A Comparative Study on the Impact of Social Media on Mental Health
Abstract: This study presents a comparative analysis investigating the differential impacts of social media usage on the mental health of adolescents (ages 13-17) and young adults (ages 18-25). As digital platforms become increasingly integrated into daily communication, understanding their psychological outcomes has become a critical public health objective. Utilizing a cross-sectional comparative research design (N = 300), this project evaluates key psychological dimensions- including anxiety, depression, sleep quality, self-esteem, and social comparison orientation- across passive vs. active consumption modes and gender demographics. Standardized psychometric assessment instruments, including the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), General Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Iowa-Netherlands Comparison Orientation Measure (INCOM), were deployed alongside daily screen-time tracking metrics. Empirical analysis revealed significant differences between demographics and usage typologies: passive scrolling (e.g., algorithmic feed consumption, doomscrolling) was correlated with higher rates of depressive symptoms (r = .46, p
Keywords: mental health, social media, digital platforms, adolescent, young adults
How to Cite?: Arpitha M, "A Comparative Study on the Impact of Social Media on Mental Health", Volume 15 Issue 10, October 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 2058-2060, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR261029155037, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR261029155037