Summary: How young people use social media matters more for their mental health than simply how long they spend on it. Researchers found that reducing harmful social comparisons and promoting meaningful online connections improves well-being, lowering loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Completely quitting social media can reduce anxiety and depression but may increase loneliness by severing social ties.
A balanced strategy—teaching intentional, mindful engagement—produced benefits such as reduced loneliness and stronger perceived social support. The study suggests that smarter social media habits, rather than total abstinence, can protect mental health. Researchers propose educational programs to help young adults use social platforms as tools for connection instead of comparison.
Key Facts:
- Intentional social media use reduced loneliness and the tendency to compare oneself with others.
- Complete abstinence reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety but did not improve loneliness.
- Simple tutorials on mindful social media habits encouraged healthier, more meaningful online connections.
Source: University of British Columbia
Youth mental health appears more influenced by how social media is used than by total screen time, according to a new study led by University of British Columbia researchers.
The research, led by psychology professor Dr. Amori Mikami (she/her) and published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, compared the effects of quitting social media with learning to use it more intentionally.
With social media use nearly universal among young adults, especially those aged 17–29, concerns about its impact on mental health have intensified. Rather than treating social media as an all-or-nothing decision, the team tested whether training in healthier engagement could improve psychological well-being.
In a six-week randomized trial, 393 Canadian young adults who reported some mental health symptoms and concerns about social media were assigned to one of three groups:
- a control group that continued their usual routines;
- an abstinence group instructed to stop using social media entirely;
- a tutorial group coached in intentional, connection-focused use.
Tutorial sessions taught participants to prioritize meaningful interactions, limit exposure to accounts that triggered upward social comparisons, and curate who they followed. Participants were encouraged to mute or unfollow content that provoked jealousy or negative self-evaluations and to actively engage with close friends through comments and direct messages rather than passively scrolling.
Both the abstinence and tutorial groups reduced their overall social media use and reported fewer social comparisons. Participants who followed the tutorial reported meaningful reductions in loneliness and fear of missing out (FOMO), even though they did not cut usage as sharply as the abstinence group. Those who stopped using social media entirely experienced larger decreases in anxiety and depression symptoms, but they did not show improvements in loneliness.
“Quitting social media can remove some pressures to present a curated image, which may lower anxiety and depressive symptoms,” said Dr. Mikami. “However, complete disengagement can also reduce access to friendships and family contacts, which can leave people feeling more isolated. Teaching people to engage differently offers another path.”
The tutorial approach emphasized quality over quantity: reducing exposure to content that fuels comparison, amplifying supportive connections, and increasing active, reciprocal communication. These shifts created a healthier online atmosphere and helped participants feel more socially supported without requiring them to leave platforms entirely.
Dr. Mikami and her team see practical applications for these findings in schools, mental health programs, and community workshops. Short, actionable lessons on how to curate feeds, limit unhelpful comparisons, and engage more meaningfully could help young people use social media in ways that support mental health rather than undermine it. Such training may also prevent cycles of quitting and returning to social media, which can sometimes worsen outcomes.
Overall, the study highlights that well-being among young adults is closely linked to the manner of social media engagement. Both abstaining and learning to use social media more intentionally produced benefits; the most suitable approach may depend on individual needs and circumstances. As Dr. Mikami summarized: “For many young people, it’s not about logging off. It’s about leaning in—in the right way.”
About this neurodevelopment and stress research news
Author: Erik Rolfsen
Source: University of British Columbia
Contact: Erik Rolfsen – University of British Columbia
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
“Logging Out or Leaning In? Social Media Strategies for Enhancing Well-Being” by Amori Mikami et al., Journal of Experimental Psychology: General
Abstract
Logging Out or Leaning In? Social Media Strategies for Enhancing Well-Being
Social media use is widespread among emerging adults, raising questions about its potential harms. This study tested whether reducing the amount of social media use or improving how people engage with it better supports psychological well-being.
Participants were 393 Canadian social media users aged 17–29 with elevated mental health symptoms who felt social media had some negative impact on their lives. They were randomized to receive either (a) a tutorial to enhance connectedness through social media, (b) encouragement to abstain from social media, or (c) no instructions (control).
Social media behaviors were measured through self-report and phone screen-time apps, and well-being outcomes were assessed at multiple time points over six weeks. Both tutorial and abstinence groups reduced their social media use and made fewer social comparisons, with abstinence producing the largest reductions in use.
Only the tutorial condition reduced loneliness and fear of missing out (FOMO), while only abstinence reduced internalizing symptoms such as anxiety and depression relative to control. No group differences emerged for eating pathology or for tendencies to make upward social comparisons. Changes in social media behavior mediated the effects of abstinence on well-being outcomes but not the effects of the tutorial.
Participant engagement and perceived helpfulness were generally acceptable, though those instructed to abstain may have viewed the intervention as less helpful. In sum, both changing how young people use social media and abstaining from it can offer mental health benefits, suggesting multiple viable strategies for improving well-being.