Once a niche corner of the internet, social media has rapidly evolved into a global force for communication, content sharing and digital interaction. According to Statista, an estimated 5.56 billion people are active on social media platforms.
Approximately 25% of social media usage in the United States is attributed to members of Generation Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, who represent the first generation to grow up with near-constant exposure to digital platforms. This constant exposure raises pressing questions about the long-term effects of social media, particularly on the mental health of young adults.
In the book “The Anxious Generation,” social psychologist Jonathan Haidt explores the alarming rise in mental health issues among members of Gen Z. Haidt concludes that this surge in anxiety is closely linked to the rise of smartphones and social media use.
“The mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s,” Haidt writes. “Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide rose sharply, more than doubling on most measures.”
Through a survey conducted by the Daily Utah Chronicle, University of Utah students reflect on how these national trends match their own experiences. The survey featured a mix of multiple-choice questions and open-ended prompts that encouraged students to share their thoughts on the nature of social media.
Trends and student preferences
89% of respondents reported having used social media for more than five years, while the remaining 11% indicated they have been active on at least one platform for four years or more.
The most widely used platform among U students was Instagram, with 94% of survey respondents reporting active use. YouTube followed at 77%, and Pinterest and TikTok trailed slightly behind at 72% and 61%, respectively.
These statistics are consistent with national averages. According to a study published by Pew Research, 76% of adults aged 18-26 stated that they use Instagram, 43% use Pinterest, 91% use YouTube, and 59% use TikTok.
Instagram ranks among the most-used social media platforms both at the U and nationally for Gen Z, indicating its resonance with young users.
What attracts students
According to an article by Investopedia, a large part of Instagram’s success is due to its focus on visually appealing content.
“The platform has expanded beyond static images to embrace audio and video through Stories and Reels, offering users diverse ways to share their narratives while keeping Meta competitive with TikTok,” the article said.
U senior Kennedy Chiara, an entrepreneurship major and director of Geekwave, explained that the visual appeal of Instagram is what keeps its users from leaving the app.
During her time studying abroad in Dublin, Ireland, Chiara felt a strong urge to constantly document her 4-5 month journey on the app.
“While I was there, I started to notice that I still was treating this whole experience as something that needed to be documented,” Chiara said. “I felt like I needed to be advertising myself to the world and showing everyone on Instagram well-thought-out photos to prove I’m having a good time.”
Chiara, who deleted Instagram two years ago, says she’s better off without it. When asked if she still experiences FOMO — fear of missing out — she admitted it was a challenge at first.
“I can say since then, [my FOMO] has never come up again,” Chiara said. “I only ever had it when I had social media.”
Anger and anxiety
When asked whether social media evokes strong emotions, many students pointed to feelings of anxiety and unease.
“I always compare myself to others, their experiences, their friends, even though I’m satisfied with my own life,” one student said. “I also get extremely anxious looking at negative news, which I still consume because I want to stay informed. But there’s a lot of fear-mongering on social media that feeds a kind of helpless anxiety.”
Another common emotion students mentioned feeling was anger, in particular, about news about national events related to politics. Comments shared by students include:
- “[I feel] anger with the political state of our country.”
- “Lately, with our political climate, I tend to go on deep dives on everything going on, and I cry a lot.”
- “[What makes me upset is] the constant political side of social media. It makes me sad and stressed out, and that’s not what I want out of my social media experience.”
To better understand the psychological impact of these emotional fluctuations, The Chronicle spoke with Dr. LillyBelle Deer, a professor in the U’s Department of Psychology who specializes in early-life experiences, stress, and health across the lifespan.
“I think that the frequent nature of updates and constant exposure to online emotional content could contribute to heightened stress or anxiety,” Deer said. “There is less of an opportunity to disengage when these updates are so built into our daily life, especially if we are getting constant notifications. Constant exposure to negative content, such as news updates, can also be detrimental to mental health.”
Deer addressed many students’ anxiety surrounding the news.
“While it is important to stay informed of what is going on in the world around us, engaging in ‘doomscrolling’ or receiving near-constant notifications regarding upsetting news can cause stress and anxiety to spike,” she said. “Striking a balance is key.”
Body image
Other common comments in the survey included body image and unhealthy comparisons. When asked what makes students upset on social media, students shared comments such as:
- “Social media often intensifies my feelings of inadequacy, even when I know they aren’t based in reality. I tend to compare myself to others, even in areas where I’m doing more than most, yet I still focus on those who appear to be doing even more, or doing it in a more aesthetic way than I, feeding a cycle of inferiority.”
- “’Thinspo’ or ‘SkinnyTok’”
- “Eating culture, news and hatred”
- “Often, social media makes me feel awful or worthless for my body image.”
Students said that “FitnessTok,” a corner of social media where influencers share tips and routines for achieving certain physiques, also contributes to body image concerns.
Dr. Katherine Pagano, an assistant professor in the U’s Department of Psychology who studies psychosocial factors in male body image, cautions that many influencers lack the qualifications to speak credibly to such a wide audience.
“When we look at these ‘fitspirational’ people, a lot of times … they’re not validated or studied,” she said. “There’s no science backing a lot of the trends that are out there. Also, a lot of these influencers, what works for them, usually, does not work for the majority of people.”
Pagano explains that influencers are often misleading, and that there are also a large number of experts who provide helpful information for free.
“There is some great, compelling research today on creating self-compassion around the body … rather than the sort of mouse on a wheel mentality where we’re consuming more information, comparing more and finding more discrepancy with ourselves versus the world wide web,” she said.
Positive experiences
Not all students reported only negative experiences. 100% of the surveyed students marked ‘happy’ as one of the emotions they felt when they were on social media.
Many expressed that social media fosters a sense of connection and understanding.
“Sometimes when scrolling through [Instagram] reels, I feel like I see something that connects to how I’m feeling and helps me understand how to put it into words,” one student said.
Another student mentioned the usefulness of social media for staying connected with others.
“I think it’s been good in allowing me to stay in contact or make plans with all sorts of people,” they said. “Social media is my primary means of communication for my friends that are out of state, or out of the country entirely.”
Finding balance in a digital world
Though social media can have negative effects, Nsilo Challenger, a third-year Psychology and pre-med student at the U, believes it can be positive when used in moderation.
“I think that social media has great benefits in terms of being able to communicate all sorts of different ideas and with the world at large,” Challenger said.
He explains that social media can serve as a valuable tool for sharing news and promoting advocacy, but emphasizes that engagement in one’s interests shouldn’t end at the screen.
“If you’re interested in political activism, you should be volunteering your time or showing up to protest,” Challenger said. “You should be doing what you can, even with your time limitations and interests.”
For students like Challenger, the key lies in balance — using social media as a starting point for connection and awareness, but not as a substitute for the physical world.
