More than 40 million American adults (about 19%) live with an anxiety disorder, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Studies show that this anxiety is more common in young people. In recent years, social psychologists like Jonathan Haidt have begun to draw connections between technology use and anxiety. They argue that the pervasiveness of smartphones and social media can affect not only young people’s habits and emotions, but also key aspects of their brain development during adolescence.
Maintaining a constant online presence can lead to excessive social comparison, sleep disorders, fragmented attention, and increased exposure to cyberbullying; all of which can increase the prevalence of anxiety.
We are public health and public policy researchers with an interest in mental health. We understand that this problem goes far beyond the anxiety of youth. There is growing evidence linking this type of prolonged anxiety to a variety of detrimental health problems, including a weakened immune system, increased cardiovascular risk, and impaired cognitive performance. Over time, these effects can increase the risk of chronic diseases and other negative health consequences.
In May 2025, we conducted our own survey to measure the prevalence of anxiety in Florida, our home state, and explore whether it is, in fact, related to age and social media use.
What questions did our survey ask?
We surveyed 500 adults and designed our research to ensure that the group surveyed was representative of the state’s population in terms of age, race, gender, political affiliation, and geographic distribution.
We use a questionnaire called GAD-7, developed by mental health professionals to assess symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. The GAD-7 asks participants to indicate their level of discomfort regarding seven aspects during the last two weeks. They responded on a four-point scale, from “not at all” to “almost every day.” These seven aspects included questions about worry, irritability, restlessness, and feeling afraid or nervous.
A score less than 10 indicates minimal (0-4) or mild anxiety (5-9). Those who score between 10 and 14 have moderate anxiety, while a score of 15 or higher indicates a severe anxiety disorder.
The difference between moderate and severe generalized anxiety lies in the frequency with which the participant experiences any of the seven symptoms. For example, a person with severe generalized anxiety might experience all seven symptoms almost daily, while a person with moderate generalized anxiety might have experienced some of them on several days in the past two weeks.
We also asked participants how much time they spend on social networks like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and how they feel using them.
We recommend: Can the use of social networks cause anxiety in children and young people?
Our findings
Our survey revealed that approximately 1 in 5 Floridians suffer from moderate to severe anxiety, which is consistent with national statistics.
While the average score on the GAD-7 scale was 4.74 (which would indicate that the average Floridian does not suffer from an anxiety disorder), 18.6% of participants reported symptoms of at least moderate anxiety, and almost half of them had severe symptoms.
This result indicates that nearly 3.5 million Floridians may suffer from clinically significant anxiety.
Members of Generation Z, ages 18 to 27 in our sample, reported the highest rates of anxiety, by a considerable margin. In fact, the average score on the GAD-7 scale for this group was 8.17 (just below the threshold for moderate anxiety), compared to an average of 6.50 for millennials, 5.32 for Generation X, and 3.04 for baby boomers.
These averages are consistent with previous national studies, which have found that the portion of the U.S. adult population suffering the most anxiety is Generation Z. According to a 2020 study, 30.9% of adults ages 18 to 23 reported symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, compared to just 27.9% of millennials, 17.2% of Generation X, and 8.1% of baby boomers.
Social networks and anxiety in Generation Z
To understand whether social media use could help explain the higher rates of anxiety observed among young Floridians, we examined the relationship between time spent on social media and anxiety.
In general, those who did not use social media reported lower levels of anxiety, with an average score of 3.56 on the GAD-7 scale. In comparison, the mean score on the GAD-7 scale for those who used social media less than one hour per week was 3.74, and it increased progressively as usage increased, reaching a mean of 6.10 among those who spent seven to nine hours per week on social media, and 7.08 for those who logged on for 10 hours or more.
While time of use was important, the reasons Floridians use social media also significantly influenced whether they experienced anxiety. Anxiety was lower among those who used social media primarily to stay in touch with family and friends. However, it increased considerably among those who use them to stay up to date with the latest trends and popular culture, or to find out about health, wellness and beauty trends.
We also asked participants if they “sometimes feel like they miss out on something when they see what others post on social media.” Among those who reported sometimes experiencing FOMO (fear of missing out) on social media, mean anxiety scores ranged from 7.26 to 9.00. But among those who disagreed, the average scores were significantly lower: 4.16 or less.
Also read: Technology companies begin to comply with Australian ban on social networks for teenagers
The time young people spend on social networks matters
In this data, we saw a clear correlation between social media use and higher anxiety, and also a greater tendency for Gen Z and millennials to report higher levels of anxiety. This is logical, given that young people generally spend more time on social networks.
However, an important question remained to be answered: Can reducing social media use decrease anxiety levels in younger adults?
To answer this question, we re-examined the relationship between average weekly social media use and anxiety. But this time, we restricted the analysis to only Gen Z and millennial participants.
Even when limiting the study to these two groups, we found a clear and decisive link between social media use and anxiety. Those who reported spending less than an hour on social media each week obtained average scores of 2.89 on the GAD-7 scale. Those scores rose steadily as time on social media increased, peaking at 8.73 among those who use social media 10 hours or more per week.
Moderate consumption of social networks to reduce anxiety
The results of our survey seem to confirm the suspicions of social psychologists and technocritics: the high rates of anxiety observed among young Americans appear to be related to the time they spend online. This especially applies to those who spend time in digital spaces that facilitate social comparison and information overload.
We cannot say, based solely on this survey, that social media is solely responsible for the increase in generalized anxiety. Other factors could be involved, such as digital information overload and decreased interpersonal contact. However, the amount of time spent on social media does appear to be affecting the mental health of young people in Florida.
A possible solution could be to moderate consumption. Some recent research suggests setting automatic daily reminders to limit social media use to 30 minutes a day. Another suggestion is to take a month-long break from social media every once in a while.
Those who feel they need more support disconnecting from social media may benefit from seeking professional help, such as speaking with a licensed therapist.
*Stephen Neely He is an associate professor of Public Affairs at the University of South Florida and Kaila Witkowski is an assistant professor of Public Administration at Florida Atlantic University.
This text was originally published in The Conversation
Little text and great information in our X, follow us!
