Can Social Media Make You Happy?
Woman smiling while using her phone
Let’s talk about social media for a second. Research has shown that social media can cause many negative effects on its users, including mental health concerns, FOMO, loss of productivity and self-esteem, and more. But it seems there’s more to the story than that.
In 2014, a group of researchers from Michigan State University decided to dig deeper. They asked 339 people to track their moods after using social media in the evening. What they found was surprising: how you use social media can affect how you feel. If used right, it can actually increase your sense of connection and satisfaction with life.
How Can Social Media Make You Happier?
It’s not just about the time you spend online but what you do while you're there. According to the study, people felt happier when they had supportive interactions on social media. These interactions could be as simple as:
Giving or receiving advice
Showing empathy
Getting your thoughts validated
Being invited to hangouts or group chats
Sharing helpful information
The more positive interactions people had, the better they felt. And here’s the kicker: feeling supported online often led to a greater sense of companionship, which was linked to higher life satisfaction.
In other words, using social media to build genuine connections can make you feel happier.
Why Is Social Media Research Conflicting?
You’ve probably noticed that studies on social media often seem contradictory. One study claims it’s terrible for your mental health, while another says it’s not so bad. The Michigan State researchers think they know why: previous studies focused on shallow metrics like how many hours people spend online, rather than looking at what they actually do on social media.
In their study, participants were asked questions like:
How many friends they have on social media
How many are close friends
How long they’ve been using the platforms
The surprising result? None of these factors had much impact on mood. What mattered was the quality of interactions, not the quantity of time spent online.
Think about it: you can spend hours on social media scrolling mindlessly or tweaking your photos, or you can use that time to reconnect with an old friend or join a community of people who share your interests. The difference is huge.
Two people connecting over the phone
Can Social Media Make You Happier?
One key takeaway from the study is that companionship — feeling connected to others — plays a major role in life satisfaction. And we’ve known for a while that strong relationships (romantic or otherwise) are a huge factor in happiness.
If you’re using social media to strengthen relationships and connect with others, it can be a powerful tool for boosting your happiness. But let’s be real: social media isn’t perfect. It can also trigger anxiety and contribute to unhealthy habits if not used mindfully. If your time online makes you feel more stressed than supported, it might be worth rethinking how (and why) you use it.
Social media is a huge part of our lives, accounting for one out of every six minutes spent online. Knowing how it impacts our well-being is essential. The good news? By focusing on positive, supportive interactions, you can turn social media into a tool for happiness rather than stress.
Just remember: it’s all about how you use it. As the old saying goes, “The dose makes the poison.” With social media, the key is in your hands.
Study Objective & Methods
How Does Online Social Networking Enhance Life Satisfaction? The Relationships Among Online Supportive Interaction, Affect, Perceived Social Support, Sense of Community, and Life Satisfaction
Hyun Jung Oh, PhD; Elif Ozkaya, MA; Robert LaRose, PhD
Published in Computers in Human Behaviour, 2014.
Oh, Ozkaya, & LaRose explored how social networking sites result in positive psychological outcomes and why previous research on the impact of social media has been contradictory. Participants were recruited using a snowball sampling technique in which undergraduate students in a media research course were asked to recruit their friends and family. These participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire after their first use of social media in the evening over five days to document how they felt.
Social Media and Well-Being Training
This research (and all our social media and well-being articles) have laid the foundation for our 3-course program designed for anyone wanting to approach social media and communications in a way that protects well-being and puts people first. Learn more here.
