SOCIAL MEDIA AND MENTAL HEALTH

Positive and Negative impacts of social media on mental health

Zoya Fatima, Aashmi Jaiswal, Shambhavi Shukla

.
.
__________________________________________________________________________
_
Abstract: Teenagers increasingly find it hard to imagine their existence without social media. Practitioners must
be able to determine risk, and social media might be a new factor to account for. Though there is scant empirical
evidence for the assertion, teenage and professional opinion strongly informs the view that there is an associa-
tion between social media and mental health. Privacy issues, cyber bullying, and negative impacts on education
and mental health are all risks of this population's use of social media. Ethical use of social media, however, can
increase opportunities for connection and dialogue, improve self-esteem, enhance health, and access to impor-
tant medical information. In the face of growing evidence of the negative impact of social media on teenage
mental health, there remains a lack of empirical studies of how teenagers understand social media, or more
specifically as a corpus of wisdom, or how they could use broader contemporary media discourses to make
themselves heard. Youths consume cell phones and other types of media in great numbers, leading to habitual
sleep deprivation, which negatively impacts cognitive functioning, academic performance, and socio-emotional
adjustment. Based on data from a range of cross-sectional, longitudinal, and empirical studies, Smartphone and
social media usage among adolescents correlate with a rise in mental distress, self-harm behaviours, and social-
ity. Clinicians can assist teenagers and their families in minimizing the risks of social media and phone use by
employing open, nonjudgmental, and developmentally sensitive strategies, such as education and everyday
problem-solving. Social media can negatively impact our overall wellbeing by fuelling anxiety, depression,
loneliness and FOMO (fear or missing out). These issues are especially prevalent in teens and young adults.

Keywords: Social media, Privacy, Cyber bullying, Evidence, Anxiety, Depression, FOMO.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

INTRODUCTION
Social media has emerged as a vital aspect of everyday life, shaping the ways individuals connect, share infor-
mation, and engage with the world.For many people dealing with the difficulties of mental illness, social media
has become an integral part of their lives. Web and mobile platforms that enable people to connect with others
in a virtual and share, co-create, or exchange different types of digital content, such as messages, information,
images, or videos, are collectively referred to as social media.
Social creatures are what humans are. To succeed in life, we require the company of people, and the quality of
our relationships greatly affects our happiness and mental well-being. Having a social network can help you
avoid loneliness, reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, increase your sense of self-worth, and even extend your
life. On the other hand, your mental and emotional well-being may be seriously jeopardised if you don't have
strong social ties.
People often find themselves dedicating too much time to social media. The need for validation and attention is
too prominent for a person. They tend to be too emerged in the virtual world, i.e, sharing bits and pieces of their
life, waiting for others to “like” there activities. Social media's addictive qualities cause dopamine to be re-
leased, which activates the brain's reward system. This "feel-good chemical" is connected to enjoyable pursuits.
Our friends and family can "like" what we publish, which gives us a dopamine boost. However, our sense of self
and sufficiency may suffer if we don't receive that boost or acceptance. That’s why, when they fail to achieve
that, emotions like sadness, dissatisfaction, frustration, or loneliness greatly affects their mental health. They of-
ten forget how important it is toimprove their online habits and seek a more balanced approach.
In the 1990s, social psychologist Roy Baumeister initially suggested the displaced behavior theory. Baumeister
suggested that self-control is a limited resource that can be drained over time and that when self-control re-
sources are low, people are more likely to engage in impulsive or self-destructive conduct. This can lead to a cy-
cle of bad behaviors and outcomes, as individuals may engage in behaviors that bring short respite but eventu-
ally add to their stress and difficulties.

