How does social media affect our mental health?
Humans are social animals. We all enjoy staying connected to each other socially. There are many ways to do it, of which social media is the most popular. Nowadays we cannot imagine a life without social media. We depend on various social media platforms for this. This is good for us as we are always updated about various activities around us. But, its use is affecting our mental health badly.
Benefits of using social media
Before we discuss how social media is impacting our mental health, let us find out some of its benefits:
- Information sharing is really quick.
- Any kind of news, updates, articles, or information is available which is helpful in an emergency.
- We are easily connected to people across the globe and aware of their whereabouts.
- Easy networking and reach to new people thus helping in community building.
- More sources of learning are available.
- Facilities like e-commerce are helping people to grow their businesses.
- Helping people to be more expressive using content creation.
- People are more aware of activities going on around the world.
- Real-time communication is helping professionally and personally.
Impact of using social media on mental health
Below are the major impacts of social media on mental health:
Isolation
Heavy usage of social media leads to isolating people from real-life interactions.
Often one ends up checking their social media while sitting with their friends or family. This leads to less emotional and physical connection. One forgets to live in the moment and may regret it later.
Children are more prone to this as they have forgotten the basic sense of sharing and interacting physically.
Face-to-face interactions are less. Intimacy in their relationships getting lost. Most of the time it ends up in our mental peace.
Distraction
Using social media in the middle of work is a sheer distraction.
Any task may take a longer time to complete than expected.
Posting regular content rather than creating good content is a major concern. Due to this mind is always occupied with unnecessary work.
Checking social media from time to time in the middle of a meeting, an important conversation, etc. is becoming a habit that lessens the actual work.
Often children end up having a lot of screen time and browsing unnecessary content that distracts their minds.
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
Often feel missing out on the crowd while doing anything. For example,
- Not going to that place that is frequently visited by people.
- Not wearing the latest fashion trends.
- Having irregular parties or trips while others are constantly posting about it.
- Having no information about gossip while others are too included.
- Not living a life as per the exceptions of others.
It creates a perception that lets one think that if one does not do what others are doing one is out of the league. This often gives a distorted perception of reality.
Often one ends up thinking that others are having more fun, living a good life, and achieving a lot while one is good for nothing. This only ends up demotivating oneself.
Cyberbullying
Social media platforms often end up facilitating bullying, trolling, and harassment.
If anyone has access to someone’s private information which can be used against can cause major harm.
Often social media trolling takes a toll on a person’s mental health adversely.
Sleep pattern distortion
Scrolling social media endlessly till late at night may lead to disturbed sleep patterns. Due to this, your brain may not function properly.
Also, checking social media as the first thing in the morning impacts your thought process. Any information that can impact you may end up impacting your day.
Checking social media whenever you wake up in the middle of the night distracts your sleep pattern.
Comparison
People often end up comparing their lives, status, physique, conditions, etc. with others.
They often think highly of others are try to match with them instead of being thankful for what they have.
Children end up being more demanding of their parents for various things. Also, people end up being too demanding in their relationships. This is due to the expectations set up by social media.
Comparison with others often leads to demotivation, stress, anxiety, and depression. One always tries to reach out for those things that they don’t have. This causes a lot of problems.
Seeking Validation
Often people end up seeking validation in the form of likes, shares, subscribers, and followers. They end up losing confidence in themselves.
In search of validation, they end up doing weird things sometimes. This may lead to trouble. Most likely, they end up performing stunts that may attract more audience.
Their whole personality revolves around preparing an act in search of validation on social media.
How to change social media use? (Digital Detox)
- Keep track of how much social media you use in a day.
- Limit social media app usage by adding alerts, installing apps, etc.
- Ensure social media breaks on a daily and weekly basis.
- Avoid phone while having your food either alone or with anyone.
- Monitor phone/TV/ tablet usage of children.
- Parental controls in devices can help in tracking the content for children.
- Try to indulge yourself and your children in some physical activity.
- Have more face-to-face interactions which helps in developing emotions and empathy. Also, encourage children to do the same.
- Talk to your children about their concerns, issues, etc.
- Pick up your favorite hobby like reading, dancing, or painting whenever getting bored. Encourage children to do the same.
- Practice meditation, chanting, or deep breathing to keep yourself calm and reduce anxiety.
- Set up a clear purpose on why you want to detox, having a goal gives us motivation.
- Keep confidence in yourself instead of seeking validation from others.
- Stop scrolling social media unnecessarily. Instead, try interacting with people which will offer engagement.
- Do not keep your phone beside your bed to ensure a good sleep.
- Focus more on offline activities rather than online.
- Practice gratitude instead of comparing your life with others on social media.
- Spend more time offline with friends and family.
- Make a list of positive aspects of your life instead of feeling FOMO.
- Try writing/ journaling/ diary writing instead of posting everything on social media.
Further one can read the following book to get more help on this:
