Researchers have found that frequent social media use is associated with increased irritability in US adults, showing a notable dose-response relationship with posting frequency.
Researchers analysed data from two waves of an internet survey to explore the link between social media use and irritability. The survey was conducted across all 50 US states and the District of Columbia and included 42,597 adults. Participants self-reported their frequency of social media usage and posting, ranging from less than once a week to most of the day, across platforms such as Instagram, X, Facebook, and TikTok.
Among the survey respondents, 78.2% reported daily use of social media platforms, with 24.9% using it most of the day. Researchers used the Brief Irritability Test to evaluate irritability over the past two weeks, with higher scores indicating greater irritability. Effects of political engagement, severity of depressive symptoms, and anxiety were also evaluated in relation to the association between social media and irritability.
The research found that frequent social media use was linked to significantly higher irritability scores, especially for those using it more than once a day than never, as well as for those with higher posting frequency. Significant increases in irritability were noted for users of X, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, especially for those who used these platforms for most of the day.
The association between social media use and irritability persisted even after accounting for depressive and anxious symptoms. Frequent political discussions correlated with increased irritability, whereas following political news was associated with a modest decrease in irritability.
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