Bibliometric Retrospective on Social Media and Wellbeing Research Literature

Social media stands as a major leap in human history, with a transformative influence on communication and connection that parallels the invention of the wheel. It’s no exaggeration to say that social media has profoundly altered how people perceive and engage with one another, not just superficially but at a deep, visceral level. Over the past two decades, social media platforms have grown from mere novelties to influential pillars of modern society. As of the most recent data available, there were approximately 4.62 billion social media users worldwide, representing 58.4% of the global population,^[1] a testament to the ubiquity of these platforms.

Since the rise of social media, there has been an intense and ongoing debate among both researchers and the general public regarding their impact on the mental health and overall well-being of users, especially adolescents and young adults.^[2,3] Consequently, the subject has garnered significant attention in academic literature.^[4] Various dimensions of social media’s influence on individuals, societies, and institutions have been explored, and the findings reveal a wide range of effects, both positive and negative. Numerous studies have also looked into the question of whether increased social media usage is linked to various mental health issues, such as depression,^[5] concerns about body image and disordered eating,^[6] as well as externalizing problems.^[7] Interestingly, investigations into social media and well-being are drawn from a variety of disciplines, rather than dominated by one. Recent years have witnessed significant efforts to bring structure, conceptual clarity, and empirical rigor to this fragmented and interdisciplinary field.^[8]

The literature in this area seems somewhat saturated due to the volume of academic articles written by researchers from various backgrounds. However, the sheer number of publications should not be considered a proxy for the quality of the work being done or for covering all the major aspects involved. Recent reviews on social media and mental health^[2,8,9] suggest that, while substantial work has been done, certain blind spots and under-researched variables remain.

The topic of social media and well-being is an ideal arena for applying bibliometric analysis. The literature is extensive and widely distributed across key factors, including the disciplines and regions initiating the research, as well as the concepts and variables under examination. This makes it well-suited for bibliometric exploration. There are already a few bibliometric reviews on social media and mental health. However, unlike these previous studies, the current bibliometric expedition particularly penetrates the literature on social media and well-being. It stays focused on analysing the academic landscape in this area, whereas most previous studies have concentrated on narrower topics, such as Social Media Addiction^[10–12] broader ones, like mental health in general^[13] and social media in psychology research.^[14]

This study is especially important as the subject reaches a critical juncture in its academic trajectory. In the absence of clear future directions, the studies on social media and well-being could likely succumb to irrelevant and iterative investigations that add but little to our knowledge in the area while overlooking themes and topics germane to it. The results of this study provide an overview of the contemporary patterns and insights that can guide future research directions in the field hopefully inspiring further research that enhances our understanding of social media and well-being.

Bibliometric research is a form of systematic literature review^[15] that uses quantitative methods to analyze bibliographic data.^[16–18] In contrast to manual approaches like thematic reviews, which can be more subjective and limited in scope, bibliometric reviews leverage quantitative tools, allowing for a more objective and comprehensive analysis that often spans hundreds to thousands of articles.^[17,19]

Bibliometric analysis is traditionally divided into two main types: performance analysis, which offers an overview of academic output across various research entities, and science mapping, which focuses on interactions among these entities.^[17] While this study incorporates both types of analysis, the findings are instead organized into three distinct analytical categories.

Data for the literature on this topic was collected from the Scopus database in September 2024. With the topic’s multidisciplinary scope, Scopus – recognized for its broad publication range^[20] – was chosen as the most suitable source for this bibliometric review. The flowchart in Figure 1 outlines the search strategy used.

Figure 1:
Search strategy for the review.

The search strategy, carefully crafted to capture only relevant literature, identified a total of 1,415 articles. Commonly, “social media” appears in abstracts of studies unrelated to the actual topic, often due to its role in data collection or as reference for statistics on other issues. Searching for social media-related keywords in abstracts was initially tested, but the results confirmed this approach to be ineffective. Consequently, these keywords were limited to study titles only. The review included literature from 2010 onward, focusing on relevant subject areas and selecting only peer-reviewed, English-language journal articles. Table 1 provides the complete search query, including Boolean terms used in Scopus.

