7 Ways Social Media Might Be Making You Unhappy

If you, like us, spend way more time than you'd like to admit scrolling through your phone on your various social media accounts, you've probably noticed that it's not always a great time.

It starts off fine most of the time, but often, the longer we get sucked into the social media world, the less of a social experience it becomes and the more isolated, stressed out and frustrated we feel—and still, we can't bring ourselves to log off. What's the deal, and why can social media make us feel this way? Below are a few angles to consider.

It Introduces Comparison

One thing about social media is that the majority of people misrepresent themselves on it, at least a little. That can start with just sharing the most exciting and glamorous parts of their lives, and balloon into flat out deception. The issue comes from how easy it is to start comparing your mundane and everyday experiences with the "best" version of someone else's life they're presenting on their pages. When we don't look the way other people do or get to have similar experiences, it can really hurt our self-esteem—whether or now what we're comparing ourselves with is the real deal.

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It Doesn't Feel 'Social'

Sometimes, social media can be an incredible way to bring people together and help them share experiences and cultivate togetherness. Other times, no so much. Being connected with someone through a phone or computer screen often fails to offer the same feeling of togetherness as spending time with them in person, and seeing all of the fun stuff that other people are up to without us can leave us feeling lonely or isolated. This can be especially true if you're more passive on social media, either lurking or just leaving likes or emojis on people's posts. It may seem simple, but leaving thoughtful, authentic and positive comments on posts from the people you care about can help you feel more connected.

 

Also read about: 6 Signs You Should Mute Someone On Social Media

 

It Feels Rewarding Until It Doesn't

There's a reason we keep going back to the social media apps on our phones, and that's because it feels pretty rewarding—at least at first. Seeing new posts, learning new things and getting some engagement can help our brains create the feel-good chemicals it craves, but that sensation typically doesn't last. We keep repeating the same behaviors until that reward goes away, and then continue scrolling well beyond that. Even when we feel worse and worse, it can be tough to close the app, because we never know if the next post might be just what we need.

 

It Exposes Us to Negativity

Social media can expose us to all kinds of things we don't want to see, and while we don't want to live in our own bubbles, oblivious to the realities of the world, we also shouldn't actively seek out content that will make us unhappy. This can include everything from hate-following people you dislike to simply getting overwhelmed with bad news on a daily basis. To curate your experience, we suggest using the mute and block buttons on different platforms, as well as making sure to follow feel-good pages that will inspire you, or at least regularly put a smile on your face.

 

It Makes It Easy to Waste Time

When we're putting of something we don't want to do, we often find ourselves gravitating toward social media. Whether we view it as a reward or a little break, it often devolves from there, leading to full-on procrastination, and thus, guilt. Whether we spend 10 minutes there or 100, we're often left feeling like we wasted our time accomplishing nothing of value. If you've ever done the same, remember that it's not your fault! After all, these apps are designed to capture your attention and then keep it. We suggest setting timers if you have an assignment that absolutely needs your attention. If not, and you're going on your phone just because you're bored, you can also try redirecting your time to a hobby, whether that's something active, creative or self-improving, like yoga, meditation or just soaking in a podcast you find interesting.

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Also read about: How to Avoid FOMO From Watching Everyone Else's  Adventures

 

It Inspires FOMO

In the age of social media, our fear of missing out can feel worse than ever. It's always been a fact that some people experience anxiety thinking about the experiences other people are having without them, but now it's compounded becuase we can see how much apparent fun people are having and what we're missing. Plus, FOMO now includes the simple fear of getting behind on the social media experience in general. We can get caught feeling like we need to stay up to date on everyone's posts in order to stay in the know, which can make us feel like we're observing life from afar, rather than actually living it.

 

It Disrupts Our Schedules

Keep finding yourself on social media when you don't mean to be? You're definitely not alone. Even if you turn off push notifications, so you're not glued to your phone every time there's something new to look at, you might be checking your pages often enough to get in the way of the other things you really should be doing, whether that's school, work, household chores or actual real-life socialization. Social media can also be a sleep killer. Between staying up later and later to read "one more post" and staring at bright screens that wake up your brain, you might be wrecking your rest on your phone. Sleep is incredibly important for feeling healthy and happy, and the cumulative effects of diminished sleep can add up, fast.

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Want to get better at meeting people in real life in 2025? HERE are some of our top tips on where to get started.