Our lives now revolve around social media everyday: we use it to communicate with friends and family, accept invites to public events and join online communities to meet people who have similar interests. With the advent of social media in the early 2000s, social interactions now have more channels and avenues for communication. Recent studies indicates that consumers use social media for 2.3 hours every day on average. In 2022, youngsters have become more and more accustomed of using YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. One-third of them believe they use these sites excessively. The substantial amount of time that people spend on social media across the globe has focused researchers’ attention on the advantages and disadvantages of using it. Excessive use is mostly linked to poorer psychological well-being, according to a research.

Social media is a technology that offers many advantages. It enables communication and sharing, news and information gathering, and even meeting new individuals. However, there may also be drawbacks, particularly for young adults in college who have grown up surrounded by screens.  Use of social media has been connected to loneliness, anxiety and depression. People who use social media frequently may feel more melancholy and less satisfied with life than people who spend more time engaging in activities unrelated to screens, according to recent studies cited by The Child Mind Institute and The National Center for Health Research. 

Checking social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and others is a common habit for a lot of people. Globally, there were projected to be 4.9 billion social media users in 2023. Every day, the average person uses social media for 145 minutes. One method to feel more connected is to read posts from friends and relatives who live all over the world. Use of social media does have a drawback, though.

Social media can have a detrimental effect on our general well-being by escalating feelings of loneliness, anxiety, sadness, and fear of missing out. Teenagers and adults are particularly affected by these problems. Social media is here to stay and it will only get more invasive and change over time. 

What is the Impact of social Media on Mental Health?

The negative always follows the positive. Despite all of its advantages, social media’s nature raises a number of possible problems.

1. Virtual Versus Actual:

While social media allows people to connect across distances, it often creates a gap between virtual interactions and real-life relationships. The convenience of sending a message or liking a post has, in many cases, replaced deeper face-to-face communication. People tend to substitute meaningful conversations with short, often superficial interactions online. This can lead to a sense of emotional detachment and isolation. Online “friends” or connections might not reflect genuine relationships. In many cases, these virtual connections are with people we’ve never met in real life, or they remain at a surface level, lacking the depth, trust, and understanding that come with true friendships. The anonymity of the internet can also make it difficult to gauge someone’s intentions or sincerity, creating an illusion of friendship that may not hold up offline. Over time, this can contribute to feelings of loneliness, as people begin to realize that these online interactions lack the emotional fulfillment provided by in-person relationships.

2.  Rise in Use:

The growing prevalence of social media usage has led to significant changes in how people, particularly young adults, experience and process emotions. As users spend increasing amounts of time on social platforms, there is a notable rise in negative emotional and mental health outcomes, such as melancholy, social anxiety, and feelings of inadequacy. Prolonged exposure to the curated, idealized lives of others can foster unhealthy comparisons, leading individuals to feel inferior or left out, a phenomenon often referred to as “fear of missing out” (FOMO). In addition, the constant connectivity of social media can create an environment ripe for cyberbullying, where hurtful comments or harassment are more likely to go unchecked due to the perceived anonymity and lack of accountability online. Overexposure to inappropriate or harmful content is another serious risk, as algorithms often promote sensational or provocative material. Combined, these factors contribute to heightened stress and anxiety, creating a mental health crisis for frequent social media users, especially teenagers and young adults.

3. Social Media may become Addictive:

When engaging in a game or completing a work, your goal is to perform as efficiently as possible. Your brain will release dopamine and other feel-good hormones when you achieve, which will make you happy. The similar process is used when you upload a photo to Facebook or Instagram. You’ll begin to perceive all of the likes and encouraging remarks as a reward as soon as you see them appear on your screen. Not only that, but social media has extensive events that might alter one’s mood.

4. Fear of Missing Out:

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) has become a common psychological phenomenon in the digital age, especially with the rise of social media platforms. It refers to the anxious feeling or perception that others are experiencing rewarding events or having fun without you. Social media often amplifies this feeling, as people constantly post about their experiences, travels, achievements, and social gatherings. The fear of missing out drives individuals to repeatedly check their social media feeds, often several times a day, in an attempt to stay updated on what others are doing. This compulsive need to stay connected can lead to unhealthy habits, such as checking notifications at all hours, even during important moments like work, study, or family time.

5. Self-image Issues:

Social media platforms give users the mediums to compare themselves to others and get others’ approval for the way they look. It may be connected to issues with body image. The people most susceptible to this are the “selfieholics” and those who spend a lot of time scrolling and posting. Indeed, the majority of undergraduate women who use Facebook five or more times a day are probably going to associate their worth with their appearance. Social media merely serves as a channel for it, which intensifies the issue, not that it is the primary cause of it. It encourages others to act in a similar manner as well.

What are the other Impacts of Social Media?

