The Impact of Screen Time and Social Media Usage on The Mental Health in Daily Life

Abstract

The rapid increase in screen time and social media use has prompted worldwide unease about its effect on mental health, especially of adolescents and young adults. The aim of this study was to bring together recent review literature and assess the connections between screen-based behaviors and various mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, stress, and well-being. The literature points strongly to the moderating variables associated with excessive screen time and problematic social media use and how these behaviors can be tied to one’s likelihood of suffering psychological distress, while moderation and quality of content may protect against negative effects. This proposed study aims to clarify these connections and potential interventions and add to the theoretical understanding of states of daily psychological functioning for digital media (Firth et al., 2023; Odgers & Jensen, 2020; Santos et al., 2023).