March 20, 2026, 5:03 a.m. ET
- International Day of Happiness, noticed on March 20, focuses on the connection between social media and well-being.
- Studies present that as social media use has grown, happiness amongst younger folks has declined.
- Mental well being specialists recommend taking breaks from social media or utilizing it extra deliberately to enhance well-being.
- Curating your social media feed to foster real connection can help flip it right into a extra optimistic device.
Your cellphone is likely to be the first thing you reach for in the morning — and the very last thing you see at evening. It may additionally be quietly shaping how happy you feel in between.
And right this moment, because the world acknowledges the International Day of Happiness, that affect is price a more in-depth look.
Observed annually on March 20, International Day of Happiness was established by the United Nations in 2012 to acknowledge that well-being, not simply financial progress, needs to be a worldwide precedence. Around the world, it’s marked in methods each large and small. Data from the World Happiness Report might be launched, colleges and workplaces will host actions centered on gratitude and connection, and nonprofits like Action for Happiness manage campaigns encouraging folks to examine in on each other.
This yr, the day focuses on the rising connection between social media and well-being. Organizers stated the objective is to raised perceive each the advantages and challenges of digital life, from the best way platforms can foster connection to how they contribute to emphasize, comparability and nervousness.
As social media grows, happiness declines
In 2010, Instagram launched, gaining 1 million customers in simply two months. Facebook surged previous 500 million customers; Twitter emerged as a real-time information engine and YouTube solidified its place as a mainstream media outlet. The previous 15 years have ushered within the rise of smartphones, cellular apps, picture filters — and considerably extra sad younger folks.
In truth, in accordance with The World Happiness Report, the extra time teenagers spend on social media, the more serious they have an inclination to really feel. Each yr, the Wellbeing Research Centre on the University of Oxford, in partnership with Gallup, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and an impartial editorial board, launch the worldwide examine, rating folks’s happiness in additional than150 nations.
The examine discovered that teenagers who use social platforms for greater than seven hours a day report considerably decrease well-being than those that spend lower than an hour on social media. Among U.S. school college students, the bulk stated they dislike social media and need it didn’t exist however really feel they can’t decide out as a result of everybody else is on it.
How to rejoice International Day of Happiness
While there’s no single central occasion, the day has gained traction globally as a reminder to pause and mirror on what really helps our psychological and emotional well-being.
Closer to dwelling, that reflection can be so simple as taking a break from the noise — together with the fixed pull of social media — and tuning into what lifts your temper.
“I often suggest to clients that they take a break from social media to see if becoming ‘unplugged’ causes them to feel better,” stated Mindy Tanner, a licensed psychological well being counselor with Livewell Behavioral Health of Melbourne. “Some may find it surprising that every client who has tried this came back to sessions saying that they feel better, are less burdened, and are more confident.”
Tanner stated many of her purchasers battle with the unfavourable results of social media, notably the tendency to lose observe of time whereas “doomscrolling” — quickly transferring from one put up or reel to the following. Over time, she stated, the conduct can change into nearly computerized, pulling customers into an countless loop pushed extra by behavior than intention
“Considering how intelligent social media platforms are in creating algorithms that often show videos based on how one might be feeling, it can actually cause someone to feel worse,” Tanner stated. “For example, if someone is struggling with depression and anxiety and they look up or watch a few reels about these issues, media platforms begin sending a multitude of content about them.”
How to show your feed right into a drive for good
While stepping away from social media — even briefly — can be useful, it’s not all the time lifelike. For many individuals, these platforms are tied to work, networking and staying related, making a full disconnect tough. Social media isn’t going anyplace, so alongside conversations about limiting display time, there’s additionally a rising concentrate on how to make use of it extra deliberately — curating feeds, setting boundaries and fascinating in ways in which help, relatively than drain, your well-being.
“On a day dedicated to happiness, it’s important to remember that social media is a tool —mnot a measure of our worth or wellbeing,” stated Neeley Hughey, a licensed psychological well being counselor with Coastal Wellness & Life Coaching Center in Melbourne. “One meaningful way to honor this day is to shift from passive scrolling to intentional engagement. Connect with someone, express genuine appreciation, or share something that reflects your authentic self rather than a curated version.”
‘Happiness is a slippery goal’
While the International Day of Happiness invitations celebration, Kailey Mahan of Miracle City Counseling in Titusville stated it’s not all the time straightforward to drive happiness.
“Happiness is a slippery goal, if we treat it as a fleeting high to be chased, we usually end up disappointed,” Mahan stated. “Instead, it’s more helpful to view happiness as a mental skill — a mindset we can train through intentional habits rather than a result of our external circumstances.”
When it involves social media, Mahan defined that the connection to happiness is usually inverse as a result of the ‘highlight reel’ tradition of most platforms tends to gas comparability, which is the quickest strategy to drain your contentment.
“However, if we accept that tech is simply a tool, we can change how we interact with it to better serve our mental well-being,” she stated. “It’s good to remember that comparison is the thief of joy. So, my top tip for curating social media productively: ask yourself, does this content promote actual connection with a person I know, or does it stir up something else in me, like fear, envy, consumerism, or tribalism? If the latter, try muting or unfollowing, or better yet, replace scrolling with a personal phone call.”
This reporting is supported by a Journalism Funding Partners grant. Mental Health Reporter Jennifer Torres can be reached at JMTorres@gannett.com.
