The Impact of Social Media on Individual Happiness and Anxiety from the Perspective of Existential Philosophy: Mediating Effects of Psychological Needs

Abstract

Social media is closely related to people’s daily lives and studies, subtly influencing their psychology. To explore the effects of social media on individual happiness and anxiety, this paper employs an existential philosophy analytical framework to transcend the limitations of positivism by deconstructing the ‘freedom-responsibility paradox’ and ‘authenticity-alienation tension’ inherent in social media use. The results reveal three key findings: (1) Social media use significantly enhances individual happiness; (2) Social media use reduces anxiety levels; (3) Basic psychological needs mediate the relationship between social media use and individual happiness. The results of this study have an important reference value for individuals to use social media rationally and to recognise the positive and negative effects of social media on individual happiness and anxiety.