How Social Media is Affecting Your Mental Health

In this digital age, social media has become the primary platform for people to share and express themselves. As of 2018, there are over 2 billion active users on all the leading social media platforms. Moreover, these numbers are continuing to grow at a rapid pace. Social media has played a significant role in connecting people from all around the world. It also gives users an opportunity to present themselves in ways that they choose to be seen. However, with great power comes great potential for harm. The frequent usage of social media can have negative effects on your mental health and wellbeing. Let’s take a closer look at how social media is affecting your mental health...

How Social Media is Hurting Your Mental Health

Social media can, at times, lead to people feeling inadequate or less worthy. Moreover, it can even lead to body dysmorphia and other mental health issues. The impact of social media on mental health is not entirely positive. One of the most common mental health issues that is triggered by social media is anxiety. Anxiety is triggered by feelings of worry, nervousness, or unease that are associated with a certain event or situation that has not happened yet. It is normal for people to feel anxious about certain things in life. However, if social media is causing you to feel anxious, then it is likely that your anxiety has become a problem. Similar to anxiety, depression is also triggered by social media. Depression is not a short-term feeling but is an ongoing issue that can last for months or even years. Symptoms of depression include feeling sad or empty, loss of interest in things you used to enjoy, sleeping more or less than usual, weight changes, feeling tired all the time, and having low self-worth.

Anxiety and Depression Due to Social Media Use

Social media usage has also been linked to depression. Depression is a mental illness that is characterized by persistent sadness and a loss of interest in activities that once brought joy. Research has found that as much as 10 percent of teenagers may be depressed. Moreover, social media usage has been linked to higher rates of depression in teens. This is because spending too much time on social media can lead to feelings of isolation or inferiority. According to studies, the more time teenagers spend on social media, the more likely they are to experience depression. There has also been a growing concern with the prevalence of anxiety amongst millennials. Social media usage has been linked to higher rates of anxiety in millennials. This is because frequent use of social media can lead to feelings of inadequacy or an inability to keep up with unrealistic standards of perfection.

Constant FOMO: Fear of Missing Out

Fear of missing out, or FOMO, is a significant concern amongst those who frequently use social media. FOMO is used to describe the anxiety caused by being excluded from events that you are aware of but are unable to attend. While FOMO is a common experience for many people, it can become problematic if it leads to feelings of intense anxiety that are difficult to overcome. It can be easy to fall into the trap of FOMO when constantly engaging with social media. This is because you are constantly seeing what everyone else is doing and you can’t do any of it.

Constant Exposure to Negative Behaviour and Content

Social media provides users with an opportunity to present themselves in a manner that they choose to be seen. Unfortunately, studies have shown that a vast majority of these posts are negative in nature. This is because people prefer to post when they are angry or depressed rather than posting when they are happy or satisfied. Moreover, people prefer to post negative content because it gets more engagement. Engagement is the term used to describe a user clicking on the post, reading the post, or clicking on any other hyperlink in the post. As a result, negative content receives more engagement than positive content. This can have a significant impact on your mental health. This is because constant exposure to negative behaviour and content can lead to feelings of sadness and low self-esteem.

The Detriment of Constant Self Comparison

Social media allows people to constantly compare themselves to others. You see the highlight reel of everyone’s lives, but you don’t see the behind the scenes. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy. Moreover, constant comparison can lead to feelings of depression, anxiety, and low self-worth. Unfortunately, comparing yourself to others is a natural part of life. However, social media has allowed us to do this at a completely unprecedented rate. You might be wondering how this is possible. Well, it’s easy. You simply scroll through your social media feed. This is a convenient way to keep tabs on your friends and family. Unfortunately, there is a downside to this. You are not only keeping tabs on them. You are also keeping tabs on their achievements, vacation photos, and other success stories.

Conclusion

Social media has become a significant part of modern life. It is difficult to avoid it completely. However, you can be mindful of how much time you spend on social media and take steps to protect your mental health. You can reduce the negative impact of social media on your mental health by limiting your usage. Moreover, you can seek help if you feel like you are experiencing negative effects from social media. It is important that you don’t feel ashamed to seek help. Remember, social media is a tool. It is up to you how you use it and what impact it has on your life.