Social media keeps countless people connected, entertained, and informed. There’s even a good chance you found this article through a post on your feed. But when a quick check-in turns into hours on social media every day, it’s worth asking: how is all that time affecting your mental health?
New Canadian research found that men who spend more than three hours a day on social media face significantly higher mental health risks.
How social media affects mental health
A recent study by the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation (CMHF) and Intensions Consulting surveyed 2,000 Canadian men. It found a significant increase in mental health risks among men who spend more than three hours a day on social media.
Spending more than three hours a day on social media doesn’t mean you’ll experience mental health challenges. But the research found substantially higher mental health risks among men who spent more than three hours a day using it.
How social media use can affect your mood
Does heavy scrolling affect your mood, or are you more likely to scroll when you’re already feeling down? The relationship can be complicated.
In the short term, social media can offer a welcome distraction from experiences that feel stressful or difficult to process.
But how you spend that time can matter, too. Passive scrolling, exposure to controversial content, and doomscrolling have all been linked to negative online experiences and can leave you feeling worse off than when you started.
Sometimes you might reach for social media because you’re already feeling stressed or low. But our research shows that spending more time there may make things worse.
Younger men spend the most time on social media
Social media habits vary wildly by age. Nearly 73 per cent of the men in the study aged 19 to 29 spend more than three hours a day on social media, compared to just 8 per cent of men aged 60 and older.
Understanding what younger men are experiencing — including how social media fits into their lives — helps CMHF develop content and programs that better reflect the challenges they face every day.3
How much time are you spending on social media?
You don’t need to delete your accounts or swear off tech completely. A better first step is simply getting an honest look at your current numbers. Check your phone’s built-in screen-time tool and ask yourself a few straight questions:
- Is social media cutting into your sleep or workouts?
- Is it pulling your focus away from work, school, or your family?
- Do you routinely spend far longer on social media than you intended?
Social media can be a great way to stay connected. The goal isn’t to quit — it’s to notice how spending too much time on it might be affecting other areas of your life.
5 simple ways to cut back on social media
You don’t have to cut out social media entirely. Try picking just one or two of these practical habits to help you cut back on the time you spend on it:
- Set a daily limit. Check your average usage, pick a realistic target, and use your phone’s app timer to keep you honest.
- Mute non-essential notifications. Fewer pings mean fewer excuses to pull your phone out of your pocket.
- Make meals phone-free. Put your device out of sight while eating.
- Keep your phone away from bed. Charge your device across the room or outside the bedroom so scrolling isn’t the last thing you do at night.
- Hide your favourite social apps. Move social apps off your home screen so you stop opening them on autopilot.
Ultimately, the new research doesn’t suggest everyone should quit social media. Instead, it points to a more practical takeaway: pay attention to how much time you’re spending on social media and make a change you can stick with. If you spend more than three hours on social media every day, cutting back—even a bit—can be a good place to start.
Cutting back on social media isn’t a replacement for mental health care. If you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, anger or thoughts of suicide, please reach out to someone you trust or talk with a health professional.
CMHF offers mental health information and support, including free counselling through the MindFit Toolkit. You don’t have to wait until things feel unmanageable to reach out.
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