BACKGROUND

Social media has certainly become a huge part of everyone’s life across the world and it has grown tremen-
dously over the last 20 years, expanding and evolving with changing times. It started its journey with platforms
such as Friendster and MySpace grasping attention from users but things really took off with mobile apps like
Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram in the 2010s. With the widespread usage of smartphones and access to inter-
net spread, more and more users joined the social media wave. By 2020, social media had become a global phe-
nomenon, with billions of users, particularly in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Social media platforms have
been thriving globally ever since, providing people with opportunities to connect with people across the world
with just a click. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed people into quarantine that resulted in accelerating this shift,
people around the world started conversing and connecting with people to dwindle the stress, loneliness and un-
certainty brought on by the pandemic, through the only means available, that being the online platforms. It
helped people to stay connected with family and friends. As people spent more time at home, social media pro-
vided an outlet for entertainment, such as watching videos, listening to music, or following trends and chal-
lenges. It allowed people to escape the stresses of the pandemic for a while. Platforms like TikTok and YouTube
took the centre stage, skyrocketing their popularity in the entertainment industry. Today, over 4.8 billion people
worldwide use social media, with short-form video content and influencer culture dominating the space.As so-
cial media continues to influence how we communicate, shop, and learn, it’s clear that its impact is far-reaching
and worth studying further.
Platforms provide a range of functionalities, such as social networking, entertainment, news consumption, and
information distribution. Social media has the ability to cultivate social relationships, offer emotional support,
and enable the creation of online communities. Overuse, social comparison, cyberbullying, and addiction may
adversely affect mental health.

OBJECTIVES

Currently, the use of social media by teenagers is among their most noticeable traits. Maintaining social connec-
tions with others is a common occurrence, whether at home, in school, or during social events, and teenagers are
frequently engaged with their peers through social media platforms. Teenagers are attracted to social networking
platforms as they enable them to share photos, graphics, and videos on these sites. It also enables teenagers to
make friends, share ideas, explore new interests, and experiment with different forms of self-expression. Users
of these platforms are able to like and comment on posts freely, and they can also share them without any limita-
tions. Nowadays, teenagers often share derogatory comments on social media platforms. Teenagers often partic-
ipate in trolling for fun, unaware of the possible negative effects. Trolling on these platforms targets body sham-
ing, personal skills, language use, and lifestyle choices, among other aspects. The consequences of trolling can
lead to anxiety, symptoms of depression, stress, a sense of isolation, and suicidal ideation. The writers discuss
how social media affects the well-being of teenagers by reviewing current literature and offering intervention
and preventive strategies at the individual, family, and community levels.

POSITIVE IMPACTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

The human mind is a very fragile aspect. In the era of social media, this fragility is often tested.Psychological
reactions tend to vary widely depending on individual experiences, emotional resilience, and external influ-
ences. These external influences can make or break an individual’s psychological state of mind. Social media-
being one of the most prominent external influences- has the power to influence an individual’s cognitive state.
It can have numerous beneficial impacts on an individual mental health. Social media platforms help in fostering
social connections and reduce loneliness. Its ability to connect people across distances helps Individuals who
feel isolated by offering them ways to maintain relationships and build new ones. It helps in reducing feelings
like loneliness and anxiety that is closely linked to depression and various other mental health issues. It also
helps in accessing emotional support by providing individuals a safe space to share their feelings, experiences,
thoughts and opinions. There has been a significant increase in the number of online support groups and com-
munities on various platforms that helps individuals suffering from depression, anxiety, chronic illness and
grief. This has helped individuals to share their experiences, offering empathy and understanding from people
battling similar struggles. These online support groups have been proved to be incredibly effective, comforting,
validating and it has helped people across the world to feel less alone in their experiences.
Social media has played a crucial role in raising awareness about mental health through campaigns and sharing
personal stories and experiences. Expert advices on coping from mental illness are widely shared across the plat-
forms. People speaking up about their own struggles, traumas and experiences has helped in reducing stigma
and has encouraged people to have open discussions about the underlying psychological issues. It has not only
promoted that the idea of seeking help is normal but also necessary.
Social media has been proven to be a space for many people, especially young adults, to express themselves. It
has become an outlet for individuals to convey themselves through writing, art, photography or fashion. This
has promoted healthy identity development and resulted in boost of self esteem and confidence when positive
feedback is received. It helps individual to find individuals and communities who align with their beliefs and
values. Social media has granted easier access to professional helps and resources by providing professionals
and experts a platform to share coping strategies and mental wellness tips. Social media has provided individu-
als a voice, a platform to advocate for themselves and others. People all over the World feel empowered by shar-
ing their mental health journeys, break stereotypes and challenge stigma. This has nurtured a sense of empower-
ment that has helped individuals to increase their self-worth and be an inspiration for others to speak out against
problems deep rooted in the society. While social media has helped individuals in making their life easier by
providing necessary facilities, it also helps individuals to unwind and relax through entertaining and uplifting
content, alter their mood with mood boosting contents. It can provide a healthy distraction from stress or nega-
tive emotions. This helps individual to temporarily boost mood and improve their emotional resilience.
Social media holds substantial potential to support and nurture mental wellbeing when used moderately and
mindfully.

