A Prescription from a Psychologist for Those in Their 20s and 30s Suffering from 'SNS Fatigue'

“Lately, when I look at social media, I feel a sense of unease.” Have you ever felt that way? The more you chase information, the more exhausted you become. You compare yourself to someone else’s post and feel a bit down. I have heard these sentiments quite often in my medical practice. In fact, recent research is beginning to show that social media is quietly but surely affecting both the brains of adolescents and the minds of adults. Today, I would like to share my perspective as a licensed psychologist and think together with you about social media and mental health.

The 'Invisible Changes' Social Media Leaves on the Adolescent Brain

While social media is a convenient tool, I feel it penetrates deeper into the user's mind than we might think. The impact on adolescents, in particular, cannot be overlooked.

In 2023, a research team including those from the University of North Carolina conducted a long-term, three-year follow-up study on approximately 170 children who were between 11 and 14 years old at the time. This study, which combined surveys on social media usage with fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to visualize brain activity, garnered worldwide attention. The result revealed the fact that the more frequently children use social media, the more sensitive the part of the brain known as the 'reward system' becomes year by year.

Simply put, the reward system is the mechanism in the brain that governs feelings of 'happiness' and 'wanting more.' If this part becomes hypersensitive, it means your mind becomes more easily swayed by 'likes' and reactions from others. The more you use it, the greater the joy when you are validated, and the greater the pain when you are rejected. It might be similar to the sensation that the more sweets you eat, the more you crave them.

Loneliness and the Desire to 'Be Thin'

In Japan, a research team at the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP) is conducting a similar follow-up study targeting minors living in Tokyo. Here, they defined states such as 'cannot stop once I start using it' or 'feeling irritable while using it' as 'inappropriate use' and investigated the impact on the mind.

The results were not something to be taken lightly. Girls with high levels of inappropriate use had a 6.5% higher rate of 'loneliness' and a 10.8% higher rate of 'desire to be thin' compared to those who did not. Mizuho Narita, a section chief at NCNP, analyzes that this increase in 'loneliness' and 'desire to be thin' is directly linked to the deterioration of mental health. On the other hand, the impact on boys was not as pronounced as it was for girls, with loneliness increasing by 2.5% and the desire to be thin by 0.9%. While some parts of the detailed mechanism remain unexplained, there may be differences between genders in how they perceive their connection to society.

Why is adolescence so susceptible to this influence? Atsushi Nishida of the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science states, 'The adolescent brain is not fully mature and is prone to becoming dependent,' and sounds the alarm by saying, 'Once a circuit of dependency is formed, it is difficult to erase.' That is why I strongly feel from my clinical experience that it is most important to prepare for dependency before it happens, rather than dealing with it after it has occurred.

Adults, Too, Are Tired of Social Media

So far, we have talked about adolescence, but does that mean adults are unrelated? Not necessarily. According to a survey conducted by the research company Cross Marketing in June 2026 on 3,000 people aged 20 to 69 nationwide, 47.9% of people in their 20s have experienced 'SNS fatigue.' The percentage of people who have felt that they 'want to distance themselves or take a break' was 44.6% overall, with 47.5% for women and 41.7% for men, showing a slightly higher trend among women.

The most common situation where people felt tired was 'when there is too much information,' at 39.5%. This was followed by 'when the same kind of information keeps appearing' at 30.3%, and 'when I feel unpleasant comments or atmosphere' at 26.2%. Furthermore, the differences by generation are interesting; while voices saying 'I feel mentally tired after looking at other people's posts' and 'I keep looking even though I want to stop' stand out among those in their 20s, 'comparing myself to others' ranks high among those in their 30s. Overall, 43.9% of people have actually refrained from using social media, and nearly half, 49.5%, of those in their 20s have done so. The biggest reason was 'because I felt I was wasting my time.'

Incidentally, while 47.6% of respondents answered that they have 'seen' social media content created by generative AI, there is also data showing that 26.2% feel it is 'hard to trust.' I feel this is a result typical of our current era, where convenience and distrust coexist.

The World Has Started to Move: The Wave of Regulation

In response to this situation, legal frameworks are being rapidly developed in countries around the world. In Australia, a law regulating children's use of social media was enacted in December 2025. In France and Denmark, deliberations on bills to prohibit children's access itself are underway, and in Indonesia, initiatives to gradually restrict use for those under 16 have begun as of March 2026. In the UK, consideration of age restrictions is also progressing.

Movements to hold companies accountable are also strengthening. In March 2026, a district court in California, USA, ordered Meta and Google to pay a total of $6 million in damages for 'designing addictive platforms.' In New Mexico, a jury has also issued a verdict seeking damages from Meta, citing insufficient measures against sexual victimization on social media.

In Japan, the sense of crisis is also rising; in the Cross Marketing survey, 80.8% answered that 'restrictions should be made, including rules at home and school,' and 56.1% even support 'legal regulation.' While this opinion tends to be stronger as the generation gets older, I think it is worth noting that even among those in their 20s, who are closest to using it, 72.5% acknowledge the need for restrictions.

Even So, What We Can Do

The story has been a bit heavy so far, but what is important starts here. What I want to convey is not 'let's quit social media.' It is, why not try a challenge to rethink how you interact with social media, just a little bit?

The first is to reframe it as 'practicing stepping away' rather than 'enduring' when you feel tired.You don't look at it because you have a weak will. It is just built that way due to the brain's mechanism. There is absolutely no need to misunderstand this and blame yourself.

The second point is that when you notice yourself making comparisons, accept it not as a 'bad thing' but as a 'human reaction'.Other people's posts are merely the highlights of their lives. Looking only at the crest of the waves and comparing it to your own calm daily life does not make for a fair comparison.

The third point is that for those in a position to interact with children, try conveying regulations and rules not as 'prohibitions,' but as 'thoughtful promises to protect a brain that is still developing'.Instead of taking things away without explanation, the time spent talking together about why it is important is actually the best form of prevention.

In Conclusion

Let me summarize what I have shared today. First, social media can overstimulate the reward system of the adolescent brain, potentially intensifying feelings of loneliness and the desire to be thin. Second, 'SNS fatigue' is by no means a rare phenomenon among adults, and information overload and comparison are the triggers. And third, legal frameworks to prevent addiction are already being developed around the world. These are the three points.

I take the words of experts seriously when they say that once an addiction circuit is formed, it is difficult to erase, which is why prevention is so important. However, at the same time, I also believe that from this very moment you have realized it, you can change how you engage with it. The small sense of discomfort you felt today is surely the gateway to change. Please do not blame yourself; it is okay to start little by little, from wherever you can.

Thank you very much for staying with me until the end. I would be happy if today's article serves as an opportunity for you to think about your next steps starting tomorrow.

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