Social media are something we can no longer live without these days and impact mental health. Whether it’s to post pictures, view feeds, or engage ourselves with the latest trendy thing, it is very sure that platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or even TikTok have, all of a sudden taken how people connect with each other by storm. It is great and beneficial in many senses-like staying in touch with long friends, and discovering new trends in content the effect that social media have on one’s mental health tends to be quite dramatic too. In this article, we’ll share about the relationship between social media and mental health. We also will outline steps you can take to establish a healthier relationship with your social media usage.
Why We Can’t Stop Scrolling: The Allure of Social Media
The design of social media is addictive. The feed of pictures, with the endless stream of notifications and instant feeling that inspiring hit our dopamine, makes it exceedingly hard to put down our phones. why it works like that way?
This is because social media platforms are built upon algorithms designed to keep users on their screens for as long as possible. This usually means that what you would probably see is something that has a tonically ending style with your own interest and preference, which then gives you that urge to just scroll on and click around. Sometimes, in seeing a particular post racking up huge likes or comments, the brain can end up in a response form of reacting to something more like getting a reward when dopamine-toned chemicals causing good feeling are released into the bloodstream. This stimulus of rapidity strengthens your behavior and heralds in a click for yet another.
But in this system, we are rewarded differently, and things go south. There is a whole host of people addicted to certain features of our devices and social networks, compulsively pulling out their phones and answering to notifications, seeking that rewarding pleasure, instant gratification, and validation that come in likes, comments, and shares when validated in public. As such behavior continues, compulsive checking of our cell phones enables a structure of dependence wherein we seek to feel good when we are engaging with social media or seize hold of an opportunity to stray from our negative emotional states.
Social Comparison: The Highlight Reel Effect
The most common negative effect of social media on mental health is the way in which social comparison works. You scroll through Instagram or Facebook, seeing people posting pictures of the best moments of their lives: vacations, parties, achievements, and more curate lifestyles. This has often been referred to as the highlight reel effect.
The problem is when you’re constantly comparing yourself to others, sometimes you start feeling inadequate. You may see someone posting a photo about a luxurious vacation, and you feel envious because your life didn’t seem exciting enough, or you may see friends achieving personal or career milestones and start doubting your accomplishments.
This constant comparison even allows for bad feelings, like anxiety, low self-esteem, and depression, to arise. To set things straight, what the majority of people post about on social media is, after all, a filtered reality. People tend to share their highlights, but rarely their struggles. That is why it is a simple matter to compare the whole of your life against the highlight reel of somebody else in comparison, leaving too much pressure on you.
Another way social media impacts mental health is through FOMO, or the Fear of Missing Out. FOMO is the feeling that others are experiencing something exciting or meaningful without you. You might see a group of friends hanging out, attending events, or participating in activities that you weren’t invited to, which can cause feelings of exclusion and loneliness.
That it enhances FOMO in users is because there is the ability to show them, real-time, so allowing you to see their live happenings; though so bad at leaving you so, you need to have the feed checked incessantly to know what others have been up to. Well, updating with this sort of high anxiety may bring stress; you are likely to let go of social media as well and therefore have little attention span.
In extreme cases, FOMO can even make people overcommit to social events or activities just to avoid the fear of being left out. This can lead to burnout and social exhaustion, further affecting mental health.
The Rise of Cyberbullying
Unfortunately, not all interactions on social media sites are pleasant. One of the growing issues related to the use of social networks is cyberbullying, especially among the young. As this method of bullying occurs using digital means, it is not carried out face-to-face like traditional bullying, which can occur within a limited space. Cyberbullying includes hurtful comments, the spreading of baseless rumors, and the creation of fake profiles or pages that serves as a means of harassment or intimidation against another person.
Severe damage to the mental well-being can often be brought about by cyberbullying, and its usual outcomes include alienation, depression, and anxiety. Self-worth or even the loss of hope may characterize victims of cyberbullying, and usually, it occurs when such harassment does not end soon.
The difficulty with cyberbullying is that it can happen at any hour of the day. While traditional bullying might be confined to school hours or in-person interactions, cyberbullying can occur 24/7, making it difficult for victims to get relief. It is very important that people and the platforms take steps to curb and address cyberbullying.
Social Media and Sleep Disruption
The last impact of social media on mental health that is generally overlooked is how it disrupts sleep patterns. More and more people are browsing their feeds late at night, which interferes with their ability to wind down and fall asleep. Melatonin production is disrupted through the blue light emitted from smartphones and other devices.
Additional important active social media exposure even up to bedtime will delay relaxation and sleep because, psychologically, the brain finds itself in a wake state. Poor sleep has links associated with several mental issues : enhanced stress, anxiety and depression.
one other thing you can do is try to regulate its usage, at least in the evening. Avoiding too much screen time before bed will allow your mind to unwind and spend better quality time sleeping, thereby contributing to improved mental well-being.
How to Keep Healthy Relationships with Social Media
While social media may contribute to mental illness, it can also be harnessed positively. Here are some healthy strategies for a healthier relationship with social media:
Limit screen time: Install daily limits on how much time you want to spend on social media. Many apps have built-in tracking tools that can help stay within healthy limits.
Block or mute negative accounts: Whenever certain accounts or people leave you feeling bad about yourselves, there’s nothing wrong with you to unfollow or block those accounts. Surround your mind with uplifting and inspiring material instead.
Compare less: Remind yourself of how what you view on social media is, after all, a highlight of sorts. Try not to compare your life to an edited version of other people’s lives.
Avoid social media: Sometimes, stepping away from social media can really help to recharge the batteries. A day, a weekend, even a week, could really help clear your head and de-stress.
Seek help when in pain: If you get so hurt through social media it is imperative to say the word out. Do whatever it takes to see anyone who cares about your psychological well-being. Let whomever it might be know what you go through. They can save someone like you from severe, even permanent damage in exchange for their time to communicate with you.
Social media is changing how we convey the message across, yet very important to be watchful enough on the impact about psychology. Although it enables a connection and the discovery of new content, it causes anxiety, depression, and isolation at times if left unmanaged. Being aware of your social media and taking precautions on your own to protect your mental well-being can allow you to enjoy the benefits of social media without derailment to comparison, FOMO, or too much screen time.