Burn or Balm?: Exploring University Students’ Experiences With Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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TL;DR

During the first COVID-19 lockdown, 80% of Canadian university students increased their social media use, with iMessage, Instagram, and Snapchat being the most used platforms. Higher social media use was associated with both positive (relatedness satisfaction) and negative (relatedness frustration, burnout) outcomes, helping explain conflicting findings in prior literature. The study highlights that while social media helped students stay connected and informed, overuse—particularly of Instagram—predicted burnout, underscoring the need for balanced use and awareness of mental health risks.

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**Background:** The COVID-19 pandemic led to a dramatic increase in social media use, with approximately 65% of adults aged 16+ significantly increasing their use during the first lockdown. University students, already heavy social media users, faced additional reliance on digital platforms for education, socialization, and work after campuses pivoted to online instruction. Prior literature showed mixed findings on the relationship between social media use and well-being, with some studies linking heavy use to negative outcomes like social isolation, anxiety, and depression, while others found no association. The present study aimed to explore how social media use impacted Canadian university students during the first lockdown, focusing on frequency of use, purposes served, and associations with burnout, personality, basic psychological needs, and life satisfaction.

**Methods:** A total of 565 undergraduate students initially participated, with 516 retained after exclusions (n_females = 430, n_males = 79, n_other = 7). Most participants (80%) were aged 19–24 years, 61.8% identified as Caucasian/White, and 25.6% as Asian. The study was conducted between June 3 and July 28, 2020, during Ontario's first lockdown. Participants completed a 35- to 40-minute online survey assessing demographics, social media use (frequency across 20 platforms, change since lockdown, purposes of use), life satisfaction (single 4-point item), basic psychological needs (24-item BPNSFS, α = .70–.87), perceived stress (14-item Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale, α = .86), personality (10-item Big Five Inventory, test-retest reliability = .80), and burnout from overuse of social media (single 5-point item with open-ended follow-up). Open-ended responses were coded inductively by two coders.

**Key Results:** The majority (80%) of participants reported increased social media use during the lockdown, 14.5% reported no difference, and 5.4% reported a decrease. The five most heavily used platforms (rated ~1–3 hours/day) were iMessage/Text messaging (M = 5.18, SD = 1.48), Instagram (M = 5.09, SD = 1.44), Snapchat (M = 4.71, SD = 1.94), Email (M = 4.40, SD = 1.21), and YouTube (M = 4.32, SD = 1.62). The most common reasons for frequent use (3–6+ hours/day) were staying connected, keeping up with others, reducing boredom, and entertainment. Life satisfaction averaged near 'Satisfied' (M = 2.85, SD = 0.575). Among those with positive life satisfaction, 54.4% cited access to social support and 47.5% cited being productive/purposeful. Among those dissatisfied, 50.0% cited not feeling productive, 42.7% cited lacking in-person social connection, and 42.7% cited not getting ahead in life. Basic psychological need scores showed relatedness satisfaction highest (M = 16.71, SD = 2.82), followed by competence satisfaction (M = 15.22, SD = 3.10) and autonomy satisfaction (M = 14.69, SD = 2.88). Frustration scores were all below the midpoint. Perceived stress was moderate for most participants (M = 38.94, SD = 7.12). A multiple linear regression predicting social media use (average of top 5 platforms) was significant (F(14, 500) = 4.36, p < .001, R²_adj = .084), with significant predictors: extraversion (β = .13, p < .007), relatedness satisfaction (β = .21, p < .001), relatedness frustration (β = .14, p < .02), competence satisfaction (β = .04, p < .03), and perceived stress (β = .18, p < .007). Burnout from overuse of social media averaged between 'Sometimes' and 'Fairly often' (M = 3.35, SD = 0.907). A positive correlation existed between time on top 5 platforms and burnout (r(516) = 0.13, p = .004). Among 448 participants reporting higher burnout, the most common themes were excessive technology use (50.0%), boredom (25.9%), and feeling unproductive (22.3%). Protective factors among those with little/no burnout included not overusing technology (41.2%), having a productive routine (36.8%), and being physically active (36.8%). Burnout was negatively correlated with life satisfaction (r(516) = −0.23, p < .001). A regression predicting burnout from perceived stress, personality, basic psychological needs, and life satisfaction was significant (F(13, 501) = 8.88, p < .001, R²_adj = .17), with perceived stress (β = .34, p < .001) and extraversion (β = .09, p < .04) as significant predictors. A second regression examining time on specific platforms found only Instagram use predicted burnout (β = .12, p = .031).

**Clinical Implications:** The findings highlight that social media use during the pandemic had dual effects—facilitating connection and information access while also contributing to burnout, particularly among extraverted individuals and those with higher stress. The association between Instagram use and burnout suggests that platforms emphasizing curated, passive consumption may pose greater mental health risks. These results can inform public health policy and university wellness programs by emphasizing the need for balanced social media use, promoting active over passive engagement, and encouraging physical activity and routine as protective factors. The study also underscores the importance of considering social media's role in mental health when designing remote learning environments and public health restrictions.