Social Media Mental Health Study Links Emotional, Habitual Use to Depression and Anxiety

Study suggests compulsive and emotionally dependent patterns of social media use may provide important clues about potential mental health risks.

A new study indicates that the mental health risks associated with social media may depend on more than how long users spend online.

Findings published in the December 2026 issue of the journal Computers in Human Behavior Reports indicate that behavioral and emotional patterns of social media engagement may be important factors in understanding mental health risks.

Researchers found that habitual checking and emotional reliance on social media were associated with both depression and anxiety symptoms, while time spent online appeared to play a greater role in the links with depression.

Social Media Addiction Risks

Social media platforms have become an increasingly significant part of everyday life, particularly among children and teenagers. However, Meta, Google and other technology companies face allegations that their platforms are intentionally designed to encourage excessive use through addictive features, including infinite scrolling, notifications, autoplay and recommendation algorithms.

Families and researchers have raised concerns about the potential impact of excessive social media use on children’s mental health and development, including increased risks of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, behavioral problems, poor academic performance, suicidal thoughts and self-harm. States and school districts also claim these problems have placed additional demands on public resources, including counseling, tutoring and other support services.

These concerns have led to thousands of social media addiction lawsuits filed in state and federal courts nationwide. Families, school districts and government entities allege that some of the world’s largest technology companies prioritized keeping children engaged on their platforms over protecting them from potential harm.

Social Media Mental Health Concerns

Previous research has linked social media use to anxiety and depression, but findings have been mixed, particularly regarding whether the amount of time spent online is an important indicator of mental health risks.

For the new study, researchers from the University of Exeter in the U.K. conducted a cross-sectional study of 304 adults. Participants completed measures of social media engagement styles, trait mindfulness facets, daily time spent on social media and symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Led by Jason R.J. Hill, the team found that emotional reliance on social media and habitual checking behaviors were associated with greater depression and anxiety symptoms. However, the amount of time spent online appeared to play different roles for the two mental health outcomes.

Hill noted that frequent, habitual checking behaviors may be reinforced by algorithmic features such as selective notifications and tailored content delivery. According to the study, those behaviors have previously been associated with problematic social media use and greater depression and anxiety symptoms.

Emotional reliance included patterns in which users reiled on online interactions for reassurance, emotional security or mood regulation. This type of engagement was associated with both depression and anxiety symptoms, while time spent online played a larger role in the links with depression.

“Interventions focused solely on reducing screen time may therefore overlook important psychological mechanisms underpinning relationships between social media use and mental health.”

— Jason R.J. Hill, Scrolling the mind away? Social media engagement styles, mindfulness, and symptoms of depression and anxiety

Researchers said efforts to understand the mental health effects of social media should consider how people engage with the platforms and respond to their use, rather than focusing solely on time spent online. Measures of engagement may also provide useful information for developing strategies aimed at reducing negative mental health effects. Those factors include questions about whether individuals are:

• Preoccupied with social media
• Compulsively checking or using social media
• Emotionally invested in what is happening online

According to the research team, those factors may provide a more useful picture of problematic social media use and help guide interventions aimed at reducing associated mental health risks.

Social Media Addiction Lawsuits

The findings come as families pursue social media addiction claims involving children and adolescents, alleging platform features encourage compulsive use that contributes to mental health problems.

One of the first trials against Meta was scheduled to begin in June, but the company reached an undisclosed settlement with the Breathitt County School District before opening statements.

In August, Meta also reached a proposed $17 billion settlement with a bipartisan coalition of 51 attorneys general. The agreement would require Facebook and Instagram to implement additional protections for young users and establish a framework that other social media companies could potentially join.

Substantial jury verdicts have also been awarded in social media lawsuit trials. In March, a California jury ordered Meta and Google to pay $6 million to a woman who alleged she developed anxiety and depression after becoming addicted to social media as a minor.

Days earlier, a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay the state $375 million after determining the company contributed to teen social media addiction and associated mental health problems.

Although those early verdicts and settlement efforts do not determine the outcome of other cases, they may help the parties gauge how juries respond to the allegations, the potential value of individual claims and whether broader settlements can be reached.

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