Instagram and TikTok May Increase Mental Health Problems, Study Says

Illustration-Instagram (Pexels/Solen Feyissa)

JAKARTA - The use of social media can have a major impact on mental health. Recent studies show that Instagram and TikTok can increase mental health problems.

Instagram and TikTok's influence on mental health is even worse than Facebook and WhatsApp. This was revealed by a study in the World Happiness Report, quoted from The Guardian, on Saturday, March 21, 2026.

In the study, it was explained that social media that rely on algorithms such as Instagram and TikTok tend to have a more negative impact. This is because both applications make users constantly see content repeatedly without stopping.

This condition can trigger dissatisfaction and affect mental health. Meanwhile, platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook are more focused on communication, which makes their impact on mental well-being better.

The use of WhatsApp and Facebook is associated with higher levels of life satisfaction. While the use of Instagram and TikTok is associated with lower levels of happiness, as well as the emergence of mental health problems.

The impact of mental health is experienced by most young people. Moreover, these applications are filled with content from influencers, which are more risky for mental health.

Apart from the type of application, the length of time spent using social media also affects mental health. Director of the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, Professor Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, explained that moderate use is actually better.

"There is a balance that needs to be maintained, not too much and not too little. Moderate use can give the best results," said De Neve.

The recommended use time is one hour per day, which is considered related to a higher level of life satisfaction. However, the average use in the study reached about two and a half hours per day.

Not only that, so that the use of social media does not have an impact on mental health, De Neve suggests that it is used properly, namely to interact and build relationships with others.

"We need to restore the social function of social media, both from the user and platform provider side," concluded De Neve.