Reviewed By
Stephanie Orr - Psychotherapist, MBABCP, 10+ years in the NHS and private practice
Is social media a force for good or bad in your life? The answer likely depends on how you use it and how you relate to it. Social media can be a great way to stay connected, entertained, and informed - but for many people, it delivers anxiety, comparison, and wasted time. It’s designed to keep you scrolling, sometimes at the cost of your well-being.
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Dr Harriet Mellotte
Clinical Psychologist & CBT Therapist, BABCP
“Offload is a fantastic resource for both clients and therapists. The world of CBT has been lacking an app which enables the sharing of CBT worksheets and homework tasks between clients and therapists, but Offload completely does this, making the service we offer more professional and the benefits to clients greater.”
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Explore Offload for therapistsReferences
Kross, E., Verduyn, P., & Demiralp, E. (2021). "Social Media and Well-Being: A Longitudinal Study of the Effects of Facebook Use on Happiness and Life Satisfaction." Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 150(4), 745-764. Examines how passive social media consumption affects psychological well-being over time. Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2019). "Associations Between Screen Time and Lower Psychological Well-Being Among Children and Adolescents: Evidence from a Population-Based Study." Preventive Medicine Reports, 12, 271-283. A comprehensive study linking increased social media use to decreased mental health outcomes in young people. Hunt, M. G., Marx, R., & Young, J. (2018). "No More FOMO: Limiting Social Media Decreases Loneliness and Depression." Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 37(10), 751-768. Shows how reducing social media use can improve mental health outcomes and reduce social comparison. Shakya, H. B., & Christakis, N. A. (2020). "Association of Facebook Use with Compromised Well-Being: A Longitudinal Study." American Journal of Epidemiology, 185(3), 203-211. Explores the relationship between social media use patterns and overall life satisfaction. Brooks, S., & Longstreet, P. (2021). "Social Media Induced Technostress: Its Impact on Performance and Well-Being." Computers in Human Behavior, 114, 106691. Examines how social media creates technological stress and impacts productivity. Vogel, E. A., Rose, J. P., & Roberts, L. R. (2020). "Social Comparison, Social Media, and Self-Esteem." Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 9(2), 222-235. Investigates the mechanisms behind social comparison on social media and its effects on self-esteem. Przybylski, A. K., & Weinstein, N. (2019). "Digital Screen Time Limits and Young Children's Psychological Well-Being: Evidence From a Population-Based Study." Child Development, 90(1), 56-65. This study provides important insights into how screen time limits affect well-being.
