Too Much Social Media: Effects On Mental Health

Social media can come with benefits and drawbacks. Through social media, people can connect, ideas and entertainment can be quickly exchanged, business can be conducted, and information can be spread quickly. Social media can have negative effects as well, particularly when it comes to social media and mental health, so it can be crucial to find a healthy balance with social media use. Too much social media (or screen time in general) can contribute to concerns like loneliness, anxiety, and depression, but therapy can help.

Why it can be hard to stop using social media

It can be challenging to stop using social media because it’s designed to be addictive. Social media can lead to inconsistent activation in the brain’s reward center. It provides variable rewards–when a person logs on, they don’t know whether or not they will receive “likes” and other dopamine-inducing forms of interaction. This inconsistency can lead people to check their social media pages repeatedly in hopes of a dopamine hit. Notifications are also designed to provide users with frequent reminders to check various social media platforms, where it can be easy to continue scrolling indefinitely.

Positive and negative effects of social media on mental health

To discover what balanced use of social media means to you, taking a look at social media's positive and negative effects on mental health can be helpful.

Positive effects of social media on mental health

When used appropriately, social media can have many benefits and positive aspects.

1. Social connection: Humans tend to be social beings. Social media can help individuals stay connected to others. Online social interactions can also facilitate connections with like-minded individuals.
2. Companionship: Relating to others can ease stress, depression, anxiety, and isolation symptoms. A lack of social connections can be a risk factor for poor mental health. While virtual companionship and peer support may not replace in-person connections, they can offer some sense of togetherness and support.
3. Virtual common interest communities: Individuals can join groups formed around mutual, healthy interests through social media. Staying engaged in something one finds meaningful can support mental health.
4. Opportunities to help others: Social media can be an effective way to raise awareness for meaningful causes. It can also be an avenue for learning more about others' needs and finding ways to help. Helping others can be a win-win—it can boost the mood of the person who is helping while also benefiting the recipient.
5. An outlet for creativity: Social media can provide a space for expression and creative ideas. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter can enable individuals to share their creations with an extensive audience.
6. A source of helpful information: With careful use and a critical lens for trustworthy sources, social media can offer helpful information and advice about health, well-being, and more.
7. A place to promote business: Social media can provide a place to advertise your products or services to audiences you might not otherwise reach via other forms of marketing. Finding meaning, support, and success in work can promote a sense of fulfillment.
8. Fun and entertainment: Healthy social media use can be fun. Consider the many opportunities to read jokes, play games, take quizzes, read interesting articles, and see great photos.
9. A place to express support: Social media provides endless opportunities to congratulate, offer condolences, send birthday wishes, and more. Such acts of kindness can boost self-esteem, improve mood, lower blood pressure, and decrease stress.

Poor body image, eating disorders, and other negative effects

Below are ten potential negative effects of social media on mental health.

