Social Media and Mental Health: Allies or Hidden Enemies?
In just two decades, social media has evolved from simple platforms for connection to becoming a central part of everyday life. Today, with over 5.24 billion users in 2025 (We Are Social, 2025), these tools influence how we communicate, work, consume, and, especially, how we perceive our own identity. This digital immediacy has sparked an important debate: are social media platforms improving our mental health by providing access to communities and resources, or are they harming it by fostering social comparison, isolation, and anxiety?
The purpose of this post, on October 10th, World Mental Health Day, is to critically analyze, based on evidence, both the positive and negative impacts of social media on mental health. At the same time, we observe emerging trends and the role of responsible marketing in this complex landscape.
The rise of platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat has transformed how users manage their time, attention, and emotions. According to the Digital 2025 report by We Are Social, the average user spends 2 hours and 21 minutes per day on social media.
Research shows that using these platforms activates dopamine-linked psychological mechanisms: each “like,” comment, or notification generates an immediate pleasure response, similar to the reinforcement observed in addictive behaviors. This helps explain why reducing usage can be so challenging.
However, this relationship is not one-dimensional: alongside risks, opportunities also arise. Social media has brought visibility to previously silenced topics, such as mental health, and has allowed access to global support communities.
Negative Impacts: The Dark Side of Hyperconnection
Although social media has democratized information and communication, various studies warn about its harmful effects on psychological well-being.
Social Comparison and Self-Image
Instagram and TikTok, focused on images, have been criticized for promoting unrealistic beauty standards. In 2021, leaked documents reported by The Wall Street Journal revealed that Meta itself acknowledged that 32% of teenage girls felt Instagram worsened their self-image. These effects persist in 2025, with increasingly powerful algorithms recommending content based on previous interactions, which can amplify insecurities and contribute to eating disorders (EDs), one of the deadliest mental illnesses, especially among adolescents and young adults.
Constant exposure to edited images or idealized bodies fosters feelings of inadequacy and guilt. Many start to question their own worth based on the digital approval they receive. What begins as innocent comparison can turn into a painful cycle of self-demand and frustration.
Anxiety and Depression
Being continuously exposed to “perfect” lives on social media can be overwhelming, triggering anxiety and depression. From young people who feel they don’t fit in to adults comparing their daily routines with the idealized happiness of others, social media acts as a mirror that distorts our emotional reality. Seeing people who study, exercise, eat healthy, are thin, get good grades, work, keep everything organized, maintain high self-esteem, have many friends, and spend quality time with family creates invisible pressure. Comparing ourselves to these aspirational lives provokes feelings of inadequacy and emotional exhaustion, reminding us of what we think we should be, which we often are not, affecting our inner peace and daily balance.
Cyberbullying and Misinformation
Online harassment can feel like a constant weight. Hurtful comments and trolling* deeply affect many people, leaving them with fear, confusion, and a sense of loneliness that is hard to overcome. Platforms that supposedly connect you to loved ones often end up connecting users to people who hate, harass, and hurt them.
In addition, false information about mental health only increases uncertainty, making people feel more lost and vulnerable, as if there is no safe place to turn to. Many feel they cannot talk about their emotions for fear of judgment or, in the case of EDs, for “not being sick enough,” as there is always someone online who seems worse off. Emotional pain can accumulate until it feels almost unbearable, even leading to suicidal thoughts.
In these situations, pro-ana and pro-mia accounts (pro-anorexia and pro-bulimia) disguise themselves as a solution for those adolescents struggling with their bodies or unable to manage their emotions.
*“Trolling” is an online behavior where a person, the “troll,” deliberately posts provocative, offensive, or irrelevant messages to annoy other users, generate conflict, or disrupt normal online conversation.
Insomnia and Effects on Concentration
Spending too much time on social media, especially before bed, can drain mood and focus. Constant notifications interrupt moments of calm needed to relax, increasing anxiety and leaving an emotional fatigue that lingers the next day. Night stops being a refuge for rest and becomes a reminder of everything we think we should be doing but aren’t. A study published by ONTSI and the Spanish Government found that intensive social media use is directly linked to difficulties in concentration and attention in adolescents and young adults, highlighting the need for digital detox habits and strategies to maintain mental focus.
Positive Impacts: When Social Media Becomes a Resource
Not everything is negative. Social media can also be a transformative tool for mental health.
Access to Information and Resources
Platforms like TikTok or Instagram have popularized psychologists and content creators who share accessible and free well-being tools. This helps normalize conversations about anxiety, depression, and mindfulness.
Support Communities
Instagram groups or X posts allow people with similar disorders to share experiences and feel accompanied. Often, these networks act as the first line of support before seeking professional help, as long as the groups have a recovery-focused approach. Listening to others’ stories and sharing your own can alleviate emotional burden and foster a sense of belonging that many cannot find in their physical environment.
Awareness Campaigns
Purpose-driven marketing has leveraged social media to raise awareness in Spain. Campaigns like “#ConectadosPorLaSalud” have connected users with local mental health resources, while initiatives from organizations such as Fundación ANAR and Fundación Fad promote conversations about emotional well-being among adolescents and young people. These campaigns not only inform but also create safe spaces to talk about emotions and seek help when needed.
Digital Self-Control Tools
More and more apps now include screen time control, healthy usage notifications, and disconnection tools. While still limited, these measures signal a shift toward more conscious and healthy digital consumption, reminding users that it’s okay to disconnect and prioritize emotional well-being over constant productivity or digital validation.
Conclusion
Social media is an ambivalent tool: it can be both a space for support and connection and a risk factor for mental health. The challenge lies in learning to use it in a balanced way and demanding a commitment to digital well-being from platforms and brands.
For marketing and business students and professionals, the message is clear: the success of campaigns should not be measured only in clicks or interactions, but also in their real impact on people’s lives. Promoting responsible use is not only an ethical issue but also a strategic one in a world where trust and authenticity are the most valuable assets.
References
ABC Tecnología. (n.d.). Instagram tóxico para muchas adolescentes y Facebook lo sabe. ABC. https://www.abc.es/tecnologia/redes/abci-instagram-toxico-para-muchas-adolescentes-y-facebook-sabe-202109151207_noticia.html?ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.es%2Ftecnologia%2Fredes%2Fabci-instagram-toxico-para-muchas-adolescentes-y-facebook-sabe-202109151207_not
Abrams, Z. (2021, December 2). How can we minimize Instagram's harmful effects? American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/03/feature-minimize-instagram-effects
We Are Social. (2025, February 5). Digital 2025: The essential guide to the global state of digital. https://wearesocial.com/uk/blog/2025/02/digital-2025-the-essential-guide-to-the-global-state-of-digital/
Ontsi. (n.d.). Impacto del uso de Internet y las redes sociales en la salud mental de jóvenes y adolescentes. https://www.ontsi.es/sites/ontsi/files/2023-10/policybriefredesocialesaludmentaljovenesyadolescentes.pdf
OpenAI. (2025, October 6). ChatGPT (GPT-5) [Large language model]. OpenAI. https://chat.openai.com
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