running and riding with GPS, join Challenges, share photos from your activities, and follow friends,” in the company’s own words. Yet we recently heard a high school track coach point to Strava as an example of how tech can contribute to the pressure teens face. Even during the off-season, teens see how their runs compare with those of their peers three towns over or three states away. Competition isn’t confined to competitions; it’s accessible and quantifiable all year long.

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