Impact of Social Media on Mental Health

Have you ever felt like you are missing out whenever you spend a day without interacting with people on social media? Why would you feel like you have missed out on something, yet, you cannot define your daily expectations from social media platforms? Some research has revealed that FOMO (fear of missing out) drives people’s desire to engage in social media. In addition, social media has increased people’s desire for affirmation, a process that engages the reward circuit in the brain. The desire for approval can cause addiction as one looks forward to gathering likes, comments, and gifts on different platforms. In addition, social media can cause depression and anxiety. There are also higher chances that one will become lonely and develop health problems that result from inactivity.

Relationship between Social Media and Depression

Research shows that people who control their time on social media control their mental health better than those who do not. Many people, especially youths and adolescents, have reduced life satisfaction, developed sleep problems, and get anxious about their body image when interacting with social peers. Individuals who do not manage their time on social media end up spending their sleeping time interacting with others. In addition, they tend to keep up with daily trends, and if they fail to, they become judgmental and have a negative perception of themselves. When a teenager feels incompetent and unable to match the standards set by their peers on social media, they may develop suicidal thoughts or self-harm.

Relationship between Social Media and Inactivity

Social media contributes to the increased rate of a sedentary lifestyle, which impacts one’s well-being. Even though social media contributes to a certain degree of social interaction, in-person interaction often declines, and physical activity opportunities are reduced. The fear of missing out makes one stay up late or spend a lot of time on the internet, increasing one’s risk of becoming over-weight, suffering from heart illnesses. Some other health problems that result from excessive engagement in social media through portable appliances include upper back pain, eye strain, and wrist pain.

Addiction to Social Media

People use social media not only to socialize but also to set targets to compete with their peers. For instance, many people post content and photos and look forward to influencing others to comment on or like them. Sometimes, people spend more time luring people to view their posts to reach the targeted number of people. Today, many people set targets to attract followers on TikTok, for example, to get to the levels associated with different advantages or uses of the social media. As individuals dedicate a lot of time to these social media platforms, they tend to forego other important roles in life, such as meeting their job-related goals. When you get addicted to social media, you are also likely to spend a lot of time alone, thus losing contact with your family and friends. The aftermath of this process is that you will likely have a problem developing and maintaining interpersonal relationships with people around you.

Consider controlling your time on social media to promote your mental health. Like any other activity, engaging in social media requires one to allocate time to ensure that they can attend to other needs and engage in beneficial activities. Make a decision today and socialize responsibly!

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