Social media anxiety in young adults tied to heavy daily use
UTHealth Houston researchers found young people using social media six-plus hours daily reported more anxiety and suicidal ideation.
By Tom Brennan · Health & Medicine Correspondent
3 min read
A new UTHealth Houston study links social media anxiety in young adults to the amount of time they spend on platforms each day. Researchers reported that young people who used social media for six or more hours daily were twice as likely to have anxiety symptoms and three times as likely to report suicidal ideation as those using it less than one hour a day.
The findings were published July 24 in Pediatrics Open Science. The research was led by Jeff Temple, a professor and associate dean for clinical research at the UTHealth Houston School of Behavioral Health Sciences.
The study adds current data to a debate often dominated by family concern and anecdote. Temple said research is needed to move the discussion beyond opinions about phones and toward evidence about who is affected, under what conditions and what changes might help.
Does social media cause anxiety in young adults?
The study found an association, not a proven cause-and-effect relationship. Temple said heavy use could contribute to poorer mental health, but young people already experiencing anxiety or depression symptoms also may spend more time on social media as an escape.
According to UTHealth Houston, the work differs from earlier studies that centered largely on high school or college students and were conducted before newer platforms such as TikTok became widely used. Temple’s team studied emerging adults who were, on average, 12 years old when the research began.
The researchers analyzed data from 1,066 young adults who reported their own social media use in yearly surveys from 2018 through 2025. Mental health symptoms were measured with the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale.
Those screening tools ask participants to report how often they had symptoms in the past week. Examples listed by UTHealth Houston include poor appetite, difficulty sleeping, feeling on edge and trouble relaxing.
How much social media did participants report using?
UTHealth Houston said 8.5% of participants reported less than one hour of social media use per day. More than one-third reported one to three hours per day, while slightly more than 17% reported six or more hours per day.
Girls reported higher levels of social media use than boys, according to the study. The researchers also found that the link between anxiety symptoms and social media use was stronger among girls.
Temple pointed to several possible explanations for the connection. He said social media can prompt users to compare their own lives with idealized posts from others, and that spending many hours online may also reduce time spent in in-person activities that support well-being.
The research does not identify a single remedy. Temple said understanding the pattern could help researchers and families consider whether young people should spend less time on smartphones and social media, or whether platforms could be made less likely to contribute to poor mental health.
The study is titled “Associations Between Social Media Use and Mental Health in Emerging Adulthood.” Its listed DOI is 10.1542/pedsos.2026-001552.
This story draws on original reporting from Medical Xpress.