Social Media and Mental Health: Risks, Benefits & Coping Strategies

Social media has a huge impact on our mental health, affecting billions of people who spend 

over two hours a day scrolling. It’s a part of our daily lives, giving us new ways to connect but 

also creating some serious risks to our well-being. 

The dopamine-driven reward system that underlies compulsive checking behaviors and 

validation-seeking is examined in this article along with the positive and negative consequences 

of social media on mental health. 

Social media substantially changes the way our brains work, even beyond the reward system. Overuse of social media has been connected to:  

Shorter attention spans: 

Our capacity to concentrate is hampered by our brains' ongoing split attention caused by multitasking and the constant barrage of notifications.  

Memory impairment: 

Using social media to record experiences can make it harder for us to recall such times. 

Cognitive failures:

Excessive use of social media increases little errors in judgment and behavior. 

These impacts are particularly worrisome for youth.  Youth media multitasking is linked to 

altered brain function, impulsivity, and worse memory, according to a National Academy of 

Sciences working panel.   

Social media is great for connecting people and creating communities. These platforms are 

helpful resources for keeping up relationships and making new friends for people who feel alone. 

Numerous connections between social media use and deteriorating mental health are regularly 

found in research.  Excessive usage of social media has been linked in studies to higher instances 

of depressed symptoms. 

Low self-esteem: 

Regularly consuming romanticized images on the internet has a detrimental 

effect on one's sense of self.  Teenage females in particular frequently compare themselves 

negatively to well-curated accounts, which lowers their self-esteem and causes them to feel 

inadequate.  Furthermore, social media users who used the platform more frequently had scores 

greater above the clinical anxiety cutoff, suggesting the possibility of anxiety disorders. 

Addiction patterns are produced by social media's dopamine-based reward system. Because 

every signal triggers the reward center of the brain, these platforms are especially prone to habit 

formation. Addiction patterns are produced by social media's dopamine-based reward system.  

Because every signal triggers the reward center of the brain, these platforms are especially prone 

to habit formation. 

FOMO (Fear of Missing Out):

Perceiving that others have more meaningful lives by looking at 

friends' activities can cause anxiety and encourage users to continuously check platforms.  

Teenagers are particularly affected by this effect; research indicates that teens who use social 

media frequently report feeling more alone. 

Cyberbullying: 

Numerous internet users have reported being harassed online, and victims have 

higher rates of:  

• Anxiety and depression 
• Being socially isolated and lonely  
• Suicidal ideas and actions  
• Physical signs, such as headaches and difficulty sleeping 

Disruption of sleep: 

Research indicates that a significant number of teenagers check their 

phones an hour before bed, which causes them to sleep around an hour less than their friends 

who refrain from using their phones just before bed. The symptoms of worry and depression are 

then made worse by inadequate sleep, starting a vicious cycle. 

Making a conscious effort to use social media makes a huge difference. Give your motive some 

thought before you log in. Are you just filling time out of habit, looking for specific information, 

or checking in on a friend? Healthy usage habits can be established by comprehending the 

reasons behind your device's reach.