NEGATIVE IMPACTS

Social media has made human life easier and interesting, it has provided opportunities, helped people stay in
touch with their loved ones, access vast amount of information And data with a single click, it’s important to re-
alise that constant engagement with these platforms can also come at a cost. Although, It has completely trans-
formed how people interact with the world, it has also put people in harms way. According to researchers, men-
tal health professionals and users themselves, increased amount of time on these platforms has resulted in rising
anxiety, low self-esteem due to judgements and trolls sleep deprivation and emotional burnouts. For many peo-
ple, the pressures of online life—such as comparing oneself to others, dealing with cyberbullying, or feeling the
need to always be "on"—can take a serious toll on emotional and mental well-being.
One of the most common negative impacts of social media has always been social comparisons. People often
find themselves comparing their life with others, harbouring negative and self destructive thoughts towards
themselves. Social media fuels their need to compete, compare and best others.
People often post the best parts of their lives, highlighting their achievements, their travel experiences and pic-
ture perfect moments. For those scrolling through, especially teens and young adults, this can lead to unrealistic
expectations and feelings of inadequacy.Over time, comparing one’s real life to someone else’s curated content
can chip away at self-esteem and harbour feelings of worthlessness.
Several studies have suggested that social media has a strong influence on mental health as high usage of these
platforms have resulted in symptoms of anxiety and depression. With every swipe and scroll on these platforms,
the human mind is influenced, new informations are instilled, no matter negative or positive, useful or not. The
constant pressure to keep up with trends, the need for social validations has proven to be mentally exhausting. It
instills an emotional strain that ultimately heightens feelings of sadness, restlessness or overwhelm.
Social media has instilled the”fear of missing out” also known as FOMO . Seeing people reach a milestone,
travel, attend events and be successful often makes an individual feel like he’s missing out on something. This
feeling causes social anxiety, envy and dissatisfaction or disappointment with one’s own life.
Excessive use of social media can lead to disturbance in sleep cycle and affect one’s sleep pattern. Lack of sleep
is a strong link to mental illness such as depression and anxiety. Social media platforms are addictive in nature,
it is designed to keep users be endlessly engaged with scrolling and staying on the application. Addiction of
such platforms often hinders people from important tasks and real life responsibilities.
Ironically, social media is built to connect people, nevertheless excessive use can lead to feeling of isolation.
Real interactions have more depth rather than online interactions. While conversing with people virtually does
help with loneliness it cannot reach the emotional depth of real life interactions and cannot replace in-person in-
teractions. Social media has opened up new spaces for communication, but it has also made it easier for bully-
ing and harassment to occur. Social media being a digital platform has made cyber bullying too easy for people,
it can happen anytime and anywhere, making it much harder for victims to escape. Hurtful messages, public
shaming and spreading false information are some ways people are targeted online. When people feel attacked
or unsafe online, it can deeply affect their self-esteem and mental well-being, leading them to withdraw from so-
cial situations both online and offline. The emotional toll of cyberbullying often lingers long after the incident
itself.
From the pressure to present a perfect life to the mental strain of constant engagement, the negative impacts on
mental health are real and growing. Recognising these challenges allows us to set healthier boundaries, take in-
tentional breaks, and use social media in ways that support rather than harm our well-being.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Acc to Deepa M and Dr. V. Krishna Priya, The study explored how social media use affects students' mental
health. It found that most students spend over four hours a day on multiple social networking sites. This heavy
use was linked to higher levels of depression and anxiety. Students who felt more anxious were often more
active online than in real life. In short, spending too much time on social media—and juggling too many
platforms—can take a real toll on students’ mental well-being.

