Can social media improve your mental health?

When used carefully and mindfully, social media likely can boost mood and emotional well-being, researchers report.

Social media can be an emotional minefield: the vitriol, the unrealistic portrayals of seemingly perfect lives, and the doomsday scenarios. Some corners of the internet seem designed to make people feel worse about themselves and their world.

But there’s another side to social media: puppies, recipes, Severance recaps, and meaningful connections.

A new study showed that young and middle-aged adults often turn to social media when they’re feeling sad, worried, or frustrated.

“It’s not just a coincidence,” says coauthor Alison Tuck, a PhD student in the psychological and brain sciences department at Washington University in St. Louis who is also a student therapist with the WashU Psychosocial Service Center. Tuck coauthored the study with Renee Thompson, an associate professor.

“Adults may be actively seeking out social media because they think it will make them feel better. In fact, people were more likely to say they intentionally used social media to try and influence their emotions during times that they felt worse,” Tuck says.

But what’s the secret to happy scrolling? Here, Tuck shares tips for anyone who wants to make the best—and avoid the worst—of social media:

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