Reducing social media use may not make you feel better

Social media, in recent years, has been blamed for a lot of our problems. We're not seeing people in real life; we're doomscrolling too much; we're letting online strangers' perceptions of us wreck our self-esteem. But what if reducing our social media use won't actually solve these issues?

According to New Scientist, a recent study suggests little to no improvements in emotional well-being among those who reduced their use of social media sites like TikTok and Facebook. There is further evidence, through additional research, suggesting that some of these sites may not have as much of an impact on our health as we might think.

This does not mean, however, that we should necessarily use social media more than we already are. And children and teens are still likely much more at risk of experiencing negative consequences of social media overuse compared to adults.

What this does point to, however, is that it's probable that social media is likely a symptom of bigger issues, not the cause. Think about it: When are you most likely to turn to social media? When you're lonely. When you're stressed. When you are feeling overworked, overwhelmed, or you need a brief escape from the real world. When was the last time you genuinely used social media for fun?

Many of us -- if not most of us -- use social media the most when real-world feels like too much. The assumption that social media leads to issues like depression or anxiety or sleep problems may be a circumstance of correlation vs. causation. Social media may not cause someone to be more anxious. Someone may, instead, use social media more when they are experiencing increased anxiety.

Using social media isn't all bad. For many, it's a way to connect with people at a distance and create a much-needed sense of belonging. But when we use it to put a band-aid over our ongoing real-life problems, getting off the interent isn't going to magically fix them. That's up to us.