Social media and the mental health of those who use it is a highly debated subject. It’s been said social media can make lives easier and more enjoyable, and there are those who also believe social media makes it impossible for people to live fulfilling and happy lives. It’s a little bit of both depending on the mental health of the person using social media. If someone is suffering from unhappiness or depression in their own lives, it’s certainly more likely their feelings will grow more serious if they continuously scroll through the happy highlight reels so many people post to social media. Social media is a powerful tool that allows people to connect to those they work with, their faraway friends and family, and so much more. It can be a great tool for entertainment and socialization, but it’s also dangerous in terms of the mental health of those who use it. People aren’t fully aware of the effects of social media on their mental health, and it’s time to educate people on these dangers.
Social Media and Mental Health
The most commonly used social media channels include the following:
- Snapchat
- YouTube
Mental health issues caused by social media can include the following.
- Depression
- Feelings of inadequacy
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Addiction
- Sadness
- Jealousy
Some people chose to use Reddit, Tumblr, and many other social media sites. Each one comes with its own features such as live videos and other things, but each one also comes with the potential to cause major mental health problems. Everyone uses their social media account in their own way, but each person who uses it also interprets what they see in a different manner. There are some people who are able to go through their social media account and feel happy for their friends who got promoted, bought a house, had a baby, went on a beautiful vacation, or whatnot.
Unfortunately, there are also others who are negatively impacted by the exact same pictures and photos. While medical research is still being developed and studied, it does appear that people who aren’t in a place they want to be, who aren’t making the money they want to make, who aren’t fulfilling their dreams, or who already suffer from mental health issues might view these photos and updates negatively. They might not be able to handle what they see, and there are many questions social media users want to ask.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many people have questions about how social media affects their mental health. These questions are very basic, but the answers to each are informative. A better understanding of how social media can increase mental health issues, how it can cause mental health issues, and how it can affect users in a personal way is important.
1. Does social media cause depression?
There’s a lot of debate about this, but it turns out social media can cause serious feelings of unhappiness. If someone is on the cusp of feeling depressed, it can push them over the edge. It can cause users to feel envious of others, it can cause them to experience the fear of missing out, and it can make people feel inadequate.
2. How else does social media affect people negatively?
In addition to depression and feelings of depression and unhappiness, social media can socially isolate people, cause them to withdraw from their families, and it can cause a serious disconnect. Even people who aren’t unhappy in their lives can be negatively affected by social media in terms of feeling the need to spend their time online rather than being present in their real life. For example, a happy wife and mom might not be able to spend quality time with her kids or spouse because she is too busy focusing on taking the perfect photo at every turn so she can post and share it. Her kids feel ignoring, her spouse feels ignored, but everyone else thinks her life is perfect. It’s a negative effect on the mental health of not only her but her entire family.
3. Why does social media affect mental health so much?
Social media’s impact on the world is profound. Everyone is constantly connected. They are living parallel lives to people they don’t know in real life or haven’t seen in years, and they feel connected to those people more so than their own families. They see the innermost workings of everyone’s lives, happy wedding photos, beautiful vacation photos, and picture-perfect dream house photos. If someone is not where they want to be in their own life, seeing the perfect lives of everyone else makes them feel worse. It’s difficult for people to remember that no one’s life is perfect, and all those perfect tidbits they post are just the best of the best.
4. Is it possible to look at social media and not feel negative mental health problems or emotions?
Yes! It is absolutely possible to look at social media and not feel negative emotions. However, it depends on where people are in their own lives. Someone who is happy in their own life is less likely to feel that way when they see other people living their best life. Someone who has a lot of self-confidence and doesn’t seek the approval of others is going to feel happy about their personal life rather than unhappy about it when they see others living a good life.
5. How can someone use social media without feeling bad or affecting their mental health?
There are a few things people can do to achieve this. The first is to unfollow all accounts that make a person feel bad about themselves. If someone has a person on their Facebook feed whose page always leaves them feeling bitter and jealous, they can unfollow that person. They can also use that negative emotion as a positive in their own life. They can make the personal decision to never feel this way again and start making a list of things they want to change about their own life so that account doesn’t leave them feeling envious or sad. Finally, it’s also helpful for people to remember that social media is the best of the best. They aren’t seeing the ugly, the bad, and the moments that aren’t appropriate when they are viewing social media feeds. Remember this, and it helps make feels of anxiety and jealousy calm down.
6. Is social media really that bad?
Yes and no. If someone is using social media correctly, it’s not that bad. However, anyone who finds themselves unable to get their work done, to focus on their family, or to be fully present in their own lives should evaluate why they are using social media so much and how it’s affecting them. It’s all about how a person uses their account and their profile, and it’s also a personal decision how social media makes them feel. If someone cannot look at their social media accounts without feeling mad, sad, or bad, it might be time to delete those accounts.
7. Is there anything else people should know about social media and mental health?
Yes. There’s a very real danger that younger kids and teens can suffer exceptional mental health problems from social media and the bullying that’s done online. There is a growing number of children self-harming and even committing suicide because of social media bullying. It’s terrible, and it’s affecting their mental health. It’s also dangerous for younger kids because parents never know if the ‘friends’ their kids are making are really friends or criminals with an agenda.
8. Should people just delete social media?
Yes and no. If someone cannot handle it and their life is being negatively affected, deleting social media can change their life for the better. If someone is using it as a positive even if they feel less than positive, it’s a different experience. For example, Jane is 30 and she’s unmarried, not living her dream life, and never traveling. She wants all of the above and seeing everyone else getting married, living their dream lives, and traveling makes her sad. She decides she’s got to do something, so she puts herself out there. She starts going out and meeting people, she makes the decision to start that business she’s always dreamed of, and she starts saving every spare penny so she can travel. Her envy was used to motivate her, and that’s changing her life for the better. She’s doing it right.
Social media can be dangerous to the mental health of those who use it, and it’s time people understand there are options. People who suffer from depression can speak to their doctor. Those who are feeling unhappy in their own lives can reach outside their own comfort zones and make positive changes, and people can simply stop using social media and learn to enjoy their lives. People have options, but it’s not always easy to see them. Mental health is far more important than social media likes, after all.
