As social networking sites continue to develop and expand the opportunity to stay in touch with others and create online personalities has only increased. This is especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between excessive use of social networking sites such as Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok and the mental health of college students. Particular emphasis was placed on how this relationship looked during the height of the pandemic compared to the present day. The hypothesis of this study was that high social media (SM) use would be related to high anxiety levels and lower well-being. High social media use was also predicted to be related to the use of escapism coping mechanisms, and the temperaments emotionality-distress and emotionality-fearfulness. A questionnaire was shared with Union College students online. A total of 103 students (73 females and 24 males) completed the questionnaire, with partial responses from an additional 25 participants. Results indicated that students who reported using SM more often had higher anxiety and distress levels than students with low SM use. High SM users were also more likely to report using social media for escapism purposes than low SM users, both during and after the height of the pandemic. However, there was no significant relationship between SM use and well-being. These results suggest that social media use could potentially lead to worsening mental health, especially for adolescents who experience high anxiety and distress amid the pandemic. On the other hand, the current results could reflect the possibility that anxious or distressed individuals are more likely to utilize social media as a way of coping with their anguish.