In this day and age, social media has made a large impact on society. Posting, commenting, and tracking the whereabouts of our friends and families and even strangers we don’t know but find funny or relate to in some way. With social media comes this idea that every person needs to be at a particular stage in their life at a specific time, when in reality, as much as we may forget, people’s lives go at their own pace. It is important to remember that many people post on social media during their happy moments, not the sad ones because sad moments aren’t what other people want to see. Not everything on social media is fact, but unfortunately, many people have forgotten that.
It’s easy to get lost in a sea of information about other people’s lives. You might be scrolling through your news feed and see someone who just got engaged or had a new baby—and you might feel like you need to be there too! Or maybe you’re looking at someone else’s vacation photos from exotic locations and start feeling like your life isn’t as exciting as theirs. But here’s the thing: everyone experiences different things at different times. Some people have children young or early in life; others wait until their 30s or later (or not at all). Some couples get married right out of college; others may wait 20 years before tying the knot (or never do). And some people live in big cities while others prefer small towns
Here are ways that social media can affect your mental health.
- It’s Addictive: While many would disagree that internet and social media addiction is a thing, there has been evidence that both exist. Based on a review study done by Nottingham Trent University, they found that people tend to go through a sort of withdrawal from social media. According to Swansea University, when individuals stop using social media, they experience minor physiological effects.
- Ensures Feelings of Sadness: A study done years ago found that Facebook was linked to less happiness and life satisfaction, thus creating the idea that the more social media we use, the less happy we will become. Another study concluded that social media is linked to greater feelings of social isolation. When looking at how many people used social media sites like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, etc., they found that the more time people spent on these apps, the more they perceived themselves to be socially isolated. Being socially isolated is one of the worst things we can experience physically and mentally.
- Comparison is mentally unhealthy: A lot of the reasons why people feel socially isolated from social media is because of the ‘comparison factor.’ This means that people depend on comparing themselves to others as they scroll through their social media and judge themselves about how they do not measure up. A study showed that people who are on social media tend to compare posts in an “upward” or “downward” direction. They feel that they are either living better or worse than their friends and the people they follow on social media. The study also showed that both the upward and downward direction of thinking made people feel worse because it made them feel bad from both angles.
- Jealousy: It is normal to feel jealousy when you see people on vacation or watch them get a new puppy or a new car, which is something that social media has a multitude of. It is an open space to share all the good that happens in someone’s life. However, studies have shown that social media triggers feelings of jealousy. According to research found by ACADEMIA, “the magnitude of envy incidents taking place on FB alone is astounding, providing evidence that FB offers a breeding ground for invidious feelings.” They continue by stating that feeling jealousy can be a vicious cycle.
- Body Image: While some of us may enjoy the funny and silly filters that social media is known to have, it can be detrimental to our mental health. People believe that there is an unspoken rule that to post or even be on social media, you have to be and look perfect when that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Social media is to have fun and connect with friends and family, but over the years has turned into a competition on who looks better, whose life is better, and more. As stated previously, comparison and jealousy are common feelings for social media users. Because of this, people believe they have to look a certain way to gain a lot of likes and followers, which can be dangerous for their health and safety. Sometimes we forget that not all our followers are our friends, and while it is okay to follow and have followers you may not know, it is important to remember that what you see on a screen is not a representation of who you are.
