Social Media Emotional Support Linked to Lower Anxiety in Young Adults

In a national U.S. survey of more than 2,400 adults ages 18–30, higher perceived emotional support on social media was associated with fewer self-reported anxiety symptoms.

Anxiety symptoms were assessed with the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) anxiety scale, and perceived emotional support was measured by asking participants how much they receive on popular social media platforms. Personality characteristics were assessed using the Big Five Inventory (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism).

The researchers described a statistically significant association between greater perceived support and reduced anxiety symptoms, and this association was reported as more pronounced among participants identifying as female. Higher perceived emotional support was also linked to higher openness, extraversion, and agreeableness as well as lower conscientiousness.

The relationship is strictly correlational and the temporal direction is unresolved; greater support may coincide with lower anxiety, but lower anxiety may also shape how much support is noticed or received.