A survey led by researchers from the Center for Quantitative Health at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School has analyzed the association between self-reported social media use and irritability among US adults. Frequent social media use, especially among active posters, was correlated with higher levels of irritability.
Existing studies on social media and mental health predominantly focus on depressive symptoms, with limited attention to other negative emotions such as irritability. Irritability, defined as a tendency toward anger and frustration, has been linked to functional impairments, poorer mental health outcomes, and suicidal behaviors.
While prior research has established connections between social media use and depressive symptoms, the extent to which social media engagement is associated with irritability or its influence on depression and anxiety has remained uncertain.
In the study, “Irritability and Social Media Use in US Adults,” published in JAMA Network Open, the research team used data from two waves of the COVID States Project, a nationwide nonprobability web-based survey conducted between November 2, 2023, and January 8, 2024, which included questions about social media use and irritability.
Researchers evaluated the relationship between social media use and irritability by analyzing responses from 42,597 participants using multiple linear regression models.
The survey collected sociodemographic data, self-reported social media usage, and measures of irritability. Participants completed the Brief Irritability Test (BITe), which consists of five statements evaluating irritability symptoms over the previous two weeks. Scores range from 5 to 30, with higher scores indicating higher levels of irritability. The analysis also included depression and anxiety metrics to account for overlapping psychological symptoms.
Social media use was categorized based on frequency: never, less than once per week, once per week, several times per week, once per day, several times per day, or most of the day. Platforms analyzed included Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X. Frequency of active posting, political engagement, and political affiliation were also examined to identify potential confounding factors.
Participants had a mean age of 46 years, with 58.5% identifying as women, 40.4% as men, and 1.1% as nonbinary. Among respondents, 78.2% reported daily use of at least one social media platform. Frequent social media use correlated with higher irritability scores, even after adjusting for anxiety and depression.
For example, participants using social media most of the day scored 3.37 points higher on the BITe in unadjusted models. After adjusting for anxiety and depression, the increase remained significant at 1.55 points.
Platform-specific analyses revealed a dose-response relationship between posting frequency and irritability. Posting multiple times per day was associated with the highest irritability levels across all platforms, with TikTok users showing the largest increase (1.94 points; 95% CI, 1.57-2.32 points).
Political engagement variables, such as frequent political posting or consuming political news, were associated with increased irritability. Political engagement did not diminish the observed relationship between social media use and irritability, though following political news “not very closely” was associated with a slight decrease.
High social media engagement levels, particularly frequent posting, were associated with greater irritability in US adults. While the study could not establish direct causation, findings suggest a potential feedback loop relationship, where irritability may both influence a desire to engage and increase irritation from social media use.
Further research is needed to explore the mechanisms driving this association and its implications for public health, as well as possible intervention strategies.
More information: Roy H. Perlis et al, Irritability and Social Media Use in US Adults, JAMA Network Open (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.52807
News
How the FDA opens the door to risky chemicals in America’s food supply
Lining the shelves of American supermarkets are food products with chemicals linked to health concerns. To a great extent, the FDA allows food companies to determine for themselves whether their ingredients and additives are [...]
Superbug crisis could get worse, killing nearly 40 million people by 2050
The number of lives lost around the world due to infections that are resistant to the medications intended to treat them could increase nearly 70% by 2050, a new study projects, further showing the [...]
How Can Nanomaterials Be Programmed for Different Applications?
Nanomaterials are no longer just small—they are becoming smart. Across fields like medicine, electronics, energy, and materials science, researchers are now programming nanomaterials to behave in intentional, responsive ways. These advanced materials are designed [...]
Microplastics Are Invading Our Arteries, and It Could Be Increasing Your Risk of Stroke
Higher levels of micronanoplastics were found in carotid artery plaque, especially in people with stroke symptoms, suggesting a potential new risk factor. People with plaque buildup in the arteries of their neck have been [...]
Gene-editing therapy shows early success in fighting advanced gastrointestinal cancers
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have completed a first-in-human clinical trial testing a CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technique to help the immune system fight advanced gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. The results, recently published in The Lancet Oncology, show encouraging [...]
Engineered extracellular vesicles facilitate delivery of advanced medicines
Graphic abstract of the development of VEDIC and VFIC systems for high efficiency intracellular protein delivery in vitro and in vivo. Credit: Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59377-y. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59377-y Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed a technique [...]
Brain-computer interface allows paralyzed users to customize their sense of touch
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientists are one step closer to developing a brain-computer interface, or BCI, that allows people with tetraplegia to restore their lost sense of touch. While exploring a digitally [...]
Scientists Flip a Gut Virus “Kill Switch” – Expose a Hidden Threat in Antibiotic Treatment
Scientists have long known that bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, live in our gut, but exactly what they do has remained elusive. Researchers developed a clever mouse model that can temporarily eliminate these phages [...]
Enhanced Antibacterial Polylactic Acid-Curcumin Nanofibers for Wound Dressing
Background Wound healing is a complex physiological process that can be compromised by infection and impaired tissue regeneration. Conventional dressings, typically made from natural fibers such as cotton or linen, offer limited functionality. Nanofiber [...]
Global Nanomaterial Regulation: A Country-by-Country Comparison
Nanomaterials are materials with at least one dimension smaller than 100 nanometres (about 100,000 times thinner than a human hair). Because of their tiny size, they have unique properties that can be useful in [...]
Pandemic Potential: Scientists Discover 3 Hotspots of Deadly Emerging Disease in the US
Virginia Tech researchers discovered six new rodent carriers of hantavirus and identified U.S. hotspots, highlighting the virus’s adaptability and the impact of climate and ecology on its spread. Hantavirus recently drew public attention following reports [...]
Studies detail high rates of long COVID among healthcare, dental workers
Researchers have estimated approximately 8% of Americas have ever experienced long COVID, or lasting symptoms, following an acute COVID-19 infection. Now two recent international studies suggest that the percentage is much higher among healthcare workers [...]
Melting Arctic Ice May Unleash Ancient Deadly Diseases, Scientists Warn
Melting Arctic ice increases human and animal interactions, raising the risk of infectious disease spread. Researchers urge early intervention and surveillance. Climate change is opening new pathways for the spread of infectious diseases such [...]
Scientists May Have Found a Secret Weapon To Stop Pancreatic Cancer Before It Starts
Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have found that blocking the FGFR2 and EGFR genes can stop early-stage pancreatic cancer from progressing, offering a promising path toward prevention. Pancreatic cancer is expected to become [...]
Breakthrough Drug Restores Vision: Researchers Successfully Reverse Retinal Damage
Blocking the PROX1 protein allowed KAIST researchers to regenerate damaged retinas and restore vision in mice. Vision is one of the most important human senses, yet more than 300 million people around the world are at [...]
Differentiating cancerous and healthy cells through motion analysis
Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have found that the motion of unlabeled cells can be used to tell whether they are cancerous or healthy. They observed malignant fibrosarcoma [...]
