Don’t feel good enough? Here’s how social media & escapism affect your mental health

When your day starts with notifications pinging and curated images flashing across your screen, it’s easy to begin measuring your own life against others without realising it. That urge to compare, to chase likes, and to feel validated often marks the beginning of a cycle that's hard to break.

Inherently, social media platforms and forms of escapism are not bad, but anything done excessively can lead to negative consequences. This article explores how social media and modern forms of escapism affect mental health, and offers grounded, practical strategies to help you reconnect with your sense of self and worth.

Social media, escapism and mental health

Flipping through social media feeds or binge-watching an entire season of a television show seems to be a new normal.

Some have begun shifting from passive consumption to more creative engagement, like making YouTube shorts or visual stories as a way to reconnect with themselves and their surroundings. Still, others find themselves caught in mindless scrolling too often, later leading to frustrations, patterns of procrastination, and emotional and mental challenges.

The dopamine loop that keeps us scrolling

Social platforms are designed to hold your attention. A like, a comment, or a new notification triggers a small dopamine release, encouraging you to check again. These moments can build into a compulsive habit, particularly when daily life feels overwhelming. Eventually, the habit may no longer bring joy, only distraction.

How self-comparison wears away confidence

It's easy to scroll past filtered highlights of other people's lives and feel discouraged. Constant exposure to these images can feed self-comparison and wear away your self-esteem. Over time, even posts meant to inspire or entertain can leave you questioning your own achievements or appearance, especially when you're already feeling low.

Warped sense of reality and growing isolation

Most people don’t share the full spectrum of their lives online. This creates a warped sense of reality, where everyday routines or emotional lows can start to feel abnormal. When your feed is filled with celebrations or chaos, it becomes difficult to recognise your own life as valuable, which can deepen feelings of isolation.

Doomscrolling and the echo of cyberbullying

Doomscrolling, or the endless consumption of negative news and distressing content, can leave you anxious and restless. Add to that the harmful impacts of cyberbullying, and the digital world begins to feel hostile. Whether through direct harassment or more subtle exclusion, these experiences can damage emotional safety and reduce self-worth.

Understanding escapism

Escapism is a way we cope with emotional discomfort or overwhelm. In small doses, it can offer comfort. But when it becomes the default way of dealing with distress, it often delays healing and disconnects us from what really matters.

Video games

Gaming can be an enjoyable, even social, activity. But when it becomes a way to avoid reality, the lines blur. For some, the characters they control feel more appealing than their real identity. This can lead to withdrawal, resentment towards real-life obligations, and emotional detachment from loved ones.

Alcohol and other substances

Turning to alcohol or other substances might provide short-term relief from stress or anxiety. But this form of escapism often builds into a cycle of dependence, guilt, and isolation. Over time, it can wear down your resilience and contribute to deeper mental health struggles.

Overworking

In our culture that praises productivity, overworking is often overlooked as escapism. Some throw themselves into tasks to avoid emotional discomfort or relationship difficulties. 

But eventually, this constant busyness can lead to exhaustion, loneliness, and a reduced ability to connect meaningfully with others.

Social media and online content

Endless scrolling, binge-watching, or browsing trending content may feel harmless, but over time, these habits can feed disconnection and an intense fear of missing out. When you start using online content to fill emotional voids or silence anxiety, you reinforce patterns that pull you further from presence and peace.

Daydreaming and overplanning

Daydreaming or planning can be uplifting. However, when fantasising becomes a habit that replaces action, it often prevents you from engaging with the present. Living too much in your head can feel safe, but it also distances you from the experiences that build real confidence and connection.

Practical ways to reconnect with reality & rebuild your support

The shift away from unhealthy escapism doesn't need to be drastic. Small, intentional changes can gently move you toward clarity and balance.

• Begin by setting digital limits that feel manageable. Try keeping devices out of your bedroom, disabling non-essential notifications, or taking short breaks from certain apps. 

• Notice the emotions that drive your social media use. Are you bored, anxious, or lonely? That awareness can help you pause before reaching for your phone.

• Creative expression can also help refocus your attention. Activities like journaling, painting, or even sharing something positive online can reconnect you with purpose and personal meaning. These small acts of creation offer a reminder that you're capable of shaping your experience.

• Rebuilding offline connections is just as vital. Time spent with friends, being outdoors, or having honest conversations can help you feel seen and grounded. These experiences restore your sense of reality and offer perspectives that social media often distorts.

• Self-reflection also plays a key role. Try ending each day with a short note of gratitude or a reminder of something you handled well. When practised regularly, this can support healthier self-esteem and make it easier to manage comparison or doubt.

• Consider seeing a therapist if your habits feel deeply ingrained or difficult to manage alone. Many therapists, including those on Talked, offer free psychology consultations.  These initial chats can open a safe space for you to explore what's behind your patterns and what steps might help you feel more in control.

Final thoughts

It's easy to fall into patterns of overuse, avoidance, and comparison in a modern society that rarely switches off.

But awareness can help you create space. Noticing your habits, reflecting on your emotional needs, and allowing yourself room to change are meaningful acts of self-care.

With the right support and some gentle structure, it’s absolutely possible to veer away from escapism and rebuild that connection to yourself and the world around you.