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Social media interventions to improve well-being

Nature Human Behaviour volume 9, pages 1079–1089 (2025)Cite this article

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Abstract

Concerns about the negative effect of social media on well-being have generated much interest around the development of social media interventions, which aim to change users’ interactions with social media to improve well-being. To aid the effective study and design of such interventions, we introduce a new theoretical approach, guided by self-determination theory. We review current interventions and categorize them by the context in which they intervene: social media platforms, devices, users, families and society. Drawing on established behavioural change models, we then evaluate how social media use affects the core psychological needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness. We propose theoretically grounded design features that can be applied to maximize the effectiveness of future interventions. In response to the increasing calls for interventions to counteract social media risks, our recommendations will inform future research in academia and industry, with practical applications to enhance well-being in this digital age.

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Fig. 1: Qualitative and quantitative approaches to SMIs.
Fig. 2: A contextual approach for SMIs.
Fig. 3: A step-by-step framework for designing theoretically informed SMIs.

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Acknowledgements

We thank C. Hood, G. Turner, L. Fassi and A. Ferguson for feedback on an earlier version of the manuscript. A.S. and A.O. were funded by the Medical Research Council (MC_UU_00030/13), the Jacobs Foundation and a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship (MR/X034925/1). A.S. was also funded by the Cambridge Trust.

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  1. Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Amira Skeggs & Amy Orben

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  1. Amira Skeggs
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  2. Amy Orben
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A.S.: conceptualization, methodology, investigation, resources, data curation, writing—original draft, writing—review and editing, and visualization. A.O.: writing—review and editing, and supervision.

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Correspondence to Amira Skeggs.

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Extended data

Extended Data Fig. 1 Continuum of Motivation According to Self-Determination Theory.

Adapted from Peters et al., 2018 and Ryan and Deci, 2000a.

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Supplementary Information

Supplementary Information: adolescent focus groups for SMIs.

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Skeggs, A., Orben, A. Social media interventions to improve well-being. Nat Hum Behav 9, 1079–1089 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-025-02167-9

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