Reducing Social Media Usage and Improving the Mental Health of Adolescents (Written by Jordan Chong)
While social media has undoubtedly transformed modern life by improving connectivity and providing access to information and endless entertainment, its widespread use has raised concerns—particularly regarding its impact on mental health. Young people, in particular, spend a significant portion of their day on social media, making them especially vulnerable to the psychological consequences of constant social media exposure. Attention is turning toward the potential mental health benefits of reducing social media use. Emerging evidence indicates that efforts to limit screen time can lead to meaningful improvements in emotional well-being. As the mental health challenges facing youth continue to rise, understanding how reduced social media engagement can support psychological resilience has become increasingly important.
Prevalence of Social Media and its Negative Effects on Modern Society
Social media use is highly prevalent among young adults, particularly on platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram (Nagata et al., 2025). Alarmingly, nearly 70% of adolescents aged 11 to 15 and about 65% of children under 13 reportedly have at least one social media account, indicating the rapidly increasing popularity of social media use in daily life (Nagata et al., 2025). In fact, the number of global social media users has been growing by 9% year after year (Khalaf, 2023), with individuals now spending about 14% of their waking hours on social media. This widespread use has raised concerns about the psychological consequences on young adults. Excessive engagement has been linked to chronic sleep deprivation, impaired cognitive functioning, reduced academic performance, and socio-emotional challenges (Khalaf, 2023). Moreover, frequent use is associated with heightened feelings of loneliness, fear of missing out (FoMO), body image dissatisfaction, cyberbullying, and decreased life satisfaction due to social comparison (Zsila & Reyes, 2023). These patterns contribute to increased reports of depression and lower self-esteem among adolescents, highlighting the significant mental health risks that are associated with high levels of social media use among adolescents.
Benefits of Reducing Social Media
With growing concerns about the negative impacts of social media, research increasingly supports the benefits of reducing its use for mental health. Studies have shown that limiting social media engagement can lead to meaningful improvements in psychological well-being, including decreased symptoms of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and fear of missing out (Faulhaber, 2023). Reducing exposure to idealized media portrayals also appears to lessen body image dissatisfaction by decreasing social comparison (de Hesselle & Montag, 2024). Beyond mental health, limiting social media use has been associated with greater productivity and a heightened sense of presence in daily life (Faulhaber, 2023). Emerging evidence further suggests that these benefits extend to physical health as well, with improvements reported in immune function and general well-being (Reed et al., 2023). Individuals who consciously manage their screen time also tend to develop stronger self-discipline and self-control, which may reinforce positive behavioral and emotional outcomes (Faulhaber, 2023). Collectively, these findings underscore the value of moderating social media use as a practical strategy for enhancing overall health and quality of life.
Strategies to Limit Social Media Use
Reducing social media use can be challenging due to its constant accessibility across devices and the frequent notifications that encourage habitual engagement. These factors contribute to its addictive nature, making self-regulation particularly difficult (Brevers & Turel, 2019). To address this, researchers have identified two primary types of strategies: reactive and proactive. Reactive strategies are immediate responses to temptation, such as self-talk or exerting willpower in the moment. Proactive strategies, however, involve preventive measures designed to reduce exposure to temptation before it arises. While both strategies play a role in managing social media use, proactive strategies have been shown to be more effective, as they minimize exposure to cues that trigger habitual behaviors (Brevers & Turel, 2019). Examples of proactive strategies include setting app time limits using built-in tools on devices, disabling non-essential notifications to reduce constant interruptions, moving social media apps off the home screen to make them less accessible, and using app blockers to restrict platform access. These strategies can help adolescents build positive habits, reduce dependency, and make self-control efforts more manageable. Even simple actions such as self-monitoring—without strictly adhering to time limits—have been associated with improved mental health outcomes, particularly among college students (Faulhaber, 2023). Beyond behavioral approaches, therapy-based interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and counseling have also proven effective. These methods support deeper psychological change by promoting mindfulness, encouraging self-reflection, reducing fear of missing out (FOMO), and minimizing harmful social comparisons. By combining proactive measures with therapeutic support, adolescents can successfully reduce social media use and enhance their overall well-being.
References
Brevers, D., & Turel, O. (2019). Strategies for self-controlling social media use: Classification and role in preventing social media addiction symptoms. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 8(3), 554–563. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.8.2019.49
Faulhaber, M. E., Lee, J. E., & Gentile, D. A. (2023). The Effect of Self-Monitoring Limited Social Media Use on Psychological Well-Being. Technology, Mind, and Behavior, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.1037/tmb0000111
de Hesselle, L., & Montag, C. (2024). Effects of a 14-day social media abstinence on mental health and well-being: results from an experimental study. BMC Psychology, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01611-1
Khalaf, A. M. (2023). The Impact of Social Media on the Mental Health of Adolescents and Young Adults: a Systematic Review. Cureus, 15(8). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.42990
Nagata, J. M., Memon, Z., Talebloo, J., Karen Li, M. P. H., Low, P., Shao, I. Y., Ganson, K. T., Testa, A., He, J., Brindis, C. D., & Baker, F. C. (2025). Prevalence and Patterns of Social Media Use in Early Adolescents. Academic Pediatrics, 25(4), 102784. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2025.102784
Plackett, R., Blyth, A., & Schartau, P. (2023). The Impact of Social Media Use Interventions on Mental Well-Being: Systematic Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25(1). https://doi.org/10.2196/44922
Reed, P., Fowkes, T., & Khela, M. (2023). Reduction in Social Media Usage Produces Improvements in Physical Health and Wellbeing: an RCT. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science, 8, 140–147. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41347-023-00304-7
Zsila, Á., & Reyes, M. E. S. (2023). Pros & cons: Impacts of social media on mental health. BMC Psychology, 11(1), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01243-x