In line with academic conventions, the review employs performance analysis, network analysis, and thematic analysis on the sample. The data extracted from the Scopus database was saved as a CSV file and analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2019 (version 2405) and Bibliometrix, an open-access R package for bibliometric analysis.^[21] Bibliometrix facilitated performance, co-citation, co-authorship, and co-word analyses for this study, while visualizations were produced using both Excel and R.

A total of 1,415 publications were retrieved from the Scopus database to represent the body of literature on social media and well-being. The findings of this bibliometric review are organized into three clusters of analysis: performance analysis, which examines productivity indicators such as publication volume, citation impact, leading authors, top institutions, and journal rankings; network analysis, focusing on collaborative relationships and co-citation networks; and thematic analysis, which investigates keyword co-occurrence, thematic clusters, and the progression of research trends over time.

Analyzing fluctuations in publications over time can reveal trends related to the development of a particular field.^[22] Figure 2 illustrates this evolution within the curated collection of documents addressing social media and wellbeing. The volume of academic publications on social media and wellbeing has experienced a marked increase over time. In 2010, only two articles were published on this topic; however, this figure surged to 257 by 2023, with an additional 223 articles published in 2024. The most substantial rise in publications occurred between 2019 and 2020, with the number nearly doubling from 94 to 140. A further significant increase was observed from 2020 to 2021, where the count escalated from 140 to 214. The annual growth rate of 40.03% betrays the burgeoning academic interest in this area, likely propelled by the increasing integration of social media into daily life and its consequential impacts on wellbeing.

Figure 2:
Yearly publications on ‘social media & wellbeing’ in the period 2010-2024.

Early years of publication exhibited notably high mean total citations per article, with 2011 reaching the highest average of 312.75 citations. However, this figure has gradually declined over time, with more recent publications reflecting substantially lower mean citation rates. Initially, the mean total citations per year also began at a relatively elevated level but has generally decreased in subsequent years. The reduced citation counts for recent publications may be attributed to two primary factors: their recency, which limits the opportunity for widespread academic impact, and the significant volume of new publications, which may dilute the visibility of individual articles. The declining trend in yearly citations aligns with the increase in publication volume; as more articles are released annually, citation attention is distributed across a broader array of works.

Bibliometric data indicate a clear upward trajectory in the volume of publications concerning social media and wellbeing, which signifies both heightened research interest and growing concerns regarding the effects of social media on mental health and societal wellbeing. The data further illustrates a rapid escalation in publications beginning around 2019, which may be linked to heightened global interest in digital wellbeing, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when social media usage surged,^[23] intensifying concerns about its effects on mental health.^[24]

Figure 3 presents the journals that have published the highest number of articles on social media and wellbeing. Among these, Computers in Human Behavior stands out prominently, with nearly 90 articles, positioning it as the leading journal in this field. Computers in Human Behavior has become a primary venue for research at the intersection of social media and behavioral sciences, likely due to its broad focus on human interaction with digital platforms. Following this, Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, Frontiers in Psychology, and International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health emerge as prominent contributors, each publishing between 30 and 40 articles on the topic. These journals, with their focus on psychology, health, and social networking, highlight the interdisciplinary nature of research on social media and wellbeing, encompassing behavioral science, mental health, and public health perspectives.

Figure 3:
Journals with the highest number of publications in the area.

Figure 4 provides a longitudinal perspective on publication trends in the top five journals, illustrating the growth in the number of articles from 2010 to 2024. Computers in Human Behavior exhibits the most rapid increase, particularly since 2015, which suggests a substantial accumulation of research articles on social media and wellbeing within this journal. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking and Frontiers in Psychology also demonstrate steady growth over the years, although their rates are relatively slower. The increasing volume of publications in these journals suggests that research on social media is becoming more integrated into psychological and social networking studies, highlighting the growing emphasis on understanding social media’s effects on mental health and behavior.

Figure 4:
Research publications of the top journals over time.

