Authors:

Allison Keller

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About Paper:

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected college students, leading to mental health challenges including anxiety and depression. Poor mental health can adversely affect physical health factors such as sleep quality. The use of social media strongly impacts student well-being. Although it facilitates the support of connections, it may also lead to feelings of inadequacy and diminished self- esteem, stemming from social comparison and the fear of missing out (FoMO). This research investigated the impact of social media usage on students' mental health, contrasting experiences from the pandemic years (2020-2021) with those from the post-pandemic years (2023-2024). Participants completed a survey which was delivered via Qualtrics software. All participants (n = 2055) were asked questions about fear of missing out, frequency of social media use, types of social media use, motivations for social media use, anxiety, depression, and perceived stress. A one-way Multivariate Analysis of Variance was calculated to compare differences by cohort. Altogether, FoMO was stable across cohorts from 2020 to 2024, F(3, 1969) = 2.37, p = .069. Levels of anxiety F(3, 1969) = 430.51, p < .001, and depression F(3, 1969) = 335.13, p < .001 were similar between peak pandemic years but went down significantly post-pandemic in 2023 and 2024. Frequency of checking social media did not change across cohorts, but time spent on social media was significantly higher in 2023 as compared to the other terms, p <.05. Overall, FoMO was negatively correlated with depression, anxiety, stress, and social media use variables. Greater estimated time spent on social media was related to poorer mental health. These results suggest the pandemic did have a negative impact on student well-being but that this has improved. Social media use continues to impact student mental health. Future initiatives should explore potential interventions to mitigate negative effects of FoMO and social media use on students.

Source:

Auburn University / College of Liberal Arts / 2025

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Co-authors:

Allison Keller