The rise of social media has spotlighted the online behaviors of its users, particularly among college students in China, a key demographic. This study surveyed 1,418 undergraduates from five universities in S city, employing correlation analysis to explore the relationship between social media usage and mental health. A predictive model was developed to quantify the associations within social networks. Our study, including independent sample tests, reveals a positive correlation between social media dependency and ten mental health indicators, with a maximum correlation strength of 0.4919. The findings underscore the importance of fostering critical engagement with social media and developing strategies to mitigate its addictive aspects among college students.