The authors listed in Table 2 represent a concentrated group working extensively on social media’s effects on mental health and behavioral outcomes. Prominent contributors, such as Amandeep Dhir and Munmun De Choudhury, have produced influential work examining digital behaviors and their psychological impacts, including topics like fear of missing out (FOMO) and suicidal ideation.^[25–26] Most of these researchers have high h- and g-indices, indicating that their studies are frequently cited, reflecting the academic community’s strong interest in this field. The group’s research spans various aspects of wellbeing, from anxiety and self-esteem to public health concerns, suggesting a shared focus on understanding both individual and societal impacts of digital engagement. This collective output points to a rapidly evolving area of study with a broad interdisciplinary scope, which attracts considerable academic and public interest.

Table 3 showcases the institutions with the highest number of publications on social media and wellbeing. U.S.-based institutions lead the list, with the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania contributing the most publications (56 and 40, respectively). Other prominent American universities, such as the University of California and Stanford University, also have significant output, indicating the strong presence of social media research in the United States.

Outside the U.S., universities in Europe and Oceania have made notable contributions. The University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, the University of Melbourne in Australia, and the University of Ottawa in Canada each feature prominently. This international representation highlights the global relevance of social media’s impact on wellbeing, with researchers across various regions focusing on similar psychological and social concerns.

Interestingly, most of the prolific authors identified in Table 2 are not affiliated with these leading institutions. Exceptions include Regina Van Den Eijnden from Utrecht University, Netherlands, and Davide Marengo and Michele Settanni from the University of Turin, Italy. This suggests that while certain institutions contribute heavily in terms of publication volume, influential authors in the field are dispersed across a wider range of universities. This distribution indicates that impactful research on social media and wellbeing is being conducted in diverse academic environments, rather than being concentrated within the most prolific institutions.

The geographic distribution of research on social media and wellbeing, as shown in Figure 5, highlights the global interest in this area, with the United States leading by a substantial margin, accounting for 1,532 publications. Following the U.S., the United Kingdom shows significant academic activity in this field with 509 publications. China (397 publications) and Australia (360 publications) also demonstrate a considerable research output, indicating the increasing attention on digital wellbeing in both Western and Eastern contexts. European countries such as Italy (205), and the Netherlands (182) also contribute substantially. Meanwhile, India’s contribution (170 publications) highlights a growing body of research from emerging economies, suggesting an expanding awareness of the social and behavioral impacts of digital engagement.

Figure 5:
Global geographical distribution of publications.

Overall, the distribution illustrates that social media and wellbeing is a globally relevant topic, with strong research bases across North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. This international interest points to the universal concerns and challenges surrounding digital interaction and its effects on mental and social health, as well as the need for culturally informed studies that address the diverse implications of social media use across different populations.

Relationships among the research constituents with regard to the current study were explored using collaboration network of authors, institutes, and countries. The network analyses were carried out using the edge-betweenness clustering algorithm in Bibliometrix.

The collaboration network, depicted in Figure 6, consists of 50 nodes (representing authors) divided into 12 clusters, each reflecting unique collaboration patterns and roles within the broader research community. On average, each cluster contains about 3.58 authors, though there is considerable variation in cluster sizes. The largest cluster has 8 authors, suggesting a highly collaborative subgroup, while the smallest clusters contain only 2 authors each, indicating more tightly-knit or specialized research groups. Using the edge betweenness clustering algorithm, researchers were grouped based on their collaborative connections, with key centrality metrics (Betweenness, Closeness, and PageRank) used to identify influential figures and structural characteristics within each cluster.

Figure 6:
Collaboration network of Authors.

A few clusters stand out due to their prominence and broader connectivity in the network. For instance, Cluster 3 appears to represent core themes in social media and wellbeing, with Chinese authors like Wang J and Wang Y serving as key intermediaries. Their high Betweenness scores indicate that they facilitate connections within the network, bridging different research topics. Another influential group is Cluster 8, where Van Den Eijnden, a highly connected author with a Betweenness score of 0.435, stands out. This author’s collaborative work often spans interdisciplinary boundaries, linking social media studies with behavioral health and addiction research. This cluster’s structure suggests that its members play a crucial role in bridging social media research with broader health-related fields, helping to contextualize social media’s impact on overall wellbeing and public health.

