Is social media more harmful or helpful?

Social media’s tradeoffs are nuanced — I’ll gather current evidence on its harms and benefits to give you a balanced answer.

Social media is neither simply harmful nor simply helpful - research shows the effect depends on how it is used, who is using it, and why.

What public opinion says

•About two-thirds of Americans (64%) say social media have a mostly negative effect on the way things are going in the country today, compared to just one-in-ten who say it has a mostly positive effect and one-quarter who say it has neither positive nor negative effect.

•The share is higher among older Americans and Republicans, while younger adults are somewhat more positive - 15% of those ages 18 to 29 say it has a mostly positive effect vs. 8% of those over 30.

•Among teens in a 2025 Pew study, teens are more likely to say social media hurts than helps their sleep, productivity and mental health, but see a more positive impact on their friendships. The share of teens who say social media harms people their age rose from 32% in 2022 to 48% in 2025.

How it can be helpful

Research consistently identifies several benefits when use is mindful and routine:

•Connection and belonging: It can enhance connection, increase self-esteem, and improve a sense of belonging.

•Peer support: Online communities can provide a space for discussions regarding health conditions or adverse life events, which may decrease the sense of stigmatization and increase belongingness and perceived emotional support. Mutual friendships, rewarding social interactions, and humor on social media also reduced stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

•Routine use vs. emotional dependence: A Harvard T.H. Chan study using a nationally representative sample found that routine social media use — for example, using social media as part of everyday routine and responding to content that others share — is positively associated with social well-being, positive mental health, and self-rated health. Routine use may compensate for diminishing face-to-face social interactions in busy lives, allowing people to connect and reconnect with others and thereby expand and strengthen their in-person networks.

•Staying informed and community building: Among the small share of Americans who see a positive effect on the country, one-quarter say these sites help people stay informed and aware (25%) and about one-in-ten say they allow for communication, connection and community-building (12%).

•Feeling connected: In a 2022 Pew study of teens, 80 percent said social media makes them feel "more connected to what's going on in their friends' lives," and 59 percent said it had neither a positive nor a negative effect on their lives.

Studies also show highly individual effects: in one study of 2,155 real-time assessments, while 44% did not feel better or worse after passive social media use, 46% felt better, and 10% felt worse.

How it can be harmful

•Mental health risks: Concerns have been raised that social media may lead to body image dissatisfaction, increase the risk of addiction and cyberbullying involvement, contribute to phubbing behaviors, and negatively affect mood. Excessive use has increased loneliness, fear of missing out, and decreased subjective well-being and life satisfaction.

•Depression and anxiety: In a systematic review, more time spent on social media, engagement and addiction were all associated with greater depression, anxiety, and psychological distress.

•Time threshold: Teens ages 12-15 who used social media over three hours each day faced twice the risk of having negative mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety symptoms. Among adults, researchers found that adults who spent over 150 minutes per day on social media were more likely to report depression in a study of nearly 183,000 U.S. adults over 11 years.

•Problematic use: Emotional connection to social media — for example, checking apps excessively out of fear of missing out, being disappointed about or feeling disconnected when not logged in — is negatively associated with health outcomes.

•Societal concerns: Among Americans who see a negative effect, roughly three-in-ten (28%) mention the spreading of misinformation and made-up news, and smaller shares reference hate, harassment, conflict and extremism (16%).

What tips the balance?

Researchers emphasize quality rather than quantity of use can determine whether the experience will enhance or deteriorate mental health, and that mindful use is essential.

Factors linked to more harmful outcomes:

•Passive scrolling vs. active, rewarding interaction

•Emotional dependence and addiction-like checking

•Social comparison and body-image content

•Excessive time (>2-3 hours/day)

•Cyberbullying, hate, and misinformation exposure

Factors linked to more helpful outcomes:

•Routine, intentional use for maintaining real-world relationships

•Mutual friendships and supportive communities

•Using platforms for learning, activism, creativity, and civic engagement

•Strong social media literacy and effortful self-regulation

> Bottom line: There is not a consensus that social media is overall more harmful than helpful, or vice versa. For many people it provides real benefits for connection, support, and information, but when use becomes excessive, emotionally dependent, or centered on comparison and toxic content, the risks for well-being, sleep, productivity, and mental health increase significantly.

If you use social media, strategies that research suggests help keep it on the helpful side include: limiting total time, curating feeds toward positive/supportive connections, taking breaks, disabling non-essential notifications, and prioritizing active interaction over passive scrolling.

Citations (4)

1pewresearch.orgNonprofits and think tanks
64% in U.S. say social media have a mostly negative effect on country today | Pew Research Center
Backs: “Social media is neither simply harmful nor simply helpful - research shows the effect depends on how it is used, who is using it, and why. What public opinion says. About two-thirds of Americans (64%) say social media have a mostly negative effect on the way things are going in the country today, compared to just…”
2pewresearch.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Teens are more likely to say social media hurts than helps their sleep, productivity and mental health, but see a more positive impact on their friendships | Pew Research Center
Backs: “The share is higher among older Americans and Republicans, while younger adults are somewhat more positive - 15% of those ages 18 to 29 say it has a mostly positive effect vs. 8% of those over 30. Among teens in a 2025 Pew study, teens are more likely to say social media hurts than helps their sleep, productivity and…”
3pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAcademic
Pros & cons: impacts of social media on mental health - PMC
Backs: “The share of teens who say social media harms people their age rose from 32% in 2022 to 48% in 2025. How it can be helpful. Research consistently identifies several benefits when use is mindful and routine:”
4harvard.eduAcademic
Social media use can be positive for mental health and well-being | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Backs: “Mutual friendships, rewarding social interactions, and humor on social media also reduced stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Routine use vs. emotional dependence: A Harvard T.H. Chan study using a nationally representative sample found that routine social media use — for example, using social media as part of…”