ArticleScientific reports2025
An experimental online study on the impact of negative social media comments on anxiety and mood.
Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Preliminary evaluation of the German SPIN and Mini-SPIN for screening social anxiety disorder in university students.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- Exposure to Conflict-Related News and Psychological Distress Among Nursing Students: The Mediating Role of Sleep Difficulties and Study Disruption.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- The impact of AI anxiety on career decisions of college students.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Psychological dynamics and adaptive processes of negative online social interactions among university students: a qualitative study in higher education digital environments.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Mental health of medical students who took a leave of absence during the 2024 medical crisis in South Korea.BMC public health · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
Social media has become the mainstream communication platform, offering unprecedented convenience, but its anonymity can also encourage negative interactions. This study investigates how negative comments on social media affect adults' anxiety and mood. In an experimental study involving 128 adult participants (85 female, 43 male), individuals were asked to share blog posts on a simulated internet forum. Subsequently, they were exposed to either negative, neutral, or positive comments, and their mood and anxiety levels were measured using validated scales. Results showed that negative comments significantly increased anxiety and decreased mood compared to neutral or positive comments, while gender did not show any significant effects. Younger adults reported stronger anxiety responses to negative comments than older adults, suggesting heightened sensitivity among younger users. These findings highlight the psychological impact of negative social media comments on adults and underscore the importance of strategies for managing online negativity. This research expands our understanding of social media's effects on adult mental health.
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