You can’t control social media’s addictiveness, but you can control how you engage and respond.
Are you using social media right now to fill time or to add value to your day?
Break the cycle: Start by silencing one alert or setting a time boundary today.
Social media is an integral part of my everyday life. It’s how I stay connected, enjoy entertainment, find new information, and unwind.
And if you’ve ever looked up from your phone and realized an hour or more had somehow slipped by, you’re like me.
Social media platforms are designed to hook us in, keep us there, and bring us back time and again. Our brains happily play along, which can quickly turn something we thought was an innocent habit into something that looks and feels a lot like addiction.
The good news? Once we see the habit loops, we can start to change the way we engage with them.
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When social media feels overwhelming, it might be tempting to quit completely. But for most of us, that’s easier said than done. The solution doesn’t have to be quitting; it can be an opportunity to reshape how we engage with social media, with greater awareness of its impact on our mental health.
Social media leans on the same loops our brains use to form habits. Researchers describe it as a FOMO habit loop (Chan et al., 2022). The more time we spend on social media platforms, the more anxious we feel about missing out when we’re not on social media.
The more we feel like we’re missing out, the more likely we are to log back on. The cycle repeats. From a neuroscience perspective, that’s our dopamine and reward systems at work. When our needs for autonomy and connection aren’t met, we’re even more likely to get caught up in those loops (Ryan & Deci, 2000).
Social media addiction can happen in part because social media platforms are designed for that. They feed into our psychological and biological wiring.
It’s Not You: How Social Media Systems Amplify Addiction
Part of what contributes to the addictive nature of social media is the environment and system of social media itself.
Applying basic elements of neuroscience and behavioral psychology to platform designs can promote addictive behaviors and interactions with social media.
Social media platforms are intentionally built to keep us engaged. They’re designed in ways that amplify addictive tendencies. They offer notifications, alerts, and other nudges that entice you to log in and stay on that platform for longer amounts of time, acting like rewards that play into the neuroscience of how behaviors are formed and reinforced.
Endless feeds and limitless scrolling empower habit loops that feed into fears of missing out, which can amplify the addictive nature of social media platforms (Chan et al., 2022).
Negative consequences of social media
The pressure to constantly present a polished version of ourselves online ramps up social comparisons. If we don’t, we may feel like we’re falling behind. When we see others’ posts, we can start to compare ourselves to them. Suddenly, what may feel like a personal shortcoming is often the result of systems engineered to amplify it.
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Designing for Wellbeing, Not Addiction
Although social media is designed for digital addiction, it doesn’t have to be in control. Self-agency can guide how we use social media platforms and shape better habits, healthier relationships, and more intentional engagements.
When we shift our social media use toward choices that foster competence, autonomy, and relatedness, it can feel less like something happening to us and more like something we’re actively creating.
Here are a few quick, actionable practices to help regain control of our choices.
Autonomy
One way to build a stronger sense of control is by shifting from mindless to mindful use — paying attention, pausing to reflect, and then choosing how to engage rather than scrolling on autopilot (Chan et al., 2022).
It can also help to notice how platforms are designed to capture our attention. The more we understand those cues, the easier it becomes to recognize them in real time and decide for ourselves when to engage or not.
Relatedness
Autonomy can be reinforced when social media is used to create genuine connections. In one study, participants who were guided to engage in this way reported feeling less lonely, showing how intentional choices can shift the experience (Mikami et al., 2025).
At a broader level, research shows that active and communicative use tends to support wellbeing, while comparison-driven habits undermine it (Marciano et al., 2024).
When social media is used to strengthen relationships instead of fueling comparison, it better serves our need for relatedness.
From Habit to Intention: Reclaiming Control Over Social Media Addiction
While there are still many areas where social science can deepen our understanding of how social media use, addiction, and mental health interact, there are many practical behaviors we can adopt to strengthen our sense of control.
Before logging in
Simple steps can set the stage for more intentional use. A few months back, I caught myself turning to social media platforms for mindless scrolling and entertainment. It was a convenient way to pass the time.
Once I realized how often I was logging in, I decided to change. I started turning off notifications and setting clear time boundaries to reduce the enticement of the constant alerts — small steps that helped make it easier for me to choose when, how often, and for how long I engage.
Mindfulness during use
Mindfulness has been shown to play a powerful role in mediating the relationship between social media addiction and depression (Moqbel et al., 2024).
We can move from mindless to mindful social media use through awareness, insight, and intentional action. People thrive when they feel their actions are self-directed, not dictated by external pressures (Ryan & Deci, 2000).
After use
Reflection can help consolidate intention. Part of reflecting can be checking in with ourselves by asking questions like, “Did this time online serve me? Did it align with what I value?” to reinforce competence and autonomy.
Over time, this practice can shift the experience of social media from something that happens to us to something we actively shape.
A Take-Home Message
Social media addiction isn’t about weakness or lack of discipline. It’s about systems built to exploit and thrive on our fundamental human needs and behaviors. The alerts, the comparisons, and the endless scroll all tap into the parts of us that crave connection and belonging. That’s why it can be so difficult to step away.
Not all hope is lost, though, and social science research tells us another story: Total abstinence doesn’t have to be the only option. Simple choices can make the experience less about digital addiction and more about intention. Turning off notifications, setting time boundaries, practicing mindfulness mid-scroll, and reflecting after are small steps that all add up. They can give you back a sense of agency.
Social media isn’t going anywhere; it will continue to be an integral part of many of our everyday lives. Our relationship with social media doesn’t have to be one-sided, though.
When we pause long enough to choose differently, we stop being pulled by the addictive nature of the system and start choosing how we want to allow it to be part of our lives. That shift is part of how a habit can become an intention, and an addiction can become a connection.
If you catch yourself logging in out of habit, feeling anxious when you’re offline, or losing time without realizing it, those may be signs. Awareness is often a first step to change.
Do I have to quit social media to improve my mental health?
Not at all. Total disconnection isn’t the only option. By setting boundaries, practicing mindful use, and curating your feed, you can build healthier habits without completely disconnecting from social media and its positive potential.
References
Chan, S. S., Van Solt, M., Cruz, R. E., Philp, M., Bahl, S., Serin, N., Amaral, N. B., Schindler, R., Bartosiak, A., Kumar, S., & Canbulut, M. (2022). Social media and mindfulness: From the fear of missing out (FOMO) to the joy of missing out (JOMO). The Journal of Consumer Affairs, 56(3), 1312–1331. https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12476
Marciano, L., Lin, J., Sato, T., Saboor, S., & Viswanath, K. (2024). Does social media use make us happy? A meta-analysis on social media and positive well-being outcomes. SSM – Mental Health, 6, 100331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2024.100331
Mikami, A. Y., Khalis, A., & Karasavva, V. (2025). Logging out or leaning in? Social media strategies for enhancing well-being. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 154(1), 171–189. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0001668
Moqbel, M., Alshare, K., Erskine, M. A., & Bartelt, V. (2024). WhatsApp social media addiction and mental health: Mindfulness and healing use interventions. Behaviour & Information Technology, 43(11), 2511–2524. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2023.2253932
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68
Social media is an integral part of my everyday life. It’s how I stay connected, enjoy entertainment, find new information, and unwind.
Part of what contributes to the addictive nature of social media is the environment and system of social media itself.
While there are still many areas where social science can deepen our understanding of how social media use, addiction, and mental health interact, there are many practical behaviors we can adopt to strengthen our sense of control.
