The rapid rise in the popularity of social media platforms has raised concerns regarding their potential effects on mental health, particularly among adolescents. Understanding the influence of social media use among adolescents on their psychological well-being is vital as these digital spaces become integral to daily communication. This systematic literature review investigates the correlation between social media use and depressive symptoms in adolescents, aiming to provide a clearer picture of this complex relationship. A comprehensive search was conducted across databases, including CINAHL, Medline, Scopus, APA, and Web of Science, for articles published from 2000 to 2025. The initial search yielded 2,667 articles. After rigorous screening for relevance and duplication, 48 studies were included in the final analysis, encompassing 94 correlations and a total sample size of 115,096 participants. This systematic approach allowed for a robust aggregation of data regarding the interplay between social media usage and depression among young individuals. Using a random-effects model, the overall pooled correlation was determined to be 0.20 (95% CI: 0.17, 0.23) with a p-value < 0.0001, indicating a weak positive correlation between social media use and depressive symptoms. This suggests that higher levels of social media engagement may be associated with increased depressive symptoms, although the strength of this correlation is relatively weak. Moreover, the analysis indicated significant heterogeneity among the included studies, as evidenced by a high variance (τ² = 0.02, 95% CI: 0.02-0.23) and an I² statistic of 94% (95% CI: 93-95%). This high degree of variability points to differences in study design, population characteristics, and measurement tools, warranting further investigation to uncover underlying factors contributing to these disparities. In addition, the prediction interval ranged from -0.10 to 4.46, suggesting that future studies may report cases where social media use could potentially provide protective effects against depression in youths. This finding opens avenues for further exploration into the characteristics of social media interactions that may contribute positively to youth mental health. Therefore, while this review identifies a weak yet significant positive correlation between social media usage and adolescent depressive symptoms, the high heterogeneity among studies suggests the need for caution in interpretation. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies and the qualitative aspects of social media engagement to identify the specific elements that exacerbate or mitigate depressive symptoms in young users. An in-depth understanding of the relationship between social media use and mental health is essential for developing effective interventions and promoting healthier online environments for adolescents.