The Impact of Social Media on Gen Z's Mental Health: A Multifaceted Examination of Self-Diagnosis, Glamorization, and Online Behaviors

Abstract

The rapid expansion of social media has transformed how young adults engage with mental health information, often blurring the boundaries between awareness, glamorization, and self-diagnosis. This study investigated the relationships among social media use for mental health, glamorization of mental illness, self-diagnosis, and maladaptive online behaviors among Pakistani university students, with a focus on gender differences. Using a cross-sectional design (N = 162), the study employed correlational and regression analyses to test five hypotheses. The results demonstrated that greater social media use for mental health was positively associated with self-diagnosis (r = .277, p < .01; Table 7), supporting Hypothesis 1. Glamorization of mental illness predicted higher levels of self-diagnosis (r = .388, p < .01) and maladaptive online behaviors (r = .606, p < .01), with self-diagnosis mediating this relationship (Table 7), confirming Hypothesis 2. . Regression analyses (Tables 8–10) revealed that both social media use (β = .39, t = 6.11, p < .001) and glamorization (β = .43, t = 6.75, p < .001) significantly predicted maladaptive online behaviors. Regression analyses (Tables 8–10) revealed that both social media use (β = .39, t = 6.11, p < .001) and glamorization (β = .43, t = 6.75, p < .001) significantly predicted maladaptive online behaviors, explaining nearly half of the variance (R² = .488, F(2, 159) = 75.69, p < .001), supporting Hypothesis 3.Gender-specific analyses (Tables 12 and 13) revealed that glamorization was more strongly correlated with self-diagnosis among males (r = .470, p = .002) than females (r = .355, p < .01), partially supporting Hypothesis 4. However, the indirect effect of glamorization on maladaptive online behaviors through self-diagnosis was stronger for females, as indicated by their higher correlations between social media use and online behaviors (r = .717, p < .01) compared to males (r = .304, p = .053), supporting Hypothesis 5. These findings highlight the dual role of social media as both a coping resource and a risk factor. While platforms provide accessible information and peer validation, glamorized portrayals of mental illness encourage self-diagnosis and maladaptive behaviors, particularly among female students. This aligns with prior research showing that glamorization normalizes illness identities and fosters maladaptive engagement (Yıldırım, 2023; Romann & Oeldorf-Hirsch, 2025). The gendered differences observed resonate with studies emphasizing that women are more vulnerable to internalizing glamorized portrayals due to heightened social comparison (He et al., 2024), while men may use glamorization as a covert avenue for acknowledging distress in patriarchal contexts (Mushtaq & de Visser, 2024). The study contributes to the growing literature on digital mental health by situating these dynamics within Pakistan, where stigma and limited access to professional services remain significant barriers (Khalily, 2011; Saeed, Gater, Hussain, & Mubbashar, 2000). The results underscore the need for culturally sensitive interventions that promote digital literacy, reduce glamorization, and expand institutional support for students. Future research should employ longitudinal and cross-cultural designs to further examine causal pathways and test the effectiveness of interventions.