Why Social Media is Draining Us — and How Nature Can Help

Social media is woven into daily life for most of us. We use it to stay connected, share experiences, learn new things, and unwind. At the same time, more people are noticing that time spent scrolling often leaves them feeling mentally drained, distracted, or emotionally unsettled.

When Social Media Use Becomes a Problem

Difficulties tend to emerge when social media use shifts from being intentional to feeling increasingly compulsive or automatic – particularly when it becomes a primary way of managing stress, boredom, insecurity, loneliness, or difficult emotions. Rather than offering relief or connection, social media can begin to place additional demands on attention and emotional regulation, which in turn fuels patterns of use that are difficult to disengage from.

Problematic or addictive patterns of use may include:

·        Feeling preoccupied with checking platforms

·        Using social media to escape uncomfortable emotional states

·        Losing track of time while scrolling

·        Feeling anxious, irritable, or restless when unable to access platforms

·        Continuing to use social media despite noticing negative impacts on daily functioning

These patterns do not reflect a lack of willpower. Social media platforms are intentionally designed to capture attention through novelty, social comparison, emotionally salient content (e.g., “rage bait”), endless information, and constant updates. Over time, sustained exposure to this digital environment can strain attentional and emotional regulatory systems, leading to increased distractibility, emotional reactivity, and difficulty disengaging – even when scrolling no longer feels enjoyable or relieving.

As use becomes more frequent or excessive, a range of psychological, emotional, and cognitive impacts may emerge. Commonly reported effects include heightened anxiety and stress, low mood, irritability, disrupted sleep, and difficulties with concentration, motivation, and executive functioning. Repeated exposure to idealized or curated representations of other peoples’ lives may further contribute to lower self-esteem and feelings of disconnection.

Importantly, many of these impacts are not only consequences of problematic use but also risk factors for its continuation. As attention becomes depleted, emotional regulation strained, and self-esteem more vulnerable, individuals may feel increasingly drawn back to social media in hopes of relief or reassurance. When social media fails to meet these needs – and instead contributes to further dysregulation or disconnection – a feedback loop can emerge in which continued use perpetuates the very difficulties it is intended to alleviate.

Young Adulthood As a Period of Heightened Vulnerability

Although social media affects people across the lifespan, young adulthood is a particularly sensitive developmental period for engaging in more problematic patterns of social media use. This stage is a time marked by identity formation, heightened social comparison, and increasing independence, alongside ongoing development of self-regulation and executive functioning skills. Young adults also report the highest levels of social media use, and are experiencing increasing rates of mental health concerns, as compared to other age groups.

When these factors intersect, young adults may be especially vulnerable to relying on social media in attempts to regulate distress or meet relational needs, despite often contributing to greater dysregulation, disconnection, or self-esteem concerns. As a result, they may be more likely to experience the self-reinforcing cycle of problematic social media use.

Why Nature Helps Restore Balance

In contrast to the cognitively demanding and socially evaluative nature of social media, natural environments offer a different kind of experience, helping to support restoration and well-being across multiple domains.

According to Attention Restoration Theory, natural environments can help replenish depleted attentional resources by engaging attention in an effortless, non-demanding way, often referred to as “soft fascination”. Natural elements such as moving clouds, flowing water, rustling leaves, or shifting light gently draw attention without requiring conscious focus, decision-making, or evaluation. This allows directed attention – often exhausted by prolonged social media use – to rest and recover.

Biophilia Theory further proposes that humans have an innate, evolutionarily shaped tendency to seek connection with the natural world. Meaningful engagement with natural environments has been associated with reduced physiological arousal, including lower stress hormone levels, heart rate, and blood pressure, alongside improved mood and overall sense of well-being. In this way, nature can support emotional regulation and stress reduction in ways that digital environments often do not.

Connection with nature may also foster a broader sense of belonging, as it has been associated with increased empathy, pro-social behaviour, and feelings of connection to others, alongside reduced self-focus and social comparison. This may help counter the isolation, insecurity, and social disconnection that can be intensified through social media use.

Overall, as nature connectedness deepens, individuals may derive greater emotional, cognitive, and relational benefits, which, in turn, increase the likelihood of continued engagement with nature. In this way, nature connectedness can support sustained well-being through a positive, self-reinforcing cycle that may help to offset the cumulative impacts of digital environments.

Small Shifts That Make a Real Difference

Fortunately, connecting with nature does not require major lifestyle changes, access to green spaces, or time away from urban environments. Small, intentional moments can be enough to interrupt habitual scrolling, support regulation, and shift attention away from continuous digital stimulation.

Daily actions may include:

·       Taking a short walk outdoors without your phone

·       Paying attention to everyday natural elements such as clouds, a single tree, weather patterns, snow, rain, ice, or changing light

·       Bringing natural elements into indoor spaces, such as plants, natural textures, or images of nature

·       Engaging in a guided nature-based visualization or meditation

Such small actions can gradually shift attention, support regulation, and open space for a more balanced relationship with technology.

For those who initially struggle to reduce their screen time, engaging with digital representations of nature may also offer a more accessible entry point for fostering connection with the natural world. Watching nature videos, listening to natural soundscapes, or following creators focused on nature, wildlife, or outdoor education can help individuals begin cultivating a sense of connection to nature.

In addition, rather than approaching change through restriction or willpower, it may be more helpful to begin with curiosity and ask: What do I actually need right now? For many, the need might be rest, grounding, mental stimulation, play, purpose, or connection, and nature has the capacity to help meet these needs in ways that better support our overall well-being.

When to Seek Support

If you are noticing your social media use feels increasingly difficult to control, is interfering with daily functioning, or is contributing to anxiety, low mood, sleep difficulties, or relationship strain, it may be helpful to speak with a therapist.

Working with a therapist can support you in:

• Understanding the emotional role social media plays in your life

• Strengthening self-regulation and coping skills

• Developing more intentional, values-aligned boundaries with technology

• Exploring ways to foster connection with nature to support your overall well-being

  
  

If you would like guidance in taking this next step, connecting with one of our therapists may be helpful.

References:

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Bell, C. N., St George, R., Honan, C., Bell, L. J., Jolly, A. T., & Matthews, A. (2025). The relationship between nature exposures and attention restoration, as moderated by exposure duration: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 102632. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102632

Gaekwad, J. S., Sal Moslehian, A., Roös, P. B., & Walker, A. (2022). A meta-analysis of emotional evidence for the biophilia hypothesis and implications for biophilic design. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 750245. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.750245

Kaplan, S. (1995). The restorative benefits of nature: Toward an integrative framework. Journal of environmental psychology, 15(3), 169-182. https://doi.org/10.1016/0272-4944(95)90001-2

Orben, A., Przybylski, A. K., Blakemore, S.-J., & Kievit, R. A. (2022). Windows of developmental sensitivity to social media. Nature Communications, 13(1), 1649. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29296-3

Pritchard, A., Richardson, M., Sheffield, D., & McEwan, K. (2020). The relationship between nature connectedness and eudaimonic well-being: A meta-analysis. Journal of Happiness Studies, 21, 1145–1167. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-019-00118-6

Tullett-Prado, D., Doley, J. R., Zarate, D., Gomez, R., & Stavropoulos, V. (2023). Conceptualising social media addiction: A longitudinal network analysis of social media addiction symptoms and their relationships with psychological distress in a community sample of adults. BMC Psychiatry, 23, 509. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-04985-5

Wilson, E. O. (1986). Biophilia. Harvard university press.