The clustering patterns suggest that authors within the same groups often come from the same or closely affiliated countries, indicating that geographic proximity plays a role in shaping collaboration networks. For example, authors in Cluster 3 appear to be largely based in China, suggesting a regional focus on studying social media’s psychological impacts. This geographic clustering may reflect national research priorities and funding opportunities that encourage local collaborations, highlighting an area where international partnerships could enrich the diversity of perspectives in this field.

The institutional collaboration network, as visualized in Figure 7, comprises 42 institutions organized into 10 clusters. Stanford University, with a high Betweenness score emerges as a key connector, indicating its central role in linking different institutions in this network. Clusters 1 and 2 have the highest interconnections, with institutions like the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Amsterdam playing pivotal roles in facilitating research exchange across borders. Notably, Cluster 4, containing institutions such as the University of Bergen and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, reflects a strong regional collaboration in Scandinavia, potentially focusing on health-related social media research. Cluster 8 includes several high-closeness institutions from Asia, such as Wuhan University and the National University of Singapore, suggesting regional research collaborations possibly centered on topics relevant to digital behavior in rapidly urbanizing regions.

Figure 7:
Collaboration network of Institutions.

The country collaboration network in Figure 8 reveals key insights into the global research landscape on social media and wellbeing. The USA and the United Kingdom emerge as central hubs, with the highest Betweenness and PageRank values, underscoring their roles in connecting other countries and facilitating international collaborations. China, Australia, and Germany also show strong connectivity, acting as regional bridges and linking to Western research networks. These highly connected countries likely collaborate on shared themes around the societal impacts of social media.

Figure 8:
Collaboration network of Countries.

Clusters within the network indicate regional patterns, with Cluster 1 dominated by Western nations, while Cluster 2 (India) and Cluster 7 (Pakistan and Saudi Arabia) reflect emerging research collaborations within Asia and the Middle East. Additionally, countries like Malaysia and New Zealand in smaller clusters highlight region-specific contributions, suggesting growing hubs beyond traditional research centers. Notably, low-income countries are underrepresented in the network, often appearing isolated with low Betweenness and Closeness scores. This lack of integration suggests that research in these regions is either underdeveloped or less connected to the global discourse, pointing to an area for potential growth and inclusion in future collaborations. Overall, the network highlights the dominant influence of established research nations while signaling emerging opportunities for broader, more inclusive global collaboration in this field.

This section presents findings from analyses conducted on the themes and topics identified within the literature, visualized through a co-occurrence network, a thematic map, and a thematic evolution. Together, these representations outline the progression of research on social media and wellbeing, illustrating the field’s academic development and highlighting potential directions for future research.

The co-occurrence network analysis, shown in Figure 9, reveals key themes in research on social media and wellbeing by examining frequently co-occurring terms. This analysis highlights dominant platforms, psychological constructs, and emerging topics in the field.

Figure 9:
Co-occurrence network.

Cluster 1 centers on major platforms like Facebook and Instagram, which play central roles in research on social media’s psychological impacts. Facebook, with the highest Betweenness and PageRank scores, frequently co-occurs with terms like self-esteem, loneliness, and social comparison, reflecting its influence on mental health studies. Instagram, similarly connected to body image and envy, indicates a focus on visual self-presentation and emotional effects. Constructs like psychological wellbeing and social support further suggest an interest in both the benefits and risks of social media. Cluster 2 focuses on mental health challenges, especially among younger users. Key terms like mental health, depression, and anxiety, along with high Betweenness scores, underscore the central concern around psychological distress linked to social media. The pandemic is also a prominent term, highlighting increased research on social media, stress, and addiction during COVID-19. Additionally, phenomena like Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) and platforms like Twitter are tied to social comparison and anxiety. Cluster 3 emphasizes health-related outcomes and newer platforms like YouTube and TikTok. Although health has lower centrality than mental health, studies increasingly explore how social media affects lifestyle behaviours. YouTube and TikTok research primarily examine youth behaviour and educational impacts.