Social media is often used as a “security blanket” by humans. We reach for our phones and open social media if we’re feeling uneasy, lonely or nervous in a social setting. Naturally, using social media to communicate with others merely takes away from the in-person interactions that can reduce anxiety.

It’s possible that other underlying issues like stress, despair or boredom are being covered up by your excessive social media use. If you use social media more frequently when you’re depressed, lonely or bored, you might be utilizing it to self-soothe your moods or divert your attention from unpleasant emotions. Finding better techniques to control your moods can be facilitated by allowing yourself to feel, even though it can be challenging at first.

Overuse of social media can start an unfavorable, self-sustaining cycle:

  1. You use social media more frequently when you’re feeling lonely, unhappy, anxious, or stressed because it helps you pass the time and feel connected to people.
  2. However, frequent use of social media heightens emotions of FOMO as well as feelings of loneliness, inadequacy, and unhappiness.
  3. Consequently, these emotions have a detrimental effect on your mood and exacerbate stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms.
  4. You use social media even more as a result of these deteriorating symptoms, which feeds the downward spiral.

How to Put Social Media Aside?

Try limiting your time on social media in light of the aforementioned warning indicators. This may be limiting the amount of time you spend on your phone using specific apps, setting time limitations for your screen, or designating specific hours for checking your accounts. Some even discover that taking periodic breaks or a “detox” from social media allows them to concentrate on their relationships and mental well-being. Taking a break from social media can be refreshing and beneficial for your mental well-being. Here are some strategies to help you put social media aside:

  • Arrange a little get-together.
  • Spend some time exercising outside.
  • Look for a volunteer opportunity and spend time with a close friend in person.
  • Define what you want to achieve by taking a break from social media, whether it’s to improve focus, reduce stress or reclaim time.
  • Create a schedule for social media use and stick to them. You might decide to check social media only in the morning and evening or allocate just 15 minutes per day.
  • There are apps designed to track and limit your social media use, such as Freedom, Stay Focused or Moment. These can help you stick to your goals.
  • Disable notifications for social media apps to reduce the temptation to check them frequently.
  • Engage in activities that you find enjoyable and fulfilling, like reading, exercising, cooking, or spending time with friends and family.
  • Designate certain areas of your home or times of day as no-social-media zones. For example, keep your phone out of the bedroom or avoid social media during meals.
  • Take some time to think about how social media affects your mood and productivity. Understanding its impact can motivate you to reduce your usage.
  • Set Boundaries with friends and family so they can support you and respect your boundaries.
  • Place reminders around your home or workspace to help you stay mindful of your intention to cut back on social media.

How to help a Child or Teenage with Unhealthy use of Social Media?

Social pressures and developmental obstacles can be present throughout childhood and adolescence. Social media can exacerbate mental health conditions such as anxiety, sadness, bullying, and low self-esteem in certain children.

It may be tempting to just take away your child’s phone or other gadget if you’re concerned about how they’re using social media. However, that can lead to more issues by cutting off your youngster from their peers and the advantages of social media. Alternatively, there exist other methods to assist your child in utilizing Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and additional platforms responsibly.

1. Talk to your Child:

You should discuss fundamental difficulties with your youngster. Social media usage problems can frequently conceal more serious problems. Does your child struggle to make friends at school? Do they have social anxiety or shyness? Are they stressed out because of issues at home?

2. Enforce Breaks from Social Media:

Put “social media” breaks in place. You may, for instance, forbid social media use until after your child has finished their schoolwork in the evening, forbid phones from being used in the bedroom or at the dinner table, and schedule family events that prohibit the use of phones or other electronics. Make sure all phones are turned off at least an hour before bed to avoid sleep issues.

3. Social Media’s Inaccuracy Awareness:

Show your kids that people’s lives are not accurately reflected on social media. People shouldn’t use social media to disparagingly compare their lives or selves to those of others. Users only share content they want other people to view. Photographs are edited or meticulously staged and chosen. Furthermore, having fewer social media acquaintances does not devalue or make your child less well-liked.

4. Engage in Other Activities:

Promote physical activity and hobbies outside of the internet. Encourage your youngster to engage in physical activities and hobbies that need social connection to keep them away from social media. Engaging in physical activity as a family can help reduce stress and anxiety, enhance mood, and increase self-worth.

Conclusion

Having a good relationship on social media is unique to you. Consider carefully how you use social media and the effects it has on you. Any action you take to reduce screen time or strengthen your bond with your phone will have a good effect on your mental well-being. Get involved in things that make you happy away from your phone. Connecting with people can be facilitated by reading, art, pickle ball, hiking, get together with friends and walks. Engaging in creative activities can enhance both your mental and physical well-being.

SOURCES

BMC Psychology 2023 – Pros & Cons of Social Media

University of California 2024 – Impact of social Media on our Mental Health

Well-Being & Happiness 2023 – Social Media & Mental Health

HISTORY

Current Version
September 4, 2024

Written By:
BARIRA MEHMOOD