Which Social Media App is Associated With Adults’ Mental Health? Evidence From Device-recorded Screen-time Data

This cross-sectional study examined associations between screen-time–based social media use and mental health among U.S. adults. iPhone Screen Time data were used to assess platform-specific use. Although participants self-transcribed the values, this approach reduces reliance on recall-based self-report estimates. A sample of 163 participants (85.3% female; mean age = 35.2 years) completed standardized assessments of anxiety (GAD-7) and depression (PHQ-9) and reported weekly screen time across social media platforms. Differences in social media use and mental health were examined by gender, age, and mental illness history. On average, participants reported 608.6 min per week ( SD = 563.6) of social media use. Females reported higher anxiety than males (η² = 0.03). Younger adults (18–29 years) reported greater social media use and higher anxiety (η² = 0.06) and depression than adults aged 30 and older. Participants whose primary app was TikTok reported higher anxiety than those whose primary app was Facebook ( p = .01, η² = 0.07). Greater time on one’s primary app was associated with higher depression scores ( p = .01), whereas the association with total social media use did not reach significance and is interpreted as a trend ( p = .07); neither was associated with anxiety. Findings are correlational and should be interpreted in light of the cross-sectional design, the self-transcribed nature of the screen-time data, and a demographically homogeneous, iPhone-using sample with limited generalizability. Results highlight the value of platform-specific research using device-based measurement.