Social media harms queried
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A new study has contested the notion that heavy social media use significantly harms mental health.
Curtin University researchers say they observed minimal or no association between social media time and indicators such as depression, anxiety, and stress.
In new findings, increased social media use showed a slight positive link to attentional control, suggesting it may even improve focus for some users.
PhD candidate and study lead Chloe Jones says that while social media can impact mental health, the relationship is nuanced.
“A connection to a supportive online community could be a lifeline for people living in isolation, but hours of scrolling Instagram influencers could be really unhelpful if you have body image concerns,” she said.
The Curtin team, differing from prior studies that relied on self-reported data, collected objective mobile usage data from over 400 participants to more accurately track time spent on social platforms.
“If we are going to make well-informed decisions in this space, it needs to be based on quality data, and our research demonstrates when you objectively measure time spent on social media, the effects are tiny or non-existent,” Jones said.
The study also highlighted specific platform effects.
Associate Professor Patrick Clarke, the supervising author, noted that TikTok users showed a small positive association with attentional control, while Facebook use correlated slightly with distress.
“While all of the associations were weak at best, the study found different platforms recorded different effects,” Clarke said, adding that TikTok users continued to show better attentional control even after age adjustments.
Published in Social Science & Medicine, the study reveals how platform-specific experiences may matter more for mental health than total time spent.
This finding aligns with emerging research suggesting that each platform’s content, interaction style, and user demographics may uniquely influence mental health outcomes.
The Curtin researchers suggest these findings could prompt more focused studies on user interactions, individual characteristics, and platform-specific effects, rather than only measuring total time online.
