Reducing Risk for Mental Health Conditions Associated with Social Media Use: Encouraging “REAL” Communication

Depression and anxiety, the leading causes of morbidity worldwide, are increasing in prevalence. Social media use, which is also rapidly increasing worldwide, has a complex relationship with mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. For example, some studies suggest that having a larger social media audience has been associated with increased life satisfaction, perceived social support, and subjective well-being, while other studies suggest that increased social media exposure may counterintuitively be associated with increased depression and anxiety among both adolescents and adults. In this narrative review and theoretical treatise, we summarize recent literature examining nuanced associations between social media use and mental health. Furthermore, we coalesce these findings into a mnemonic suggesting potential optimal ways of using social media (SM). The mnemonic REAL suggests that users: (1) Renege negativity in SM interactions; (2) actively Engage with SM, but in a balanced Equilibrium; (3) focus SM attention on Actual Allies—close “real-life” contacts as opposed to individuals with whom one has less direct interpersonal experience; and (4) Limit SM use not only in terms of time and frequency but also the number of platforms used.