According to Dr. Ramandeep Kaur* & Hilal Bashir, Adolescents are using social media more than ever, and
while it offers clear benefits like better communication, learning opportunities, and access to health information,
it also brings serious mental health risks. These include issues like depression, cyberbullying, online harassment,
distraction, emotional fatigue, and even harmful behaviours like sexting. Because of this, mental health
professionals, schools, and families must understand both the positives and the dangers of social media use. To
protect adolescent well-being, it's important to monitor risky online behavior and include social media impacts
in mental health assessments. Schools and parents should work together to raise awareness through education
programs, counselling sessions, and creative alternatives to screen time—like music, sports, and art. Positive
role models, strict age limits for apps, required parental permissions, and time restrictions can help guide safe
and healthy usage. Ultimately, the goal is to foster a balanced digital life for teens, where social media enhances
—not harms—their mental health.

According to Philippe Verduyn, Nino Gugushvili, Ethan Kross, The impact of social network sites on mental
health depends on whether they are active or passive. Active use can increase social connection, positively af-
fecting mental health. Passive use, however, can negatively affect mental health, particularly when it leads to
feelings of envy or inferiority. Further research is needed to understand the subcategories of active and passive
use, as well as additional psychological processes like distraction, multitasking, information overload, and social
displacement, to better understand the impact of social network sites on mental health.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This research was conducted using instruments such as primary and secondary data collecting methods, re-
searchers have attempted to gather an increasing amount of relevant information. Primary data is original infor-
mation gathered directly by the researcher, often through the use of a newly developed, standardized question-
naire tailored specifically for the investigation. This data is then analyzed using statistical techniques to uncover
meaningful insights. In this case, primary data is collected through face-to-face interactions and google forms
that we circulated to people, gathering responses about their interactions and usage of social media. This re-
search has helped us to gain first hand data and understanding about how individuals feel affected by social me-
dia in their day to day life.

FINDINGS:
Case Processing Summary

Cases

Valid Missing Total

N Percent N Percent N Percent

how often do you use so- 25 100.0% 0 0.0% 25 100.0%

 cial media? * Do you feel
anxious or stressed when
you don't have access to
social media?

how often do you use social media? * Do you feel anxious or stressed
when you don't have access to social media? Crosstabulation

Count

Do you feel anxious or stressed

when you don't have access to
social media?

Yes No Total

how often do you use so- less than one 1 0 1

cial media? hour

1-2 hours per day 5 2 7

2-3 hours 6 4 10

3-4 hours 5 2 7

Total 17 8 25
Here, we can observe that the number of respondent using social media
are more than the number of respondents who feel anxious or stressed
when they don't have access to social media.
• 1 respondent agree that he use social media often and don't feel
anxious when doesn't h a s a c c e s s to it.
• Respondent who use social media 1-2 hours per day and feel anxious
are in total 7.
• There are 6 respondents whose time limit comes between 2-3 hours
and 4 don't agree to the statement.
•The maximum time from 3-4 hours are used by 5 respondents and 2
don't feel stressed when they are not able to use social media

Which socialmedia platforms do you use regularly? * Do you compare yourself to

others on social media? Crosstabulation

Count

Do you compare yourself to others on social me-

dia?

Yes,fre- Yes, some-

quently times No,rarely Total

Which socialmedia plat- Facebook 2 4 3 9

forms do you use regu-
Inst- 6 4 2 12
larly?
sagram

Twitter 1 1 2 4

Total 9 9 7 25
Here, we can tabulate that which social media platform is frequently used
by the respondents and there feeling of comparison with the other people
over social media as there are so many platforms available to interact
,admire and adore others. Basically we are observing three platform that
are Facebook, instagram, twitter.
• There are 9 respondents who use facebook often in which 2 respondent
frequently compare themselves, 4 sometimes compare and 3 rarely
compare themselves on it.
• Instagram users are 12 in total and 6 frequently compare themselves
with others on this platform, 4 sometimes and 2 rarely compare.
• The users of twitter are comparatively less than other platforms 4 in
total in which 1 frequently compare and 1 Sometimes compare while 2 rarely
compare themselves.

