Unfriending Anxiety: How Social Media Fuels the Mental Health Crisis Among Young Adults
Is social media really to blame for the rising tide of anxiety among young adults—or is it something deeper, more physiological, and harder to recognize?
Over the last two decades, mental health concerns among young adults, particularly anxiety, have grown significantly. According to national estimates, the prevalence of anxiety in individuals aged 18 to 25 has more than doubled—from about 8% in 2008 to 17% today. This alarming spike has raised countless theories, from increased societal pressure and a rapidly changing world to reduced resilience among younger generations. But one factor looms large in the background of every explanation: the explosion of social media use.
While many experts have pointed fingers at the platforms themselves—citing cyberbullying, comparison culture, or digital overload—emerging evidence suggests a more nuanced culprit. It may not be the content of social media causing anxiety, but rather the withdrawal from it.
The Timeline: A Parallel Rise
To understand the correlation, we need to look at the timeline. In 2008, when smartphones first became mainstream, only about 65% of young adults used social media. Today, that number is closer to 99%. This steep rise has occurred in parallel with the increase in reported anxiety levels. While correlation doesn’t automatically mean causation, the overlap is hard to ignore.
So, what exactly is happening? Are young adults more anxious because of what they’re seeing on social media? Or is something else—like withdrawal symptoms from overuse—manifesting as anxiety?
More Than Just Screen Time: The Psychology of Use
Let’s first acknowledge that excessive social media use isn’t just a habit—it often mirrors patterns seen in behavioral addiction. Psychologists identify three primary mechanisms behind this kind of usage:
1. Habit Formation: People use social media at predictable times or emotional states (e.g., boredom, loneliness), forming strong behavioral patterns.
2. Addiction: Prolonged, uncontrollable use that begins to interfere with daily life, relationships, and productivity.
3. Adjunct Behaviors: Actions that arise when someone is waiting for a reward or stimulus. For example, some people check social media excessively in between tasks or while waiting for responses—akin to how animals develop repetitive behaviors when rewards are delayed.
While habits can be annoying, addiction introduces two critical factors: tolerance and withdrawal. Tolerance means that over time, users need more engagement to feel the same level of satisfaction or relief. Withdrawal is even more concerning—it’s the emergence of distressing psychological and physical symptoms when the behavior stops.
What Social Media Withdrawal Looks Like
Withdrawal from social media can produce symptoms eerily similar to those experienced during anxiety or even panic attacks.
This includes:
l Elevated heart rate
l Increased blood pressure
l Sweaty palms or increased skin conductance (galvanic skin response)
l Irritability or restlessness
l Subjective feelings of panic or fear
Numerous studies have confirmed that people who are heavy social media users exhibit these responses when they are prevented from accessing their devices. The longer the forced disconnection, the more intense the reported anxiety symptoms become.
In cognitive-behavioral terms, this is concerning. Anxiety and panic are often triggered not just by external threats but by the misinterpretation of internal physiological signals. So, if a person feels their heart racing or hands sweating, they may interpret that sensation as impending doom—fueling the cycle of anxiety.
Is It Really Anxiety, Or Is It Withdrawal?
This distinction is more than academic. Mislabeling social media withdrawal as generalized anxiety can lead to ineffective treatments or misunderstanding a young person’s actual mental health needs. While the two conditions may look and feel alike, they have different origins—and therefore require different approaches.
Interestingly, around 10–30% of young adults meet the criteria for problematic or addictive social media use. If even a portion of these individuals experience withdrawal symptoms resembling anxiety, that could explain a significant portion of the reported increase in mental health problems in this age group.
The Role of Environment and Culture
Let’s be clear: this isn’t about demonizing social media. These platforms offer connection, entertainment, identity exploration, and even community support. But they also serve as emotional crutches. Many people use them to escape real-life stressors, much like sedatives or alcohol were once used to “take the edge off.”
The decline of certain sedative medications (like barbiturates) and the rise of antidepressants such as SSRIs—which do not produce immediate psychoactive effects—occurred alongside the rise of social media. It’s worth exploring whether, culturally, social media became the new coping mechanism. Unlike medications, however, social media isn't prescribed, monitored, or limited by dosage. And that’s where problems begin.
Attention-Seeking or Identity-Seeking?
Another theory about the increase in reported mental health struggles is what researchers refer to as copycat reporting. This occurs when people are exposed to others—often through social media—sharing personal experiences of anxiety or depression, and they begin to internalize or mimic those symptoms either consciously or subconsciously.
This isn’t necessarily manipulative. For some, it’s a way of finding belonging or feeling understood. For others, it’s a way of forming identity—especially in a digital world where personal stories, struggles, and authenticity are currency.
But again, this creates another gray area. Are people truly experiencing anxiety—or are they mislabeling withdrawal symptoms, loneliness, or a need for connection as anxiety because it’s the language they’ve learned online?
Why This Matters
Understanding whether young people are experiencing true anxiety or withdrawal-mimicking anxiety changes everything. It alters how we treat them. It shifts how we talk to them. It encourages interventions that might include digital detoxes, media literacy, and behavioral therapy instead of only pharmaceutical solutions.
It also highlights the importance of teaching young adults how to sit with discomfort, tolerate boredom, and develop coping skills that don’t involve screens. These are foundational emotional tools that get lost when social media becomes the default stress reliever.
How to Move Forward: Steps for Mental Clarity
1. Recognize Patterns: Track your mood and physical symptoms when you're online versus when you're offline. Are symptoms worse during breaks from social media?
2. Set Digital Boundaries: Implement specific screen-free times or zones in your day, especially around meals, bedtime, and work.
3. Replace the Habit: Instead of reaching for your phone during idle time, try breathing exercises, a short walk, or even journaling.
4. Talk About It: Therapy can help untangle what’s truly anxiety and what might be withdrawal or emotional dependency on digital platforms.
5. Be Patient With Yourself: This isn’t about going cold turkey. It’s about slowly learning how to exist in the present moment—without needing to escape.
Therapy Can Help You Break the Cycle
If you’ve been feeling on edge, irritable, or panicked when you’re away from your phone, you’re not alone—and you’re not weak. You may be dealing with something that mimics anxiety but actually stems from your relationship with social media.
Walk With Me Counseling Center is here to help if you're overwhelmed by election stress, political disagreements, or anxiety fueled by digital burnout. We offer virtual therapy sessions across Illinois, so support is just a click away, no matter where you are—whether in Chicago or another part of the state.
Your mental well-being should be your top priority, especially during an election as heated as this one. Don't let social media stress or political tension strain your relationships or leave you feeling isolated. Whether you're in Chicago or elsewhere in Illinois, we're here to help you navigate these challenging moments before they take a bigger toll on your mental health. Complete Your Intake Form today.
