According to a 2025 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, almost 250 million Americans use social media. Of this number, 84 percent are most likely to use YouTube, 71 percent use Facebook, 50 percent use Instagram, and 37 percent use TikTok. A large percentage of those people also use these sites at least once per day. When researchers looked at the numbers based on race, they found that 85 percent of Black people were likely to use YouTube every day, while 74 percent would use Facebook. A little over 50 percent noted that they used Instagram and TikTok daily. Additionally, each Internet user spends time on at least six social media platforms.
While these numbers suggest that using social media is the norm, that doesn’t make it healthy. In fact, many mental health experts continue to express concerns about how the use of social media can affect the health of its users. Fortunately, it’s not an ‘all or nothing’ deal. There are ways that you can continue to use social media without sacrificing your mental wellness.
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The Algorithms Aren’t Your Friends
While it may seem that the algorithms are meant to fill your feed with content that you like, that might not always be the case. According to Brandwatch, social media algorithms are designed to balance data in a way that keeps its users engaged. That means they’re likely to show you content that is popular on the app, content that you’ve engaged with previously, content that’s recent, and content that relates to the keywords you’ve opted to follow.
Technically, that doesn’t sound terrible. However, it doesn’t account for how this content may make you feel. For example, if there have been horrifying events in the news, the algorithms are going to regard this as content you need to see. The more you interact with it, the more of it you’ll get on your feed. In time, your feed becomes filled with anxiety-inducing posts that are bad for your mental health. These posts can increase your risk of developing anxiety and depression.
Another potential issue is that spending time on social media can make it seem as if other people are having a much better time than you are. Although you may know subconsciously that other users rarely post their worst circumstances, being constantly bombarded by posts about fun and success can make you more depressed. You may also start to experience feelings of missing out on everything. This can be especially true if you feel excluded from your friends’ events.
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To make things worse, multiple investigations have shown that algorithms can push posts that deal with extremes. Social media algorithms not only focus on content that you’ve interacted with, but they also recommend content that may be related to what you’ve liked. Unfortunately, some of this content can be more sensationalized or radical to get more engagement. While it may not be an original interest, you may be shown content that adversely affects your mental health over time.
The good news is that you can take control of your social media again. Doing so will significantly improve your mental health. In several studies, people who have taken breaks from social media or learned to establish boundaries usually reported having better mental health. The improvements in their mental health can be measured in fewer depressive and anxious episodes, as well as having a better outlook on life.
Why You Need to Set Boundaries on Social Media
Even though social media can be bad for you, that doesn’t mean it’s easy for you to stop using it. In fact, some mental health experts have gone as far as to liken the frequent use of social media to an addiction. That’s because social media can create what are known as psychological cravings. Each like, share, or favorable comment can trigger dopamine release in your brain, which acts like a reward.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that’s often called the ‘feel-good’ hormone. It can give you a sense of pleasure while also motivating you to pursue activities that give pleasure. High dopamine levels make you feel happy, motivated, alert, and focused. When the levels drop, however, you may find that you’re unhappy, tired, unmotivated, and having trouble with concentration. With that in mind, it’s not surprising that people can get lost in their social media use.
To make matters worse, social media platforms may take advantage of your dopamine releases. You may post content that gets so much engagement that you’re encouraged to keep posting. However, your subsequent posts may not get as much attention as the one that gave you the highest feelings of happiness. Since these platforms want you to keep posting content, it may work to their advantage as you keep chasing engagement.
Although it’s not the same for everyone, there are a few indicators that your use of social media has become problematic. If you’re posting constantly and prefer being online to spending time with your online friends or family, then there may be a problem. The same may be true if you’re distracted from your work, school, or face-to-face relationships. Those who have trouble with social media may reach for their digital devices whenever they’re feeling lonely or isolated.
Using social media too much can leave you feeling drained, jealous, and upset, as it keeps showing you posts that affect your mental health. This can come from comparing yourself with others and their lifestyles. Your frequent use of social media may also interfere with your sleep as you’re searching for the high you’ll get from engagement. Some people may even worry about what others are posting about their content. If you check social media before you go to bed, throughout the night, and first thing in the morning, it may be a problem.
Those who have no boundaries with social media usage may pursue increasingly reckless activities in the hopes of garnering much sought-after engagement. This may not only affect you mentally but also physically. You can sometimes see this on social media where people pull pranks on others, attempt dangerous stunts, or post other people’s embarrassing moments.
