Is Social Media Making Us Grumpy?

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There are few contemporary behaviors more common—and at the same time more controversial—than social media. The vast majority of adolescents and adults use some type of social media regularly, with different age cohorts preferring specific platforms from Facebook to Instagram, Reddit to X, Tumblr to TikTok.

The Upside: Social Media and Community

As someone who studies fandom, I’ve written about the value of online communities as a way for fans to find other like-minded people and share their enthusiasm. There are active fan communities on all the social media platforms, with people creating social connections that help us live longer, manage stress better, and experience greater happiness. The feeling of belongingness that comes from being part of a fandom (or any community) also improves well-being and reduces loneliness. Having fun with others, whether in person or online, is a form of leisure; research shows engaging in leisure fosters empathy, reduces stress, increases optimism, and even gives the immune system a boost.

In spite of those benefits, there has been concern over the impact of social media since its inception, and the various online platforms are all, to some extent, controversial. There has been controversy about everything from who controls the flow of information and disinformation, to how each platform’s algorithm decides what each of us sees, to the extent of personal data collected on users. Last week’s threatened ban of TikTok had users scrambling, concerned that the platform on which they had established a community was about to disappear. The emotional response of TikTok users is an indication of just how much many people value the platform they consider their social media “home.”

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There have also been concerns about the mental health impact of social media use. Daily life for many people is different than it was 30 years ago, with a significant amount of time often spent interacting with others online or scrolling an online platform for information about what’s going on in the world. For fans, spending time in the virtual fandom community is a way to keep in touch with other fans as well as a place to get the most up-to-date news about a favorite celebrity, show, band, or team. But can that social media time have a downside?

Unfortunately, yes.

The Downside: Social Media and Mental Health Outcomes

Earlier research has found that high levels of social media use are associated with depression and a lower sense of subjective well-being in adolescents and adults. A study published this month in JAMA Network Open expands our understanding of social media use even more, finding a complex relationship between social media use and another important mental health aspect—irritability.

Irritability is defined as an emotional process characterized by negative affective states which lead to people being more prone to anger or annoyance. Irritability can feel difficult to control and an emotional response can occur with minimal provocation. The irritability scale used for this study asked participants, for example, whether they’ve been grumpy, feeling like they might snap, bothered by things more than usual, or feel like other people are getting on their nerves. While it may sound relatively benign, irritability has an impact on daily functioning, especially social relationships and success in employment. Most of us can recall interacting with irritable people, so those associations will not be surprising. Higher levels of irritability have also been associated with more serious outcomes, including risk of violent behavior and suicidal thoughts.

The researchers in this study found that frequent use of social media was associated with significantly higher scores on an assessment of irritability, especially for people who posted often. That is, there was a “dose-response relationship” in that more time spent online, especially frequent posting and active engagement, as opposed to passively consuming information without posting, was related to more irritability. When users reported being on a social media platform for “most of the day,” the relationship was particularly strong. There was also a stronger association when users engaged in frequent discussions about politics online (as opposed to passively consuming news, including political news). No matter how politically engaged an individual considered themselves to be, it was the amount of posting and active discussion about politics that was associated with irritability.

The study was careful to account for other mental health symptoms, including depression and anxiety, but it was a correlational study that cannot speak to social media causing irritability, only that there’s a relationship between certain types of social media use and level of irritability.

Maximizing the Benefits of Social Media

Especially now, in the midst of sociopolitical upheaval worldwide, many of us would probably endorse feeling more “grumpy” than usual or “about to snap” from time to time. What we may not be aware of is how our social media use might be exacerbating those emotions. On the other hand, there are mental health benefits for fans in being part of the online communities that reside on social media. How can we retain those benefits while limiting the irritability that could negatively impact our relationships and success?

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The study itself provides some helpful hints. Frequency and duration of social media use matters. Instead of picking up the phone to check social media every few minutes throughout the day, set aside a time (or times) to enter the online community you’re a part of. Research shows that when leisure is consciously chosen, and when we can enjoy it without feeling guilty, the mental health benefits are greatest. Setting aside some social media time and considering it planned leisure allows that time to be experienced as fun. Chat with other fans. Watch some reels of your favorite celebrities or clips from a beloved show or film. Sing along to songs and videos that bring you joy. Catch up on the latest news in the fandoms you’re a part of. These activities reduce stress and increase a sense of well-being.

Many of us do get at least some of our news, political and otherwise, from social media. Unfortunately, the platform algorithms virtually ensure that we all see perspectives we don’t agree with, and that can be stressful. Limiting time spent scrolling can help the sheer amount of emotionally charged information be less overwhelming. As the study found, merely consuming political information was less associated with irritability than active engagement through posting—in other words, if you feel compelled to argue with everyone who is “wrong on the internet,” more time on social media will be related to more irritability. I think most of us have experienced how difficult it can be not to engage, even if you suspect you might be fighting (fruitlessly) with a troll.

Finally, be aware of how you’re engaging with social media. Curate your feeds to find others who share your passions. Be deliberate in when and for how long you engage. We are all familiar with the feeling of being “sucked in” to social media, finding ourselves still sitting there scrolling hours later. If you need to, set a timer or curate your own access to limit social media time. Ask yourself, as that time comes to an end, how do I feel? Am I more or less grumpy than when I sat down to take a break? Is this enriching my life or leaving me with less enthusiasm to interact with the people I care about and do the job that’s important to me?

Social media is a tool—for leisure, for fun, for community, as well as for information. Like any tool, we can make sure to use it wisely.