Exploring the Relationship between Social Media Habits and Anxiety Levels in Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Association Between Social Media Usage Patterns and Anxiety Levels in Adults

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency of anxiety and its association with time spent using social media, the platforms used, and the age at which people became involved in using social media as adults. Study Design: Cross-sectional observational study. Settings: Saidu Group of Teaching Hospitals, Swat Pakistan. Duration: September 2024 to August 2025. Methods: Socio-demographic variables of active social-media users aged 16 to 45 were measured by data on patterns of using social media, and levels of anxiety through the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale. People with severe psychiatric diseases, cognitive impairment, or partial responses were excluded. Data about the use of social media, such as age of initiation and time per day, were highly organized. Associations were tested with chi-square and ANOVA tests. Results: There were 67.28 % males and 32.72% females (average age of 31.34 ± 8.38 years). The average age of indulgence in social media is 17.19 ± 4.47 years, and the average time of using social media was 3.00 ± 1.19 hours, mostly on YouTube and Facebook. Moderate anxiety was the most prevalent type (47.7 %), followed by severe (47.7 %), and minimal types (27.52%). A strong positive relationship was recorded between social media use and the level of anxiety (r = 0.75, p <0.001). Participants with a higher level of anxiety had started using social media earlier in life and had registered more hours of use per day (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Social media can negatively impact mental health, with early and prolonged use linked to higher anxiety levels.