Finally, a lot of social media usage can hinder your personal development. When you take time for self-reflection, it often leads to exploring ways that you can improve yourself or your life. If all your time is consumed by social media, you’re not likely to do that. It leaves you stuck in the same place while ruining your mental health.
Effective Digital Habits That Will Help Your Mental Health
Although some people can walk away from social media entirely, it’s not necessarily practical for everyone. Most social media platforms have become interwoven with the everyday fabric of life. They’re how people run their businesses, stay on top of world news, consume entertainment, and stay in touch with loved ones.
Even then, there are ways that you can use social media without completely wreaking havoc on your mental health. Here are a few.
1. Track Your Usage
Even though you might have an idea of how much time you spend on social media, the actual numbers may surprise you. According to Statista, social media users between the ages of 14 and 18 spend an average of 186 minutes per day on their chosen platforms. The number is a little less for older users. However, younger users may clock up to six hours of usage every day. Tracking your usage may be the first step to recognizing that you need to cut back.
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2. Turn Off Your Notifications
Notifications are like little alarm bells that pull you away from your offline activities. Each ping is meant to bring you back to the social media platforms that take up your time and can potentially negatively impact your mental health. Turning off the notifications means you won’t be summoned to check your device at random. You can check them when you have time.
3. Take Set Breaks
Mental health experts generally recommend taking set breaks from social media or limiting the time spent altogether. You can opt to spend only 30 minutes on social media per day or set a timer to make sure that you take a break after 10 minutes of use. If you use social media for work-related activities, you should ensure that you’re not venturing off course into personal use.
4. Hide the Apps
For some people, taking the apps off their home screen and placing them in a separate folder can make a difference. Having to seek out the social media apps gives your brain time to ask itself what you’re looking for. It becomes less of an instinctual action.
5. Create a Better Feed
Since you’re not planning to leave social media completely, it’s important to ensure that your time on these apps is better spent. While the algorithm can seem to have a mind of its own, you can help to set yours. Start by following hashtags that are related to the content you want to see. It’s best to interact with content that doesn’t feed into your anxiety or upset you. Anything that has a negative effect should be blocked or ignored.
6. Rely on Facts
Still, the algorithm may try to show you sensational or upsetting content because it’s popular with others. Many of these posts are meant to elicit an emotional response that drives you to engage. When this happens, experts suggest grounding yourself in facts. Even without knowing the details, it helps to remind yourself that the algorithm is designed to drive engagement, companies pay to show you targeted content, and some users are being paid to project a certain lifestyle. You also need to remember that in this technological age, many of the videos and images online may not even be authentic.
7. Connect Offline
When it comes to lifting your mood, few things compare to building your offline life. Although friendly social media connections can be good, meeting with loved ones in real life can be better. That’s why the experts encourage you to have regular socialization with others, as this will ground you and make you happier than spending time on social media. Of course, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go out if you’re not meeting other people. Enjoying your hobbies, a good show, or a long walk are all good for your mental health. Volunteering is also a great way to connect with others while adding to your sense of purpose.
8. Be More Mindful
Mindfulness asks you to focus on the present and be intentional. Where social media use is concerned, that can mean asking yourself some questions when you go to open the app. Questions such as: Why am I opening this app? What am I hoping to achieve? Does opening this app make me feel better or worse? Am I just bored or lonely? Is there something else I could do that would be more fun or beneficial?
9. Find Support Groups
Sometimes, people go to social media in search of support because they’re dealing with certain illnesses or circumstances. While some of them get lucky and have positive interactions, others have negative experiences that include teasing and bullying. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’re better off going straight to support groups. Some of them even have online options to make meetings easier.
10. Make it About You
Passively using social media can lead to feelings of being excluded and loneliness. Why not focus on your life instead? Mental health experts suggest taking time every day to focus on the positives in your life. Taking this time for self-reflection can not only make you feel better about yourself, but it can also highlight areas that you’d like to work on. Doing this will be far better for your mental health than endlessly scrolling on social media to consume content that doesn’t help you.
Social media may seem inescapable at this point, but that doesn’t mean it has to consume you. If you take the necessary steps to protect your mental health, you can spend time on the apps you like without suffering their negative effects. Talking to a therapist can also help if you’re worried that you don’t know where to start.
