A teen-friendly self-assessment tool for monitoring how social media usage may be affecting mental well-being and emotional health
This check-in tool is designed to help teens and parents understand how social media might be affecting mental wellbeing. It's not a diagnostic tool, but rather a way to increase awareness and start important conversations.
The assessment covers four key areas:
After completing the assessment, you'll receive personalized feedback and practical strategies to improve your relationship with social media. For the best results, be honest in your answers and take time to reflect on the questions.
For each question, select the answer that best describes your experience with social media over the past month. There are no right or wrong answers—this assessment is about increasing your self-awareness.
After using social media, I typically feel:
Take a moment to notice: How do different platforms affect your mood differently?
I find myself getting upset, angry, or defensive about things I see on social media:
What specific types of content tend to trigger negative emotions for you?
If I'm feeling down or anxious, scrolling through social media usually:
What do you notice about how your current emotional state affects your social media experience?
I find myself spending more time on social media than I initially intended to:
What features of social media apps make it hard to stop scrolling?
Using social media has interfered with my responsibilities (school, chores, family obligations):
What specific activities or responsibilities have been affected by your social media use?
I have trouble focusing on tasks because I feel the urge to check social media:
What triggers the urge to check your phone or social media accounts?
When I see posts about others' achievements, appearance, or lifestyles, I feel:
What types of posts make you feel most inadequate or envious?
I find myself editing or filtering photos, or carefully crafting posts to make my life look better:
What motivates you to present yourself in certain ways on social media?
I worry about how many likes, views, or comments my posts get:
How do you feel when a post doesn't get the engagement you hoped for?
When I see friends getting together without me on social media, I feel:
How do these feelings influence your behavior or thoughts?
I worry about missing important updates or events if I don't check social media:
What specifically do you worry about missing when you're not on social media?
I feel pressure to maintain a certain image or participate in trends on social media:
Where do you feel this pressure comes from? Specific friends, general peers, or influencers?
Based on your responses, your social media usage appears to be having a [significant/moderate/minimal] impact on your mental wellbeing. This is a [concerning/moderate/healthy] level of impact.
Emotional Impact
Your responses suggest that social media is having a [positive/neutral/negative] effect on your mood and emotional wellbeing.
Time Usage
Your relationship with screen time and social media appears to be [balanced/somewhat problematic/concerning].
Social Comparison
Your tendency to compare yourself to others on social media is [minimal/moderate/significant].
FOMO & Social Anxiety
Your responses indicate [low/moderate/high] levels of FOMO and social pressure related to social media.
Based on your results, create a personalized plan to improve your relationship with social media:
1. One thing I'll start doing:
2. One thing I'll stop doing:
3. One account or content type I'll unfollow or mute:
4. A non-screen activity I'll substitute when I feel the urge to scroll:
Date: March 1, 2025
Follow-up check-in: [date]