Rise in the Use of Social Media Due to COVID-19 and Its Consequences: An Integrated Review

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly transformed global communication patterns, leading to an unprecedented rise in social media usage. This integrative review critically examines the extent of this increase and its multifaceted consequences, among people specially in school going adolescents. Drawing upon interdisciplinary literature published between 2020 and 2025, the study synthesizes findings related to digital media consumption, information dissemination, misinformation (infodemic), mental health outcomes, online addiction and safety measures adopted by countries to address the concern. The findings reveal a paradoxical role of social media: while it facilitated rapid awareness and social connectivity, it simultaneously amplified misinformation, psychological distress, and digital dependency. It concludes by emphasizing the urgent need for media literacy, healthy device use, and a regulatory framework by governments that should couple restrictions with responsible use of smartphones to prevent similar crises in the near future.