August 2025 Get Reconnected Newsletter – Insights on Social Media and Mental Health
What’s really happening when we scroll?
How many times have you opened Instagram just to “quickly check” something, and then you find yourself still on it even 20 minutes later? Or posted a photo and found yourself checking back throughout the day to see how many likes it got?
Maybe you’ve noticed feeling a little down after browsing through everyone else’s highlight reels of vacations, achievements, and picture-perfect moments.
If this sounds familiar, you’re definitely not alone. Most of us have a complicated relationship with social media.
On one hand, it helps us stay connected with friends, share important moments, and discover new ideas. On the other hand, it can leave us feeling anxious, lonely, or like we’re not measuring up.
The thing is, for years we’ve heard conflicting advice about social media and mental health. Some experts say it’s terrible for us, others say it’s fine in moderation, and many of us are left wondering what’s actually true.
In this newsletter, we’re exploring some recent studies that help us understand what’s actually happening to our minds when we scroll, post, and engage online.
UK Study: Posting vs. Viewing – Different Impacts on Adult Mental Health
A 2024 study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research followed 15,836 UK adults for over a year to understand how different types of social media use affect mental health. The researchers distinguished between two key behaviors: viewing social media content versus actively posting content.
The results were striking. Adults who frequently posted on social media showed increased mental health problems a year later, including higher levels of depression and anxiety. But frequently viewing social media content didn’t show the same negative association with mental health outcomes.
This challenges the common assumption that all social media use affects mental health equally. The study suggests that active engagement through posting may be more psychologically demanding than passive consumption through viewing.
Why is This Important?
This research helps us understand that not all social media activities are created equal when it comes to mental health. Posting requires us to curate our image, seek validation through likes and comments, and often engage in social comparison as we see how our posts perform relative to others.
When you post content, you’re putting yourself “out there” for judgment and comparison. You might find yourself checking repeatedly to see how many likes or comments you receive, comparing your engagement to others, or feeling disappointed when posts don’t perform as expected.
The fact that viewing didn’t show the same negative effects suggests that mindful, passive consumption of social media might be less harmful to mental health than active participation focused on self-presentation and validation-seeking.
Read Article Here
University of Pennsylvania: Limiting Social Media Reduces Depression and Loneliness
In the first experimental study to establish a direct causal link between social media use and mental health, University of Pennsylvania researchers followed 143 young adults and found evidence that limiting social media use leads to significant mental health improvements.
Participants were randomly assigned to either continue their normal social media use or limit their time on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat to just 10 minutes per platform per day (30 minutes total). After three weeks, those in the limited-use group showed significant reductions in both loneliness and depression compared to the control group.
Interestingly, both groups showed decreases in anxiety and fear of missing out (FOMO), suggesting that simply paying attention to social media use through self-monitoring can have benefits.
Why is This Important?
This study provides the first experimental evidence that social media use directly causes decreased wellbeing, rather than just being associated with it.
The researchers point to social comparison as the likely culprit: “When you look at other people’s lives, particularly on Instagram, it’s easy to conclude that everyone else’s life is cooler or better than yours.”
The findings are particularly relevant for adults who may find themselves constantly comparing their real lives to others’ carefully curated online presentations. Whether it’s career achievements, relationships, vacations, or lifestyle choices, social media can create an illusion that everyone else is doing better than you are.
The fact that limiting use to just 30 minutes per day made such a significant difference is encouraging. You don’t need to quit social media entirely to see mental health benefits.
The researchers noted it’s “a little ironic that reducing your use of social media actually makes you feel less lonely,” but it makes sense when you consider that social media often provides surface-level connections rather than meaningful relationships.
For busy adults juggling work, family, and personal responsibilities, this research suggests that cutting back on social media might actually free up mental and emotional energy for more fulfilling activities and relationships.
Read Article Here
Australian Study: Social Comparison is the Hidden Driver of Mental Health Problems
A 2022 study published in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions looked at something we all do but rarely talk about: comparing ourselves to others on social media.
Australian researchers wanted to understand why some people who use social media problematically end up with depression while others don’t.
The study found that social comparison is the missing link. People who frequently compare themselves to others while using social media (looking at someone’s vacation photos and thinking “why don’t I travel like that?” or seeing career updates and feeling behind in life) are much more likely to develop depressive symptoms.
What’s particularly interesting is that this tendency to compare ourselves to others partially explains why problematic social media use hurts our self-esteem and mental health.
It’s not just about using social media too much but about what’s happening in our minds while we scroll.
Why is This Important?
This research helps explain why social media can feel so emotionally draining. When we’re constantly measuring our real lives against other people’s highlight reels, it creates a perfect storm for feeling inadequate.
You might be having a normal Tuesday, dealing with work stress or household chores, and then you open Instagram to see a friend’s perfectly curated post about their promotion, their beautiful dinner, or their amazing weekend. Without even realizing it, you start asking yourself “What am I doing with my life?”
This kind of comparison is especially tough for adults because we’re juggling so many different areas of life (career, relationships, parenting, finances, health). Social media gives us endless opportunities to find someone who seems to be doing better than us in any of these areas.
The study suggests that learning to recognize when we’re making these comparisons – and actively working to stop them – might be more effective than just limiting our social media time.
It’s about changing how we think while we scroll, not just how long we scroll.
Read Article Here
How You Can Support Your Mental Health with Social Media
Be intentional about posting: Before sharing content, ask yourself why you’re posting. Are you sharing something meaningful or just seeking validation? Consider taking breaks from posting while still staying connected through viewing and direct messaging.
Curate your feeds mindfully: Pay attention to how different accounts and types of content make you feel. Unfollow or mute accounts that consistently trigger negative emotions, comparison, or anxiety. Follow accounts that inspire, educate, or genuinely entertain you.
Focus on quality interactions: Instead of broadcasting to everyone, prioritize direct messages and meaningful conversations with people you actually care about. Focus on connecting with people who matter to you instead of chasing likes from people you don’t really know.
Set purpose-driven limits: Rather than arbitrary time limits, set intention-based boundaries. For example, “I’ll check Instagram once in the morning to see what close friends are up to, but not during work hours or before bed.”
Practice the 30-minute rule: Based on the Pennsylvania research, consider limiting your daily social media use to around 30 minutes total across all platforms to see if you notice mental health benefits.
Take regular digital detoxes: Whether it’s phone-free meals, social media-free weekends, or longer breaks, giving your mind rest from these platforms can help you maintain perspective and reconnect with offline activities and relationships.
Final Thoughts
The research reveals that our connection with social media has many different sides to it. The key isn’t necessarily using it less but using it more consciously – in ways that support rather than undermine our mental health and wellbeing.
As adults, we have the power to choose how these platforms fit into our lives rather than letting them dictate how we feel about ourselves.
source https://getreconnected.ca/blog/august-2025-get-reconnected-newsletter-insights-on-social-media-and-mental-health/
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