The Social Media–Anxiety Paradox: Risks, Resilience, and Well-Being in the Digital Generation

Abstract

Social media has become nearly universal among adolescents and young adults, raising concern about its psychological consequences. Anxiety, one of the most common mental health problems in youth, has shown increasing prevalence in parallel with the rise of digital connectivity. This paper reviews evidence from cross-sectional, longitudinal, and experimental studies to examine the association between social media use and anxiety. Research consistently shows that excessive or problematic use is linked with heightened anxiety, though the strength of the relationship varies across contexts (Primack et al., 2017; Du et al., 2024). Mechanisms such as social comparison, fear of missing out (FoMO), cyberbullying, and disrupted sleep partly explain these associations (Seabrook et al., 2016; Woods & Scott, 2016). At the same time, social media can offer benefits such as connection, belonging, and mental health support (Naslund et al., 2020). The impact is moderated by individual vulnerabilities, gender, personality traits, and patterns of use. Findings highlight the paradoxical role of social media as both a risk and a resource for mental well-being.