A new long-term study may have the answer. Researchers tracked people over 11 years and found that about 150 minutes of social media per day, roughly 2½ hours, appears to be the tipping point. Beyond that, users were more likely to report declines in mental well-being, while more moderate use wasn't linked to the same negative effects.
The findings add to growing evidence that it may not be social media itself that's the problem, but how much time we spend on it. Experts say excessive scrolling can contribute to anxiety, depression, information overload, and FOMO, especially when use becomes compulsive.
Bottom line: Social media isn't the problem by itself, but if a quick scroll turns into three hours of disappearing down a TikTok rabbit hole, it may be time to come up for air.