Anxious young adults are more likely to develop digital addictions

Young adults who experience social anxiety might face a higher risk of developing a psychological dependence on digital networking platforms. A new study reveals that this relationship is partly explained by a psychological habit of comparing oneself to others online. The research was published in the journal Addictive Behaviors.

While accessing social networks is a common daily habit, prolonged engagement can lead to a condition resembling a substance use disorder. Medical guidelines do not currently classify social media obsession as a formal mental illness, but psychologists recognize clear addictive patterns. Individuals might become excessively preoccupied with their feeds and experience an intense urge to log on throughout the day. This behavior can escalate until it regularly interferes with academic studies, career goals, and personal well-being.

This pattern of digital behavior is thought to be especially common during late adolescence and the early twenties. Psychologists refer to this stage of life as emerging adulthood. During these years, individuals usually experience an increase in personal independence and focus heavily on developing their own identities. Navigating romantic and platonic relationships becomes a high priority, making digital communication tools highly appealing.

Some individuals enter this life stage with an intense fear of being negatively evaluated by their peers, a condition known as social anxiety. Navigating physical spaces can be draining for young adults dealing with this persistent fear of judgment. Seeking an alternative, socially anxious people often turn to digital environments to fulfill their desire for human connection. The internet offers a controlled space where users can passively browse content without the immediate pressure of an actual conversation.

Psychological theories propose that this turn to the internet functions as a coping mechanism. People try to compensate for the relationship needs they are not meeting in the physical world by immersing themselves in digital spaces. While this strategy might soothe negative emotions in the short term, it can build a lasting vulnerability. A reliance on digital safety nets can make the eventual return to in-person socializing feel even more difficult.

The architecture of digital networks also encourages a pervasive psychological habit known as social comparison. The act involves evaluating personal worth, success, or social standing by measuring oneself against other people. Because timelines and feeds display a highly curated stream of personal updates and photographs, they offer endless opportunities for users to rank themselves against friends and strangers. Entering this environment can be complicated for socially anxious users, who often harbor persistent uncertainties about their own identities.

Observing others online can involve contrasting oneself with someone who appears incredibly successful, which researchers call an upward comparison. This can trigger feelings of inadequacy and drive a person to spend hours trying to learn the secrets of popularity. Alternatively, a person might look at someone they perceive to be struggling, a habit known as downward comparison. Exploring downward comparisons can provide a temporary boost to self-esteem, which serves as a highly rewarding psychological experience that encourages a person to stay glued to their screen.

Previous investigations regularly noted strong correlations between anxious traits and phone use at single points in time, but tracking individuals over several months offers a better view of how these habits unfold. Researchers Randolph C. H. Chan and Marcus Shengkai Lam designed a project to map this progression. They are researchers based in the Department of Social Work at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The research team recruited a final sample of 330 young adults residing in Hong Kong. The volunteers ranged in age from 18 to 25 years old. Women made up about three quarters of the participant pool, and the vast majority of the young adults were currently enrolled as students. The researchers offered a modest financial voucher to compensate participants for their effort.

The participants initially completed an online questionnaire measuring multiple aspects of their mental health and technology habits. Three months later, the research team reached out to the exact same group of individuals for a follow-up assessment. A total of 243 participants returned to provide updated information about their habits. The investigators chose the three-month gap because it mirrors the length of a typical university semester, helping to stabilize the daily schedules of the student participants.

To gauge emotional health, the surveys asked participants to rate statements regarding their personal difficulties talking with other people. The team also asked the volunteers to indicate how frequently they measured their own abilities and lifestyles against the people they saw online. To measure problematic internet use, the survey asked if the participants spent large amounts of time thinking about their digital profiles or if they experienced frustration when trying to log off.

The investigators used statistical models to track how changes in one behavior predicted changes in another over time. Drop-out rates between the two periods did not highlight statistically significant differences in mental health, though a larger percentage of men left the study compared to women. They tested several mathematical possibilities, including models looking at whether internet reliance actually causes social anxiety rather than the reverse. The model where anxiety leads to comparison, which in turn leads to addictive behaviors, fit the data best.

The initial surveys pointed to a high rate of problematic technology use among the young adults. Applying standard scoring thresholds to the questionnaires, the researchers determined that thirty percent of the participants reported symptoms consistent with a high risk of digital addiction.

When comparing the data across the three-month interval, the researchers observed a clear predictive pattern. Participants who reported high levels of fear regarding social interactions at the beginning of the study were highly likely to show an increase in addictive digital behaviors by the time the semester ended. This finding suggests a self-reinforcing timeline where avoiding direct conversation drives people toward a heavier reliance on technology.

The research team also identified an underlying mechanism that helped explain exactly how this progression happens. High initial scores in anxiety reliably predicted an increase in the habit of comparing oneself to others on digital feeds. In turn, high rates of online comparison predicted the development of addictive symptoms three months later. It appears that socially anxious individuals look to technology to clarify their own social standing, and that quest for clarity traps them in a cycle of endless scrolling.

This stepping stone effect varied depending on the gender of the user. The pathway bridging anxiety, comparison, and eventual addiction was clear in the female group of volunteers. Researchers speculate that women often engage with communication technology in ways that heavily emphasize relational aspects of their identity. Because they might focus more on group dynamics, female users might be especially sensitive to comparison features.

By contrast, the results pointing to this specific psychological pathway were not statistically significant for the men in the sample. The authors note that the low number of male volunteers might have limited the mathematical power needed to detect subtle relationships in the data. Future research will need to enroll larger numbers of men to fully understand their digital habits.

The investigators highlighted several other limitations that should inform how the public interprets the findings. The reliance on female university students means the conclusions might not apply to working professionals or older adults. Additionally, the questionnaires focused entirely on general network use. The tools did not differentiate between text-based messaging applications and highly visual photography platforms, which could influence users in very different ways.

The questionnaires also asked solely about the general act of sizing up other users, failing to distinguish between upward and downward comparisons. It remains unclear if striving for popularity or seeking out less fortunate peers drives the addictive response. It is also highly likely that other psychological forces, such as a fear of missing out on events, play a role in linking anxiety to extended screen time.

The findings offer practical guidance for multiple groups navigating the digital age. Mental health professionals treating anxiety should routinely ask their clients about screen time and help patients break the habit of digital comparisons. At the same time, the researchers suggest that technology developers carry an ethical responsibility to build healthier products. Redesigning applications to limit endless feeds and discourage heavy social ranking could help protect the mental health of vulnerable users.

The study, “Social anxiety as a predisposing factor for social media addiction: A two-wave longitudinal investigation of social comparison as an underlying mechanism,” was authored by Randolph C. H. Chan and Marcus Shengkai Lam.