The Influence of Social Media Usage on Mental Health: Analyzing Anxiety, Depression, and Self-Esteem Among Young Adults

Abstract

The recent massive integration of social media in the life of young adults has changed the communication trends, identity framing, and feelings of well-being. Nevertheless, the accumulative evidence is suggesting that this interaction might be both positive and negative on the state of mental health. The given qualitative study examines the effect of using social media on anxiety, depression, and self-esteem among young adults between 18 and 25 years old. Phenomenological approach was taken whereby semi-structured interviews involving fifteen people with varying education and socio-economic backgrounds were used to gather the data. The thematic analysis was used to identify three general themes, which were comparison-induced anxiety, validation-seeking and emotional dependency, and the paradox of online identity and self-esteem. The results also reveal that self-expression and social connectedness are not the only results of the use of social media, but also its role in increasing psychological distress due to unrealistic comparison and the need to seek approval always. The research can help in further understanding of the psychological processes concerning associations between digital activity and emotional well-being and give recommendations on enhancing a healthy social media usage among young people.

Keywords: social media, mental health, young adults, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, qualitative research,

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17798480