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Over One-Third British Adults Say Social Media Harms Their Well-Being

The Dark Side of Scrolling : Over One-Third Say Social Media Harms Their Well-Being

Today, <span>social media</span> has become the integral part of lives for billions of people around the world in this hyper, connected digital era. Apart from merely using it to maintain relationships, people also utilize these platforms for getting news and trends thus they become so essential to them. 

Nevertheless, an increasing number of studies and the community at large are convinced that social media are detrimental to our <span>mental health</span> and general well being. 

According to a recent <span>YouGov</span> poll taken in the UK in January 2026, 37 percent of adults gave a general negative review of social media's impact on their mental health, more than twice the amount of people who say otherwise. 

Merely 14 percent of them admitted to receiving a positive effect from social media on their mental health.

This trend isn’t limited to one country. Back in 2022, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Healthy Minds Monthly poll figured out that up to one third of Americans (34 percent) feel social media is more harming than helpful for their mental health, and nearly half of the respondents considered that it has damaged the society at large.

Nevertheless, for many users, especially the young generation, these sensations of harm do not come from nowhere. The Pew Research Center survey, conducted in 2024, discloses that 45 percent of U.S. teenagers think social media is damaging their sleep and 40 percent believe it is having a negative impact on their productivity, which are both key factors of mental health.

<h2>Why Do People Feel This Way?</h2>Experts point to several reasons social media might feel harmful to users, beyond general opinion polls.

<strong>1. Increased Stress, Anxiety, and Depression</strong>

Continuous social media usage is linearly correlated each day with increased levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and loneliness, as well as lower quality of sleep. Besides, it also leads to a decrease in feelings of self, worth and overall happiness.

<strong>2. Body Image and Self-Comparison</strong>

This is what a typical social media scene looks like: vibrant, posh, picturesque, so perfect characters showing off their wonderful lives. For young women these can be simple triggers, uneducated the mind leading to appearance dissatisfaction and the feeling of being a loser in their own lives. Studies show that those who rely excessively on these platforms, especially young women, would be at greatest risk of feeling discontent with their looks or life aspects.

<strong>3. Short-Form Video and Mental Fatigue</strong>

Short form videos have a negative effect on mental health, as both adolescent and adult users may feel more stressed and anxious, thus account for higher levels of these adverse feelings.

<h2>Not Just Mental Health - Physical Impacts Too</h2>Interestingly, the consequences of long hours on social media are not limited to mental health only. A series of research also depicts a link between prolonged time spent on screens and physical discomfort such as eye strain, headaches, neck and shoulder pain, as well as other somatic symptoms.

While there have been concerns about this, social media still is not generally perceived as harmful. A lot of users share their positive experiences like obtaining a sense of belonging with friends and community or getting an opportunity to learn and exploring content. 

The Pew research on teens is an example where 74 percent of adolescents say social media helps them feel connected to friends, and 34 percent say they at least sometimes get mental health information through it.

This ambiguity shows that social media's impact is not straightforward. It can be a venue for support and connection for some people, while it may increase anxiety or lower self, esteem for others, especially when it is used heavily or without control.

<h2>What Experts Suggest</h2>Mental health experts put forward a different point of view: moderation and mindfully controlled usage could be the key. It is far more effective to come up with a plan that helps your interaction with social, media platforms be healthier, such as limiting your time on social, media platforms, avoiding harmful content, pursuing real, world connections, rather than completely demonizing social media.

<h2>A Broader Conversation</h2>As debate continues on how to regulate social platforms - especially for children and teens - governments, parents, educators and clinicians are increasingly pushing for policies that protect vulnerable users while preserving the positive aspects of connectivity.

The bottom line is that even though social media has a lot of advantages, the increasing number of studies and the general public's opinion indicate that the issue of mental health is only one of a number of aspects that are significantly and differently influenced by the use of social media. To maintain one's psychological sanity in the era of continuous digital communication, a reasonable, well, informed approach to using social media is likely to be very helpful.

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Today, social media has become the integral part of lives for billions of people around the world in this hyper, connected digital era. Apart from merely using it to maintain relationships, people also utilize these platforms for getting news and trends thus they become so essential to them. Nevertheless, an increasing number of studies and the community at large are convinced that social media are detrimental to our mental health and general well being. According to a recent YouGov poll taken in the UK in January 2026, 37 percent of adults gave a general negative review of social media's impact on their mental health, more than twice the amount of people who say otherwise. Merely 14 percent of them admitted to receiving a positive effect from social media on their mental health.This trend isn’t limited to one country. Back in 2022, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Healthy Minds Monthly poll figured out that up to one third of Americans (34 percent) feel social media is more harming than helpful for their mental health, and nearly half of the respondents considered that it has damaged the society at large.Nevertheless, for many users, especially the young generation, these sensations of harm do not come from nowhere. The Pew Research Center survey, conducted in 2024, discloses that 45 percent of U.S. teenagers think social media is damaging their sleep and 40 percent believe it is having a negative impact on their productivity, which are both key factors of mental health.Why Do People Feel This Way?Experts point to several reasons social media might feel harmful to users, beyond general opinion polls.1. Increased Stress, Anxiety, and DepressionContinuous social media usage is linearly correlated each day with increased levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and loneliness, as well as lower quality of sleep. Besides, it also leads to a decrease in feelings of self, worth and overall happiness.2. Body Image and Self-ComparisonThis is what a typical social media scene looks like: vibrant, posh, picturesque, so perfect characters showing off their wonderful lives. For young women these can be simple triggers, uneducated the mind leading to appearance dissatisfaction and the feeling of being a loser in their own lives. Studies show that those who rely excessively on these platforms, especially young women, would be at greatest risk of feeling discontent with their looks or life aspects.3. Short-Form Video and Mental FatigueShort form videos have a negative effect on mental health, as both adolescent and adult users may feel more stressed and anxious, thus account for higher levels of these adverse feelings.Not Just Mental Health - Physical Impacts TooInterestingly, the consequences of long hours on social media are not limited to mental health only. A series of research also depicts a link between prolonged time spent on screens and physical discomfort such as eye strain, headaches, neck and shoulder pain, as well as other somatic symptoms.Balancing Benefits and RisksWhile there have been concerns about this, social media still is not generally perceived as harmful. A lot of users share their positive experiences like obtaining a sense of belonging with friends and community or getting an opportunity to learn and exploring content. The Pew research on teens is an example where 74 percent of adolescents say social media helps them feel connected to friends, and 34 percent say they at least sometimes get mental health information through it.This ambiguity shows that social media's impact is not straightforward. It can be a venue for support and connection for some people, while it may increase anxiety or lower self, esteem for others, especially when it is used heavily or without control.What Experts SuggestMental health experts put forward a different point of view: moderation and mindfully controlled usage could be the key. It is far more effective to come up with a plan that helps your interaction with social, media platforms be healthier, such as limiting your time on social, media platforms, avoiding harmful content, pursuing real, world connections, rather than completely demonizing social media.A Broader ConversationAs debate continues on how to regulate social platforms - especially for children and teens - governments, parents, educators and clinicians are increasingly pushing for policies that protect vulnerable users while preserving the positive aspects of connectivity.The bottom line is that even though social media has a lot of advantages, the increasing number of studies and the general public's opinion indicate that the issue of mental health is only one of a number of aspects that are significantly and differently influenced by the use of social media. To maintain one's psychological sanity in the era of continuous digital communication, a reasonable, well, informed approach to using social media is likely to be very helpful.

the dark side of scrolling : over one-third say social media harms their well-being

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Over One-Third British Adults Say Social Media Harms Their Well-Being

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