Social Media

Social media can impact people in both good and bad ways. It can reduce isolation by offering opportunities to connect, give and receive support; and promote learning by introducing hobbies, recipes, dance moves, and DIY crafts. It can also impact mental health negatively by introducing harmful content, creating FOMO and the perception that “everyone else is doing better than me”. Scrolling can be a distraction and interfere with socialization. Have you sat in a class and scrolled rather than make a new friend?

Most research, however, suggests that social media can have an overall negative impact on mental health depending on who is using it and how. Algorithms can keep you stuck in narrow content that reinforces negative attitudes and beliefs about self and others.

Legal Findings Regarding Social Media

Courts and juries have found that major social media companies designed their apps with addictive features that harm young users.

  • March 2026: A California jury found Meta and Google negligent in a personal injury trial. The court ruled that engineering platforms to addict children caused real psychological harm.
  • August 2026: The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that tech companies cannot use Section 230 immunity to block over 3,000 pending lawsuits.
  • August 2026: Meta reached a historic multi-billion dollar settlement, over social media addiction, and agreed to pay between $16.7 billion and $18 billion over 10 years.

The lawsuits and recent legal actions against Meta highlighted several core product features designed to maximize user engagement and drive compulsive use:

  • Infinite Scroll: Feeds that load continuously without a natural stopping point, encouraging endless browsing.
  • Algorithmic Recommendations: Tailored content delivery systems designed to hook attention and keep young users engaged.
  • Push Notifications & Alerts: Timely pings and reminders that pull users back onto the apps, including late-night interruptions.
  • Interactive Engagement Metrics: Public counters like the “like” button that leverage social validation and dopamine loops.
  • Visual & Beauty Filters: Extreme makeup and image filters linked to negative social comparisons and self-esteem issues.
  • Auto-Playing Videos: Content that starts automatically to prevent user disengagement.
  • Disappearing Messages: Ephemeral content intended to create urgency and fear of missing out.

Safeguard Your Mental Health

Meta is now required to implement strict youth protection features, but you can be proactive and protect your mental health and well-being on social media now by:

  • Tracking your time: Use built-in app limits to stop scrolling after a set number of minutes each day.
  • Turning off notifications: Disable push alerts so you are not tempted to check your phone constantly.
  • Creating phone-free zones and phone-free times: Keep phones out of the bedroom to protect your sleep, and avoid checking social media during meals, time with friends, and in the classroom.
  • Unfollowing negativity: Remove or mute accounts, pages, and people that make you feel anxious, angry, or bad about yourself.
  • Curating your feed: Unfollow accounts that cause negative self-comparison or anxiety, and follow uplifting creators.
  • Being active: Post your own updates or genuinely interact with friends instead of passively browsing endless feeds, which often leads to worse moods.
  • Taking real breaks: Schedule full days or weekends completely away from social media apps.
  • Prioritizing real life: Spend time on hobbies, outdoor activities, and face-to-face conversations, even when these interactions feel awkward or you feel insecure. Socialization is a skill that requires practice.
  • Out of Sight, out of mind: removing social media apps off your home screen.

Jed Foundation:  Focus on Facts

Even though it can certainly feel like it, social media is not real life. Posts are designed to grab your attention, not be a reflection of life outside the app. Remind yourself of these facts if you start to feel down:

  • Social media apps have strong algorithms that control what content makes it onto your feed.
  • Influencers are paid to post, wear certain things, or look certain ways.
  • Brands pay to target you with ads.
  • Filters and apps that change people’s appearances are common, and they’re regularly used to make people look different than they do in real life.
  • Friends post only their highlights and share when they’re feeling their best.

How About You?

Think your social media use is healthy?  Take this challenge. Abstain from social media use for one week.  In the first 3 days you will likely experience withdrawal symptoms ranging from discomfort to distress, restlessness, anxiety, and a low mood.  After the initial few days, you will notice positive changes in your focus, mood, energy, sleep, and engagement with others.

 

Are you wondering whether the time you spend on social media is impacting your mental health? 

At CAPS, we understand that social media use can have positive and negative impacts on your biopsychosocial functioning.  As part of your intake, your social media use will be assessed to determine your level of dependency, the various ways it affects your life, and the appropriate interventions to promote healthy use. As noted above,  research shows that many psychosocial impairments are directly related to how social media is used by adolescents and young adults. In therapy, we equip you with knowledge and skills that help you make informed choices about your use, which allows you to create a healthier lifestyle leading to a more prosperous life.