Sharon Johnson, 39, turned to social media in early 2022 to help her cope with the stress of managing her mental health while she parented six kids. "My husband had just been laid off, I had just had my sixth child, we were coming out of COVID, and I had gone through a lot of trauma related to motherhood and mental health," she recalls. "Platforms like TikTok and Instagram to share these stories were therapeutic and helpful to me in my healing experience and journey."
Today, her social media influence has taken off. She has almost 395,000 followers on Instagram and over 730,000 on TikTok, where she shares everything from the everyday challenges of motherhood to parenting with both depression and bipolar disorder.
While she occasionally faces backlash – like harsh responses to a candid 2025 video where she talked about why she believes people shouldn't have six kids – for the most part, she says she's had an overall positive experience.
"It's not only helped me, but I think it's helped other people as well, which is really fantastic," says Johnson, who lives in Brigham, Utah.
Social media can often be a lifeline for people who have depression, as Johnson found. It can provide support and allow you a way to express yourself, notes Joanne Broder, PhD, a psychologist in Philadelphia.
But it poses challenges, as well. "Social media is a tool, like a hammer, or a knife," says Broder. "It can be a great resource, and very useful when it's used the right way, but it can also be harmful if it's used the wrong way."
Research on social media use is also mixed. Some studies show that too much of it increases depression, anxiety, and loneliness. But other studies show it can boost mental health, mainly since it provides social support.
Here's a closer look at how social media impacts your mental health – both the good and the bad – plus ways to use it safely.
The Good: Community and Support
When Johnson began her journey on social media, she was eager to find support after she'd left the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church. "I was so desperate to find a community of people that I could relate to and that knew how I felt," she recalls.
She found her openness online to be incredibly rewarding. "I was able to get a lot of validation for myself and what I was experiencing because people were coming back and saying, 'Hey, I've experienced this too,'" she says. "It was really a breath of fresh air to find this huge community … that I could relate to in ways that I hadn't experienced before," she says.
Social media can be especially valuable if you, like many busy moms, don't have a lot of access to a lot of resources. "It can be hard for parents to find time for therapy, and to create a tight support system," says Broder. "But there are so many online communities which provide healthy outlets. You might not feel comfortable talking about your depression with family or friends, but you can post in a Facebook group and immediately feel heard and understood."
Inspirational content can help, too. "If you're in a bad mood, but follow an account that posts cute animal content, or fun creative content like recipe ideas or home decorations, they can make you feel better," points out Jessica Hamilton, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
The Bad: Dangers of Oversharing and Toxicity
When Johnson first started her social media accounts, she wasn't online that much and thus didn't pay too much attention to the discussions in her comments sections. But eventually, she had her fair share of judgements. "When it happened, it happened quick, and it happened hard, and it happened in a really, really big way," she recalls. "It floored me. It took some time to get over the hate and the negativity."
Adults who post frequently on social media have higher rates of depression than those who rarely do, according to a 2024 study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. "It may be because they get cyber-bullied by others for sharing their feelings," says Broder. "It also may be because they sit at home and post on Facebook, rather than spend time with family or go out and do something fun to boost their mood."
There's a real reason why you feel the urge to post on social media: dopamine. When you post something and you get a lot of likes, research shows it can release a brain hormone called dopamine, which is a feel-good chemical. But like any habit, it can become addictive. That's where you might get into trouble.
Broder recommends that before you post, always ask yourself how you'd feel if your words went viral. "The internet is forever," she stresses. "It may feel like you're alone in bed when you post, but you're on a worldwide stage. Sometimes, it's better to just send a group text to close friends instead."
Social media can also cause jealousy. It's easy to feel envious when you see other moms post pictures of fabulous vacations where the entire family is perfectly coiffed in each photo. "It's hard to see a Facebook friend live their best life while you struggle," says Broder. "It's especially true when it comes to holidays, birthdays, and date nights. What they post may not be their reality, either, but there's no way of course for you to know that."
All of these feelings may be amplified if you already have depression. "Depression places a dark filter on everything, so you're much more likely to interpret social media posts in a negative way," points out Hamilton. "If someone doesn't respond to your comment, for example, you may worry that they are mad at you, or don't like you. It can encourage rumination, which in turn worsens depression."
How to Use Social Media Safely
Social media can be a good tool to help manage your mood, but the key is to find strategies to help you use it in healthy ways, says Broder. Here are some ways to do just that:
Set boundaries. You may want to block social media during certain hours, or just set time limits on your apps. "I often recommend to patients that they avoid it at the end of the day when they are tired," says Hamilton. "They're more likely to endlessly scroll, and we also tend to be more emotionally reactive when we're mentally wiped." She recommends that you cut it off at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
Don't read the comments. Johnson rarely reads comments on videos that she posts, especially if they go viral. "I won't look up my name on Reddit, and I won't look up my name online to see what people are saying about me," she says. "People's opinions of me are none of my business. I don't even need to know that they exist."
Be active. As much as possible, try to engage on social media, rather than just passively scroll through content, advises Johnson. "I really treat (social media) as a place where I can have relationships with people," she says. "It's made a big difference on my mental health. It helps me feel like I'm part of the community, instead of just standing back and viewing it."
Curate your content. If a friend's constant political Facebook posts wear you down, or an influencer's feed seems too sweet and sunny, Johnson recommends that you unfollow. Don't feel guilty about it, either. "When you're a mom, (it's OK) to unfollow people who make you feel not worthy, or like you're not a good mom," she says. "Shut that out, because in reality, most moms do a wonderful job."
Don't use social media as a crutch. "It should never be a substitute for real friendship and social interaction," says Broder. If you find that you scroll rather than meet a friend for lunch, or spend time with family, then it's time to cut back, at least temporarily. "We still need exercise, sunlight, and nature to help boost our mood," stresses Broder.
Consider an occasional social media detox. A 2025 study of teens published in JAMA Network Open found that reducing the amount of social media time improved symptoms of anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
It also helps to occasionally ask yourself how you feel when you are on social media. What aspects of it boost your mood, and what makes you feel worse? For Johnson, it's the knowledge that she helps others. "I get DMs once or twice a day from people who say they tried a different therapy because of a video I shared, or a coping mechanism with their kid that worked really well," she says. "I believe that if you share your life and are authentic, you can help other people."