The thematic map (Figure 10) generated by bibliometrix illustrates the distribution of research themes in social media and wellbeing, organized into four quadrants based on development (density) and relevance (centrality). The “Basic Themes” quadrant in the bottom right contains core topics like social support, mental health, adolescents, body image, and pandemic—fundamental areas that consistently underpin research in this domain. These themes are highly developed and central to the field, reflecting their foundational role and ongoing applicability.

Figure 10:
Thematic Map.

In the upper right, the “Motor Themes” quadrant includes well-developed and highly central topics, such as self-disclosure, privacy, ethics, and intervention. These themes play a significant role in advancing the field and are tightly linked with essential issues in social media research, suggesting a strong focus on ethical considerations, privacy concerns, and intervention strategies.

The “Niche Themes” in the upper left quadrant, including public health, body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, and self-presentation affordances, exhibit high development but lower centrality, indicating specialized areas that, while well-researched, have limited widespread applicability. These topics cater to specific subfields within social media and wellbeing.

Finally, the “Emerging or Declining Themes” quadrant in the lower left includes themes such as social media fatigue and emotions, which have low development and centrality, suggesting either nascent areas of research or those with diminishing scholarly interest. These themes could represent opportunities for future research or may need further conceptual refinement to increase their relevance within the field.

The thematic evolution map (Figure 11) provides a visual trajectory of how research on social media and wellbeing has transformed over three time periods: 2010-2015, 2016-2020, and 2021-2024.

Figure 11:
Thematic Evolution.

In the early years (2010-2015), research themes were focused on foundational concepts such as adolescence, mental health, youth, and specific social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. This phase indicates an initial interest in understanding how young people engage with social media and the potential mental health implications. Themes around emotional wellbeing and social networking sites also emerged, suggesting an early exploration of how online social interactions could influence emotional health.

Moving into the 2016-2020 period, research evolved to address broader and more complex constructs, with social media and mental health becoming central themes. Topics such as quality of life, coping, social capital, and fear of missing out (FoMO) reflect a shift towards investigating social media’s impact on overall wellbeing and psychological factors. This period also saw the emergence of social media engagement and subjective wellbeing, indicating a growing interest in the quality and intensity of social media interactions and their effects on individuals’ mental health and life satisfaction.

In the most recent period (2021-2024), the thematic focus has expanded further, delving into specific challenges related to social media use, such as social media addiction, body dissatisfaction, and self-control. Themes like psychological wellbeing, mental health, and wellbeing remain prominent, signalling sustained academic interest in understanding social media’s effects on mental health. New topics like gender differences, sentiment analysis, and machine learning reflect a push towards using advanced methodologies and exploring nuanced dimensions, such as the role of individual differences in social media experiences and psychological outcomes.

Overall, the map demonstrates the evolution from platform-centric studies to a multifaceted exploration of social media’s role in mental and emotional well-being. This thematic shift suggests that future research will likely continue to address the balance between the benefits and risks associated with social media, with particular attention to specific psychological challenges and the use of new technologies to analyze these interactions.

This bibliometric retrospective on social media and wellbeing research paints the picture of a dynamically evolving field marked by significant growth, interdisciplinary collaboration, and diverse thematic foci. Over the past decade, the volume of publications has increased substantially, indicating a heightened academic and societal interest in understanding the psychological and behavioural impacts of social media.

Performance analyses indicate that leading journals and prolific authors, mainly from high-income countries, dominate the field, though research is becoming increasingly global with emerging hubs in Europe, Asia, and Oceania. There are also strong international and regional collaborations, with the U.S. and U.K. serving as key research conduits. Thematic trends show a shift from foundational topics like adolescent mental health to more complex issues such as social comparison, body dissatisfaction, and social media addiction, with newer areas like social media fatigue and digital ethics emerging. Future research may focus on long-term digital engagement effects and interventions to mitigate negative outcomes.

Overall, this bibliometric review signifies the pressing need for continued research into both the risks and benefits of social media use. Future studies should aim to address existing gaps, and leverage interdisciplinary approaches to foster a more holistic understanding of social media’s impact on mental health. As social media becomes ever more integrated into daily life, a comprehensive, cross-cultural perspective will be essential in guiding effective policies and interventions that promote digital wellbeing and mental health across diverse populations.