An exploration of the interconnection between social media usage and mental health in young adults

Aanchal Dubey; Anushka Tiwari

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i06.61795

An exploration of the interconnection between social media usage and mental health in young adults

Author(s)	Aanchal Dubey, Anushka Tiwari
Country	India
Abstract	The speedy growth of Digital media usage among young adults has instigated scholarly interest regarding its implications for psychological well-being. This scoping review combines current Literature examining associations between digital media engagement and mental health outcomes in individuals aged 18-30. Using major scholarly databases, including Scopus, PubMed, and PsycINFO, research was examined across themes such as depression, anxiety, self-esteem, cyberbullying, and sleep disturbance. Findings indicate that both detrimental and beneficial psychological consequences are linked to the frequency, type, and quality of social media interactions. The outcome also reveals a predominant reliance on cross-sectional and self-reported data, which limits the inference of loss. In recent years, many parents, advocates and policy makers have expressed concerns regarding the potential negative impact of social media use. Some studies have indicated that social media use may be tied to negative mental health outcomes, including suicidality, loneliness and decreased empathy. Other studies have not found evidence for harm or have indicated that social media use may be beneficial for some individuals. The current correlational study examined 467 young adults regarding their time spent using social media, the importance of social media in their lives, and the tendency to engage in vaguebooking (posting unclear but alarming-sounding posts to garner attention). Outcomes considered included general mental health symptoms, suicidal ideation, loneliness, social anxiety and decreased empathy. Results indicated that social media use was not predictive of impaired mental health functioning. Overall, results from this study suggest that, except for vaguebooking, concerns regarding social media use may be misplaced.
Keywords	Social media. Mental health. Suicide. Empathy. Vaguebooking
Field	Sociology > Health
Published In	Volume 7, Issue 6, November-December 2025
Published On	2025-11-26
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i06.61795
Short DOI	https://doi.org/hbdr7c

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An exploration of the interconnection between social media usage and mental health in young adults

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