Influence of digital social networking platforms on mental health and social media addiction

Discov Ment Health. 2026 Jun 11. doi: 10.1007/s44192-026-00502-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The use of social media has been associated with various effects on mental health and addiction to these platforms, especially among university students. The aim of the study was to analize the impact of Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and TikTok on social media addiction and mental health, considering the mediating role of the latter. The study was conducted with a sample of 684 university students. Through Model 4 of the PROCESS macro for SPSS, direct and indirect relationships were evaluated between platform use (independent variables), mental health problems (mediating variable), and social media addiction (dependent variable). Regression analyses and bootstrapping with 10,000 samples were applied to estimate confidence intervals of indirect effects. The findings revealed Instagram and TikTok showed significant direct effects on social media addiction as well as indirect influences through mental health problems. These visually intensive platforms are associated with increases in psychological problems, which in turn contribute to higher levels of addiction. In contrast, Facebook and WhatsApp did not show significant direct or indirect effects on mental health or social media addiction. The findings highlight that platforms such as Instagram and TikTok pose significant risks to mental health and social media addiction among university students, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to mitigate these effects. On the other hand, Facebook and WhatsApp appear to have limited impact. This study fills gaps in the literature by differentiating psychological effects by platform and emphasizes the importance of considering social media design in digital well-being strategies.

PMID:42274867 | DOI:10.1007/s44192-026-00502-8