FH-ADO-020 · ages 10-19

Is Social Media Making My Anxiety or Mood Worse?

Mental Health & Digital Wellbeing

If something feels unsafe or urgent

You can always get help, whatever your age, without an account.

Social media is not automatically harmful — how you use it matters. Comparison and late-night scrolling do the most damage; connection and creating do the least.

What's happening

Feeds are designed to hold attention, and they hold it best with content that stirs emotion. Passive scrolling raises comparison and lowers mood, while active messaging with real friends usually does not.

Usually normal

Enjoying being online and feeling a dip after a long scroll
Caring about likes
Losing track of time

Get checked if

Losing sleep, missing school or hiding your usage
Feeling worse about your body after being online
Seeing self-harm, pro-eating-disorder or sexual content aimed at you
Contact from an adult stranger, or being asked for images

Your next step

Run a 7-day experiment: no phone in the bedroom overnight, and unfollow or mute the five accounts that most affect your mood — then compare how you feel.

Printable packs

Food, Mood and School-Energy Tracker