Posting on social media can harm your mental health 🧠

Could your latest social media post affect your well-being more than you realize? Researchers from University College London (UCL) have revealed troubling links between the frequency of posting on social media and the increase in psychological distress. These findings raise questions about the real impact of our digital habits.


By analyzing the behaviors of 15,000 UK participants, scientists found an alarming trend: frequent posters experience an increase in psychological distress scores. Even more surprising, passive viewers seem to be spared from these negative effects.

Why would posting be so harmful? According to the researchers, anxiety related to judgment from others and potential negative interactions could play a key role. These factors are specifically tied to the act of posting, as opposed to mere passive browsing.

To quantify these impacts, researchers used the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), a recognized tool for assessing stress and other psychological disorders. The GHQ-12, used in this study, evaluates mental health through 12 questions about recent symptoms such as stress, sleep disturbances, or difficulties concentrating. Each response is scored from 0 (no symptoms) to 3 (severe symptoms), for a total score ranging from 0 to 36. A high score indicates increased psychological distress.

The test results were unequivocal: daily posting on social media leads to a modest but significant increase in GHQ scores, with an average rise of 0.35 points. This trend holds true regardless of participants' age or gender.

For the study's authors, these findings highlight the need to promote healthier social media usage. While these platforms offer benefits such as maintaining social connections, they can also worsen psychological vulnerabilities.

The study also points to the responsibility of tech companies in this issue. Algorithmic models that promote less stressful content could be considered to mitigate the harmful effects on mental health.

Research is ongoing to understand why some individuals are more affected than others. These studies aim to identify the most at-risk profiles and propose preventive strategies, both for users and platform developers.

Ultimately, this study invites us to rethink our relationship with social media and adopt a more conscious approach to their use, both individually and collectively.