1. Fear of missing out (FOMO): Social media can lead people to believe that everyone else is living a better or more exciting life or doing fabulous things without them, potentially increasing symptoms of anxiety and depression.
2. A sense of inadequacy: Many choose to display the highlights of their lives on social media, which can lead to social comparison. These often one-sided posts don't always reflect the realities of life's challenges. The belief that everyone else's life is problem-free can prompt individuals to worry that they are "less than" or that what they’re doing with their lives isn't "good enough,” possibly contributing to negative comparisons and negative emotions.
3. Isolation: While social media can keep users connected to others, heavy social media use may increase loneliness.
4. Lack of in-person connections: Virtual connections are not necessarily a substitute for positive in-person interactions, as it’s possible to miss out on context and body language when typing to one another through a screen. Increased social media use can mean less time to connect with others in person.
5. Relational aggression: Teens and children may be particularly affected by cyberbullying via others’ posts and messages on social media, but adults can also be the targets (or perpetrators) of nasty or unsolicited comments. A lack of in-person contact can lead people to feel emboldened to bully others and say things that they might not say face-to-face.
6. Self-absorption: Using social media in place of real-life connections can lead to a sense of detachment and self-absorption. Constantly posting about yourself may lead to preoccupation with the way you come across on social media and can even contribute to mental health concerns over time.
7. Unrealistic expectations: When viewing other people's "highlight reels," individuals may develop unrealistic expectations of what life “should be” like. Social media may not show the authentic, full depiction of life's ups and downs.
8. Body image concerns: With photoshopping and editing tools, pictures of bodies online may not be realistic but can still shape expectations of how a body "should" look. Constant exposure to what might be perceived as "ideal" body types by some subjective standards may lead to dissatisfaction with body image and self. Some research shows that there is a link between social media use and eating disorders. 
9. Unhealthy sleep patterns: Overuse of social media can lead to sleep disruption and poor sleep quality. The blue light from screens can interfere with a healthy sleep-wake schedule, as can constant phone, tablet, or computer alerts. Using social media before bed can also lead to an increase in adrenaline or stress that can interfere with falling asleep, staying asleep, and getting restorative sleep.
10. The unknown: Social media is still relatively new. Its long-term effects on mental health and emotional regulation are not yet known, so using it mindfully may be wise.

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How do you know if you're overusing social media?

The following are signs that you might have an unhealthy relationship with social media.

• You use social media while doing other things, such as spending time with people, or during meals or work.
• You rely on social media to cope with or escape from problems.
• You feel irritable or nervous when you're not on social media or are away from it.
• You think about social media constantly when you're not using it.
• Social media negatively affects your school or work performance or relationships with others.

Who may be most at risk of social media overuse

Although anyone can overuse social media, a few groups may be particularly susceptible. For example, young people, including children, teens, and young adults, may be especially prone to struggling with social media addiction. A 2022 study suggested that additional risk factors may include being female and having traits like impulsivity, low self-esteem, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and negative attentional biases (a tendency to focus on negative information over neutral or positive information).

Social media overuse can negatively impact subjective well-being in people of all ages, and it can be important for those in need of support to seek mental health care rather than turning to unhealthy coping strategies like alcohol misuse (formerly referred to as alcohol abuse). Undergraduate students may be able to receive mental health care through their universities, and others may connect with local or online therapists.

10 suggestions to find balance and manage social media use

It can be possible to have a healthy, balanced relationship with social media, in which it offers benefits, and you can effectively determine when it is and isn’t appropriate to use it. 

Here are a few suggestions to establish healthy social media routines.

1. Set time limits or schedule social media time allowances

Try to decide how much time is healthy to spend on social media and then stick to it. For example, you might consider checking social media once a day (but not before bed). Setting a timer can also remind you to stick to healthy limits. Many smartphones have settings that enable you to prompt notifications when you are approaching or reaching set limits on screen time.

2. Safeguard your sleep

Stimulation and stress resulting from scrolling and posting can interfere with falling asleep and staying asleep, potentially leading to poor sleep overall. Avoiding social media in the evening can help you wind down and feel calmer. Staying off screens for at least 30 to 60 minutes before bed can eliminate exposure to blue light, which can disrupt the natural sleep cycle. A therapist can offer more tips for improved sleep.

3. Put the phone away when you're spending time with others

When you have in-person interactions, try putting your phone away to be fully present with friends and family members. The dopamine rewards you experience from engaging in genuine connection with others may be more fulfilling than the potentially superficial rewards you can attain by scrolling through your social media feeds. Regular in-person interactions may foster improved emotional regulation, potentially making it easier to manage negative emotions over time.

4. Turn off social media alerts on your devices

A constant stream of social media alerts can be difficult to ignore. You might try turning off alerts so that you're not tempted to check social media outside of your "scheduled" time each day.

5. Remind yourself of the realities and unrealities of social media

Try making a conscious effort to remember that social media is not an accurate reflection of the complexity of most people's lives. Social media can be a great way to connect with others, but comparisons can be unrealistic and may lead to negative feelings. Mental health resources, including mental health care options like therapy, can be beneficial for those who need more tips for managing social media use.