Has social media ever negatively affected your self esteem or

body image? * Do you feel pressure to present a perfect image
of yourself on social media? Crosstabulation

Count

Do you feel pressure to present

a perfect image of yourself on
social media?

yes no Total

Has social media ever yes 8 5 13

negatively affected your
no 10 2 12
self esteem or body im-
age?
 Total 18 7 25

Here, we can observe that social media ever negatively affected the self
esteem or body image and felling of pressure to present yourself perfect
on social media.
• There are 13 respondents who agree that social media has ever
negatively affected there self esteem or body image in which 8 agree that
they feel pressure to be perfect while presenting themselves on social
media and 5 don't feel the pressure.
• In total there are 12 respondents who don't agree that social media
negatively affected the self esteem where 10 feel the pressure of
presenting perfect while the rest 2 don't feel the pressure they post
Freely.

RECOMMENDATIONS

In today’s hyperconnected world, social media has become a huge part of everyone’s life, especially among
young adults. While it has a wide spectrum of positive aspect, it also comes with some real downsides, espe-
cially when it starts to affect how we feel about ourselves or the world around us. It doesn’t mean that we have
to give it up entirely, it just means we need to be more mindful. Below are some simple yet practical strategies
to make social media a healthier space, for ourselves and for people around us. These methods are highly effec-
tive in reducing the negative effects of social media while preserving its positive potential.

1. Set up a time limit for usage: Excessive of anything can be harmful. While the content on social media can
help a person to unwind, relax and reduce boredom, it is also proven to be one of the biggest distracting ele-
ment, especially for youth. Excessive scrolling through applications Are addictive, it causes hindrance and
distract an individuals from their responsibilities. It also increases the habits of procrastination and is liable
for wasting a lot of precious time. Limiting the usage of these platforms can help users to avoid this problem,
while maintaining a safe and stable screen time. Using screen time monitoring apps to limit daily use is a
great way to monitor one’s consumption of content.
2. Curate your feed: One must be careful about the type of content he follows as the type of content we engage
with significantly influences our mood and self esteem. Be selective, follow accounts that promote positive
and uplifting content that helps you to grow and expand your knowledge. Unfollow contents and profiles that
causes stress, anxiety or self doubt.
3. Digital Detoxes: social media has become a prominent part of our lives but it is crucial for ones mental health
to take breaks when needed, whether it is for an hour, a day or a month. Digital detox is important. Plan your
breaks as it can refresh the mind and improve overall mood. It helps in reducing stress, improve focus and en-
courage real world social interactions, that is extremely essential for mental wellness.
4. Use it for a Good cause: Social media is a digital platform widespread all across the world, connecting peo-
ple divided by borders and seas. It is incredibly powerful and influential. Direct this influence to make the
world a better place by bringing people together, spreading awareness about important issues, and giving
voice to those who might not otherwise be heard.

CONCLUSION

While social media offers connection, expression, and community, it also quietly reshapes how we see ourselves
and relate to others. Its constant presence can blur the line between reality and perception, often amplifying
stress, comparison, and loneliness. To truly protect our mental well-being, we must approach these platforms
with awareness, balance, and intention—choosing when to engage, what to consume, and how to disconnect
when needed. In the end, it's not about rejecting technology, but reclaiming control over how it shapes our inner
world.

REFERENCES

1. Dr. Ramandeep Kaur* & Hilal Bashir*, “Impact of Social Media on Mental Health of
Adolescents”.

2. Philippe Verduyn1, Nino Gugushvili1,2, Ethan Kross, “The impact of social network sites on mental
health: distinguishing active from passive use”

3. Deepa M and Dr. V. Krishna Priya, “IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON MENTALHEALTH OF STU-
DENTS”