Discussion: Scrolling and Stress: Is Social Media Making Us More Anxious?
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By: Grace Olagunju
Social media platforms such as X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok expose the brain to a continuous stream of emotionally charged information ranging from rewarding and entertaining content to stressful and fear-inducing news. This constant stimulation may influence neural systems involved in reward processing, stress response, and social comparison, potentially affecting mental wellbeing. At the same time, social media also supports learning, connection, and access to valuable information. Social media exposes us to both uplifting and stressful content every day. We laugh, we learn, we scroll…but we also compare, worry, and feel pressure. In 2026, is social media more helpful or more harmful to our mental health?
Guiding Questions
- Do you believe social media overall has a more positive or negative impact on mental health—and what evidence or experiences support your view?
- How might constant exposure to emotionally charged content affect the brain’s reward and stress systems?
- What would an ideal “mentally healthy” social media platform look like in the future?
