Not All Social Media Use Is the Same: Problematic vs Reflective Use and Student Mental Health

Article information

Cleofas, J. V., Dayrit, J. C. S., & Albao, B. T. (2022). Problematic versus reflective use: Types of social media use as determinants of mental health among young Filipino undergraduates. Health Promotion Perspectives, 12(1), 85–91. https://doi.org/10.34172/hpp.2022.11

What this study is about

During the COVID-19 pandemic, social media became even more central to young people’s lives. Students used it for classes, updates, social connection, entertainment, coping, and information. But social media also became a space of overload: pandemic news, uncertainty, comparison, distraction, and emotional stress.

This study asks a more careful question than “Is social media good or bad?” Instead, it asks: What kinds of social media use are linked to better or worse mental health among young Filipino undergraduates?

The study compares two types of use:

1. Problematic social media use — when social media use becomes difficult to control, displaces other activities, creates conflict, or feels compulsive.
2. Reflective social media use — when a person pauses, thinks ahead, and considers the possible consequences of what they do or post online. 

The main argument is simple but important: the mental health effects of social media depend partly on the way young people use it.

What the researchers did

This was a cross-sectional online survey conducted in August 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants were 1,087 Filipino undergraduates aged 18–30 who were enrolled and residing in the Philippines. Participants were recruited through Facebook and Twitter, including boosted posts targeting young people located in the Philippines. 

The study measured:

• demographic profile: age, sex assigned at birth, sexual orientation and gender identity, and household income;
• digital profile: number of social media sites used, number of gadget types owned, and perceived internet quality;
• pandemic-related change in social media use;
• pandemic-related change in mental health status;
• problematic social media use;
• reflective social media use; and
• mental wellbeing using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale. 

What students reported

Most respondents were around 20 years old. About 61% were female, about 76% were cisheterosexual, and around 24% were categorized as LGBTQ+. Many came from lower-income households, and most reported having active accounts on around four social media platforms. 

In terms of pandemic patterns, the largest group said their highest social media use happened in 2020, the first year of the pandemic. The largest group also said their worst mental health happened in 2020. 

That is already telling. The first pandemic year was a time of lockdown, disruption, fear, and heavy dependence on digital spaces.

Finding 1: Social media use and mental health changes were associated

The study found a significant association between reported changes in social media use and mental health status. In Figure 1 on page 4, the contingency graph shows that the biggest share of students who reported their worst mental health in a given period also tended to report their highest social media use in that same period. 

For example, many students who said their mental health was worst in 2020 also said their social media use was highest in 2020. Those who reported no change in mental health were also more likely to report no change in social media use. 

This does not prove that social media caused poorer mental health. But it suggests that during the pandemic, students’ social media use and mental health experiences were closely intertwined.

Finding 2: Problematic social media use predicted poorer mental wellbeing

The study found that students with higher problematic social media use had lower mental wellbeing. This remained true even after considering profile variables such as age, gender, SOGI, and internet quality. 

In everyday language, problematic use means social media is no longer simply a tool. It becomes something that pulls attention, interrupts routines, creates conflict, or is used compulsively even when it harms wellbeing.

During the pandemic, this risk may have increased because students had fewer offline alternatives. Classes, friendships, entertainment, and updates all moved online. When life narrows into screens, social media can become both a lifeline and a trap.

Finding 3: Reflective social media use predicted better mental wellbeing

The hopeful finding is that reflective use worked in the opposite direction. Students who used social media more reflectively had higher mental wellbeing. 

Reflective social media use means thinking before posting, considering consequences, and being mindful about how one participates online. It is a form of digital self-regulation.

This matters because it shifts the conversation away from simple “screen time” logic. The issue is not only how long students are online. The issue is also whether they use social media in ways that are intentional, thoughtful, and protective of wellbeing.

Finding 4: Gender, SOGI, and internet quality also mattered

The study also found that female and LGBTQ+ students reported poorer mental wellbeing compared with male and cisheterosexual students. Students who perceived their internet quality as better had higher mental wellbeing. 

These findings remind us that digital mental health is not only about individual habits. It is also shaped by gendered vulnerability, minority stress, discrimination, access to services, and digital inequality.

Poor internet quality can make online learning, connection, and help-seeking more stressful. For students already facing social vulnerabilities, the digital environment can either become a support system or another layer of strain.

Bottom line

This study shows that social media is not automatically harmful or helpful. Problematic use can undermine mental wellbeing, while reflective use can protect and promote it. For students, families, teachers, and mental health advocates, the goal should not be simply “less social media.” The better goal is healthier, more reflective, more supportive social media use. 

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Policy/practice recommendations

1. Teach reflective social media use as a wellbeing skill
   Universities can include activities that help students pause before posting, check emotional triggers, consider consequences, and use social media more intentionally. 
2. Monitor problematic social media use without moral panic
   Teachers, school health practitioners, and families should look for signs such as compulsive checking, sleep disruption, conflict, withdrawal, or inability to reduce use.
3. Bring mental health promotion into online spaces
   Mental health practitioners and advocates should increase their visibility on social media, where students already are, and provide psychoeducation on healthy digital habits. 
4. Make digital wellbeing programs gender- and SOGI-inclusive
   Since female and LGBTQ+ students reported poorer wellbeing, online mental health programs should be inclusive, affirming, and attentive to discrimination and gender-based violence. 
5. Treat internet access as a mental health issue
   Poor internet quality was linked to poorer wellbeing. Policies that improve internet quality and accessibility may also support student mental health, especially in online learning contexts. 

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Glossary of key terms

• Problematic social media use — A pattern of social media use that becomes difficult to control and may involve preoccupation, withdrawal, conflict, or displacement of other activities. 
• Reflective social media use — Thoughtful and intentional use of social media, including considering possible consequences before posting or interacting online. 
• Mental wellbeing — A positive dimension of mental health involving feeling good, functioning well, coping, and having a sense of purpose or connection.
• WEMWBS — Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale, a 14-item measure used to assess subjective mental wellbeing. 
• SOGI — Sexual orientation and gender identity. In this study, respondents were categorized as LGBTQ+ or cisheterosexual for analysis. 
• LGBTQ+ — A broad term referring to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual and gender minority identities.
• Media effects theory — A theory suggesting that media use can influence people’s thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and psychological outcomes. 
• Digital profile — A person’s digital access and use characteristics, such as number of social media platforms, gadgets owned, and perceived internet quality.
• Cross-sectional study — A study that collects data at one point in time. It can identify associations but cannot prove cause and effect.
• Hierarchical regression — A statistical method where predictors are entered in steps to see whether key variables still matter after accounting for other factors.