By Jade Lalancette

Publié le 12 mars 2026

One day, I spent over three hours scrolling through TikTok without even noticing. When I finally looked up, I felt tired, stressed, and like I had wasted my whole afternoon.  

Social media apps like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are super popular, especially with teenagers. People use them to talk with friends, share pictures, and follow trends. But spending so much time online can affect how we feel. Many people, including teachers and doctors, are starting to ask: is social media making us feel better or worse?  

Social media can hurt our mental health because it makes us compare ourselves to others, messes with our sleep, and can be hard to stop using. 

The Comparison Trap 

On social media, everyone seems to be living their best life, perfect vacations, good selfies, and a lot of achievements. But what we don’t see are the messy, boring, or sad moments. According to BetterHelp, research shows that people tend to share only positive aspects of their lives online, which can create a distorted view of reality. Seeing only these “highlights” can affect how we perceive our own achievements and daily life. This feeling isn’t rare, it’s a common emotional side effect of social media, and it often leads to anxiety or low self-esteem. 

Late-Night Scrolling and Sleep Struggles 

Using phones late in the evening is a common habit but it ruins our sleep. The blue light from screens tricks the brain into thinking it’s still daytime, making it harder to fall asleep. According to Statistique Canada “Heavy use of social media has been associated with an increased risk of adverse sleep-health indicators.” (Statistique Canada, 2024) Lack of sleep doesn’t just make students tired it also affects their mood, focus, and motivation. Over time, poor sleep can increase the risk of depression and anxiety, making the mental health effects of social media even worse. This problem is also linked to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being, which focuses on helping people stay healthy. By cutting down screen time before bed, students can take better care of their sleep and mental health, which supports this global goal. 

Designed to Be Addictive 

It’s not just self-control social media apps are literally built to be addictive. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram use algorithms that reward users with endless new content to keep them scrolling. Psychologie Positive shows that this complex phenomenon comes from how our brains work and the way these platforms are designed to capture our attention. When I asked ChatGPT whether social media is addictive by design, it responded: “Yes. Social media platforms use feedback loops that exploit human psychology. They’re engineered to hold attention, not to promote well-being.” (AI assistant — model: GPT-5 Thinking mini; queried 2025-11-14) This constant stimulation can make it almost impossible to stop scrolling. And when teens finally put down their phones, they often feel stressed, distracted, or guilty for wasting time creating a frustrating cycle that repeats daily. 

Social media connects people like never before, but it also comes with invisible costs. Comparing ourselves to others can damage self-esteem, staying up late scrolling can ruin sleep, and addictive app designs can make it hard to disconnect. The solution isn’t to delete social media but to learn how to use it smartly. Setting time limits, turning off notifications at night, and remembering that what we see online isn’t the full story. If teens can reach that balance, social media can go back to being what it was meant to be. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Boudry, C. BetterHelp. Se comparer aux autres sur les réseaux sociaux : santé mentale et estime de soi en danger. Se comparer aux autres sur les réseaux sociaux : santé mentale et estime de soi en danger | BetterHelp 

Statistique Canada. Government of Canada. Utilisation des médias sociaux et santé du sommeil chez les adolescents au Canada. Utilisation des médias sociaux et santé du sommeil chez les adolescents au Canada, PSPMC: Vol 44(7/8), juillet/août 2024 - Canada.ca 

Institut national de santé publique du Québec. (2023). Effets des écrans sur la santé mentale et physique. INSPQ. Effets des écrans sur la santé mentale et physique | Institut national de santé publique du Québec  

Psychologie Positive. Décrypter l’addiction aux réseaux sociaux : solutions pour s’en libérer. Décrypter l’addiction aux réseaux sociaux : solutions pour s’en libérer 

OpenAI. (2025, 14 novembre). Question: Are social media designed to be addictive?