Social Media and Adult Mental Health: Understanding the Impact
Research shows that the typical person spends 2.5 hours each day engaging in social media platforms. Social media usage is deeply woven into modern life. In many ways, it's become an automatic extension of how we connect and even validate our inner experiences.
While social media offers real benefits, it's important to acknowledge the potential impact it can have on your mental health. At Boreal Therapy Collective, we help teens and young adults re-evaluate their relationships to social media. If you're struggling with mental health concerns like low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, poor impulse control, or emotional dysregulation, social media may aggravate certain symptoms. Having this awareness can help you feel more empowered with your online habits.
Social Media and Mental Health Problems: What Might Be Happening
Eliminating social media may not be necessary. Healthy social media use can help you stay connected and entertained. But it's also a good idea to consider how your digital habits might be affecting your mental well-being. For example, if you increasingly feel drained, irritable, or even a bit dissociated, social media sites may be having more of a negative impact than you realize.
The Dark Side of Constant Connectivity
Social media provides a sense of immediacy and belonging. It's an instant relief for stress, loneliness, anxiety, or boredom. Although the crutch feels good, this form of connectivity has a shallow aspect to it.
Social media platforms thrive on reinforcing short bursts of dopamine without providing relational depth. With that, they also seek to keep you consistently engaged by using curated algorithms to promote endless scrolling.
Over time, many adults find that they disproportionately lean on social media apps to:
validate themselves or feel liked by others
escape uncomfortable emotions or daily stress
resolve or "cure" moments of solitude
maintain a sense of perpetual distraction
avoid engaging in tasks that require more effort or vulnerability
Although this pattern may first feel harmless (and isn't always problematic in moderation), it can lead to a sense of dependency. Emotional regulation may feel tied to online interaction, and you might access social media instead of turning to other meaningful coping skills.
Constant FOMO and the Comparison Trap
Social media exposes us to curated highlights of other people's lives. Even though you might know there's more to the story behind the scenes, it can feel overwhelming to constantly scroll through perfect vacations, bodies, parenting wins, job promotions, homes, and more.
This kind of ongoing exposure can:
increase anxiety or depressive symptoms
fuel perfectionism or all-or-nothing thinking traps
reinforce shame-based messaging that sounds like "I'm not good enough." or "Everyone else is doing better than me."
lead to a constant pressure to take photos, "capture the moment," or engage in performative measures to showcase on social media
Comparison is a losing game, but the effects of comparison can compromise your self-esteem and cause you to disengage from your goals. Even if you're relatively content with your life, social media can cause you to question if you should be doing more or feeling better. Over time, this upward comparison effect can lead to poor mental health.
Digital Fatigue and Mental Overload
The human brain's reward center isn't designed to process the sheer volume of information social media provides. There's an endless abundance of reels, videos, articles, stories, and posts to access - it's easy to feel like you can never "catch up."
This constant input can result in you:
staying up too late doomscrolling or using social media
feeling emotionally overstimulated from social media use
procrastinating on important tasks
substituting screen time for rest, other hobbies, or relationships
struggling to concentrate or feeling emotionally scattered
Relationship Problems
Social media use isn't just an individual problem. It can also shape how you show up in relationships and engage with others. This is especially true in the context of romantic relationships and family dynamics.
In relationships, excessive social media use can place you at an increased risk for:
less emotional presence and attentiveness
relying on passive forms of communication (sharing or liking posts rather than engaging directly)
jealousy, trust issues, or blurred boundaries due to online activity
turning to screen time for actual emotional support or quality time together
In romantic relationships, it can feel frustrating if one partner is constantly checking their phone and the other person feels ignored. In parenting, a parent might present as distracted when their child is seeking connection and play. Over time, this disconnect can impact relational trust and intimacy.
Addictive Behaviours
Social media addiction isn't always obvious. In fact, in mainstream society, excessive use is fairly normalized. Many adults don't realize how much they rely on their phones until they don't have them with them. Think about it - could you go an entire day without checking your phone?
Social media addiction can lead to:
checking apps compulsively or impulsively in settings where it may not be appropriate, such as at work or when driving
feeling irritable or restless when you're not online
ignoring relationships or other important obligations due to screen time
constantly thinking about what to post or how others are engaging with your content
continuing to frequently use social media despite it correlating with poor mental health
At its core, addiction is about compulsive behaviour that persists despite negative consequences. If you've noticed that social media is impacting your mood or relationships, but you still struggle to reduce your consumption, it may be worth reflecting on your habits more intentionally.
Therapy for Social Media Concerns and Strengthening Your Emotional Well-Being
At Boreal Therapy, we recognize that social media is unquestionably ingrained in everyday life. In this digital age, the goal isn't to demonize social media entirely. Instead, we strive to help our clients cultivate a more conscious awareness of how they use it.
Therapy offers a supportive environment to unpack the barriers affecting self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and overall stress. We are here to help you build a more grounded, balanced sense of self.
Click here to schedule an initial assessment today!
