A recent investigation has questioned the idea that extensive use of social media greatly affects mental well-being, showing that the connection between them is minimal. In reality, the findings reveal that the time people dedicate to social platforms has a minor impact on mental health factors like depression, anxiety, and stress, and the effects are not always negative.
A new study from Curtin University has cast doubt on the belief that heavy social media use significantly affects mental health, revealing minimal to no correlation between the two.
The research suggests that time spent on social media has a minimal effect on mental health markers, such as depression, anxiety, and stress; additionally, the outcomes aren’t solely detrimental.
Chloe Jones, the lead researcher and a PhD candidate, emphasized that while the findings indicate a weak link, this doesn’t mean social media is entirely harmless or without effects on mental health. The connection is likely multifaceted.
“For instance, being part of a supportive online group can be vital for those feeling isolated, yet spending hours browsing content from Instagram influencers can be unhelpful if someone is struggling with body image issues,” Ms. Jones noted.
Unlike most prior studies that relied on self-reported data, the Curtin School of Population Health researchers gathered mobile phone usage data from over 400 participants aged 17 to 53 to accurately track their social media usage over the previous week.
The researchers then assessed the relationship between this data and the participants’ levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and attention control.
The results indicated that social media use had a very slight correlation with anxiety but showed no relationship with depression or stress.
Moreover, a weak positive correlation was found with attention control, suggesting that increased use of social media might be linked to slightly improved focus.
“To make informed decisions in this area, we must rely on robust data, and our research shows that when we objectively measure social media use, the impacts are minimal or nonexistent,” Ms. Jones stated.
Associate Professor Patrick Clarke, the supervising author, mentioned that this study could serve as a foundation for future explorations into how individuals engage with social media and how personal attributes may affect the mental health implications of its use.
“For example, although the associations were generally weak, we found that different platforms yield different effects: TikTok usage had a slight positive association with attention control, while Facebook appeared to be linked with increased distress,” Associate Professor Clarke mentioned.
“We considered the users’ ages—thinking that younger TikTok users might simply have better attention control—but even after accounting for age, this association remained.”
“This study only addressed the time spent on social media, indicating that duration might be less important for mental health compared to how we utilize and engage with it.”
The study titled “Investigating the links between objective social media use, attentional control, and psychological distress” was published in Social Science & Medicine.
