Problematic social media use by higher education students showed an increase between 2021 and 2024. In 2024, almost 40% of students reported experiencing problems with their use of social media. The findings come from the Finnish Student Health and Wellbeing Survey (KOTT) conducted by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare in spring 2024. Problematic social media use is also becoming an increasingly frequent topic of discussion at FSHS appointments.
The results of the latest TerveysStartti survey conducted by the FSHS for first-year higher education students also reveal that around 30% of students say their daily screen time exceeds eight hours.
“The subject is brought up at almost every appointment”
Higher education students don’t seek help from FSHS services directly for problematic social media use. Instead, many times the issues raised when contacting the assessment of the need for treatment team are concentration and sleeping problems. However, often the reasons behind these problems include excessive use of social media.
Use of social media is frequently discussed at FSHS appointments, and problematic use is an issue witnessed particularly by psychiatric nurses. “The subject is brought up at almost every appointment”, says Erja Roiha, who’s a nurse working in FSHS mental health services. “Students say their use of social media is excessive when I ask about it during the appointment. Many students resort to social media to escape from their studies or from feelings of anxiety. Social media often serves as a means of procrastination, a form of avoidance behaviour.”
The FSHS offers support for problematic social media use –small steps are often enough
The FSHS offers support for students to help them limit the time they spend on social media. The aim at appointments is to offer students practical tips that can easily be applied to everyday use of social media. “It’s important to fine tune your use of social media, to consider what kind of content you consume and at what time of the day. To take one example, it’s not recommended to watch short, fast-paced videos during the two hours before bedtime. On the other hand, listening to a relaxing podcast may actually help your body relax. These are topics that we very commonly discuss at appointments”, says Roiha.
In most cases, Roiha doesn’t recommend abstaining completely from using social media: “That would be nearly impossible these days. It’s more important to think about what types of content you consume and how much time you spend on social media.”