6. Make an effort to have in-person interactions

Face-to-face interactions can be uplifting and keep people from becoming isolated. Try to focus on "in-person" friends and loved ones. Peer support from like-minded individuals can offer many benefits, so it’s often worth it to maintain relationships with family members and friends. You might also consider volunteering for an important project or joining a group with an interest to get out in the world.

7. Think before you post

Being mindful about what you post can be an act of self-preservation. For example, will you be prepared to receive negative comments or feedback? Will the consequences affect your mood? Will you be preoccupied with the number of "likes" you get? Will the content be harmful to others? Or will posting be a positive experience? Keeping these considerations in mind can help you determine whether posts are constructive or could have unintended consequences.

8. Use the block, unfriend, hide, or unfollow options if you need to

You can control your feed on social media sites to some degree. If you feel stressed, anxious, or otherwise negative after seeing certain posts, or if certain posts lead to social comparison, consider stopping them from appearing on your screen, muting them, or unfollowing certain accounts altogether. Try to choose content that uplifts you, rather than content that leads you to make negative comparisons to others’ posts.

9. Make social media harder to use

You might try taking social media apps off your phone so that you aren't tempted to use them constantly, as this can lead to social media fatigue. Increased social media use tends to be linked to adverse mental health outcomes, so increasing the number of steps between you and a social media feed may keep your use in check and make you think twice before auto-scrolling. For example, you might remove the apps from your screen so that you have to log into a browser each time you wish to check certain platforms.

10. Be intentional about your social media use

Each time you log in, think about why you're doing so. Are you looking for information? Entertainment? Are you bored? Are you worried that you're missing out on something? Are you checking your number of likes or followers? Do you want to send a message to connect with someone? Are you looking for updates on friends' life events or news about the world? If you scroll and post with intention and time limits, you may find you can avoid social media binges that take up precious time and mental space.

With the mindful use of social media, you may find a healthy balance. A moderate amount of time spent on social media can bring you joy, help you connect with others, stimulate healthy discussions, and offer interesting and entertaining information, all of which have the potential to boost positive feelings, thoughts, and emotions. On the other hand, passive social media use and antagonistic online social interactions can lead to negative emotions and mental health concerns. Choosing to actively engage with social media for a specified purpose can be a healthier way of managing a tendency toward increased social media use.

What research says about social media and well-being

Many studies note a correlation between negative mental health outcomes and factors like time spent on social media, frequency of social media use, and number of platforms used. For instance, recent research on Facebook use among college students found that the roll-out of the platform at the college increased depression symptoms and utilization of mental health services. Data analysis also suggested that Facebook impacted academic performance due to poor mental health in some students who were social media users. This study, conducted in 2021, predicts declines in subjective well-being due to unfavorable social comparison in those who use Facebook, and it’s likely that this applies to other social media platforms as well.

Help for social media overuse or addiction

If you're concerned that you've become addicted to social media, or if it's interfering with other aspects of your life, a licensed mental health professional can help you work on developing healthier behaviors and habits. On BetterHelp, you can connect with a licensed mental health professional based on your needs and preferences. BetterHelp is a reputable online resource for flexible, convenient, and affordable therapy, and in addition to mental health care, more mental health resources are included with your subscription, such as journaling prompts, habit trackers, online classes, and weekly support groups. The ability to schedule appointments outside of traditional business hours and attend sessions from a preferred location can make therapy and qualified support more attainable.

Online therapy for challenges related to excessive social media use

Research shows that online therapy can be very effective. In a systematic review of 12 studies involving online treatment for various internet addictions (including gambling, pornography, gaming, and social media), researchers concluded that web-based treatments for online behavioral addictions demonstrated promise for reductions in symptoms, as well as reductions in the frequency and duration of online addictive behaviors.