The role social media plays in mental health

We, as human beings, are social creatures. We need the companionship of others to thrive in life and the strength of these relationships have a huge impact on our mental health and wellbeing. Being socially connected to others can ease stress, anxiety, depression and boost self-worth and prevent loneliness. On the other hand, lacking these strong social connections can pose a serious risk to your mental and emotional wellbeing. 

In today’s world, many of us rely on social media applications such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and YouTube to connect with each other. Ironically, this technology is designed to bring people closer together but can often have an adverse effect as spending too much time engaging with social media can actually make you feel more isolated and may exacerbate mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Social media can never be a replacement for real-life human interaction. 

The positives of social media

Despite our social media interactions not having the same psychological benefits as face-to-face contact with one another, there are still many positive ways in which social media enables us to stay connected and boost our wellbeing. 

Social media enables us to:

·     Stay up to date and communicate with family and friends around the world.

·     Find new friends and network with others who share similar interests or ambitions.

·     Seek or offer emotional support 

·     Find an outlet for our creativity and self-expression. 

·     Discover sources of valuable information. 

The negatives of social media

Multiple studies have found a strong link between frequent social media use and an increased risk of depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm and even suicidal thoughts. 

Social media may promote negative experiences such as:

Inadequacy about your life or appearance. 

Even if you know that images, you’re viewing on social media are heavily edited, they can still make you feel insecure about the way you look or what’s going on in your own life. Similarly, we’re all aware that other people tend to share just the highlights of their lives, rarely the low points that everyone experiences. But that doesn’t lessen those feelings of envy and dissatisfaction when you’re scrolling through a friend’s edited photos of their beach holiday or reading about their exciting new promotion at work.

Fear of missing out (FOMO). 

While FOMO has been around far longer than social media, sites such as Facebook and Instagram seem to exacerbate feelings that others are having more fun or living better lives than you are. The idea that you’re missing out on certain things can impact your self-esteem, trigger anxiety, and fuel even greater social media use. FOMO can compel you to pick up your phone every few minutes to check for updates, or compulsively respond to each and every alert—even if that means taking risks while you’re driving, missing out on sleep at night, or prioritizing social media interaction over real world relationships. 

Isolation. 

A recent study has found that high usage of Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagramcan actually increase rather than decrease feeling lonely and isolated. Conversely, the study found that reducing social media usage can actually make you feel less lonely and isolated and improve your overall wellbeing.

Depression and anxiety. 

Human beings need face-to-face contact to be mentally healthy. Nothing reduces stress and boosts your mood faster or more effectively than eye-to-eye contact with someone who cares about you. The more you prioritise social media interactions over in-person relationships, the more you’re at risk for developing or exacerbating mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.

Cyberbullying. 

About 10% of teenagers report being bullied on social media and many other users are subjected to offensive comments. Social media platforms such as Twitter can be hotspots for spreading hurtful rumours, lies, and abuse that can leave lasting emotional scars.

The vicious cycle of social media use

 How to modify your social media use to improve your mental health

1.    Reduce your time online. A recent study indicated that reducing social media use to 30 minutes a day resulted in a significant reduction in anxiety, depression, loneliness, sleep problems and FOMO. 

2.    Change your focus. Many of us go on social media sites purely out of habit, if you have a reason for logging on e.g. to check on a long distant friend, you’ll have a different experience from if you’re just logging on due to boredom. 

3.    Spend more time with offline friends.