How Social Media Impact Your Mental Health
Kevin Calvey 
Kevincalvey.com – Social media are inextricably linked to everyday life, particularly in the present. You may connect with individuals from all around the world via social media. In other words, social media connects folks who are otherwise invisible.
Unfortunately, social media is not always beneficial. Other negative consequences can occur, one of which is mental health issues.
Because social media may be a double-edged weapon, it is critical to utilize it wisely. That way, you may benefit from technology advancements while maintaining your mental health.
There are various reasons why social media might be harmful to one’s mental health, including:
Loss of Confidence
The influence of social media on mental health is tied to self-esteem. What is the connection between the two?
Using social media, you commit to “friending” anybody you choose. It’s not uncommon for you to feel uneasy or insecure when your social media friend post photographs of their lavish lifestyles.
Creates Envy
Research by the University of Copenhagen revealed that many social media users suffer “Facebook envy” or “Facebook jealousy.”
According to research, this disease is linked to social envy and low self-esteem, which can lead to melancholy.
Jeopardize Relationships with the Closest People
Humans, being social beings, are always in need of genuine assistance from others. However, suppose you are simply attracted to the rectangle screen, which only includes “friends” from cyberspace. In that case, it becomes very difficult to comprehend.
Just imagine, when you are exclusively obsessed with social media and the virtual world to the point of forgetting everything in real life, it is not inconceivable that one day you will find yourself genuinely “alone.”
This can occur if you do not engage with people in your real-world setting.
Furthermore, according to a University of Michigan research, the detrimental consequence of utilizing social media too often promotes a tendency to feel melancholy.
According to the research team, surfing Facebook without knowing the time would only provide brief enjoyment and little satisfaction in living life.
This phenomenon is linked to feelings of social isolation due to the usage of the social media platform Facebook.
Sleep Disruption
Do you spend most of your time on social media reading through timelines? Beware, a sleep disruption awaits you!
This effect might arise because the smartphone you use to browse social media produces blue light. According to Harvard Medical School, this blue light can lower melatonin levels, the hormone that governs sleep.
Sleep deprivation can cause a variety of health concerns in its severe phases. Anxiety disorders and depression are two of them.
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Feeling the Pressure to Be Perfect
What is presented on social media might appear flawless, with no blemishes. However, difficulties likely exist in real life that is not disclosed on social media.
Social media appears to demand that we maintain our immaculate lives. Finally, this might have an impact on your mental health.
When you realize that social media has the potential to create mental health difficulties, you should limit your usage of it. The maximum time you should spend on social media in one day is two hours.
Use social media with caution. As a result, you won’t be drawn into the “dark side” of social networking, which can lead to mental health issues.
Duration Has an Impact on Mental Health Risk
According to a 2018 Pew Research Center poll, the three most popular social media sites among adolescents are YouTube (used by 85 percent of teens), Instagram (72 percent), and Snapchat (69 percent). According to a 2018 survey published by GlobalWebIndex, persons aged 16 to 24 spend an average of three hours each day on social media.
According to research published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, kids who spend more than three hours per day on social media are at a higher risk of mental health problems, particularly difficulties with internalization, often known as self-image.
Social media positively impacts children and adolescents, whether teaching social skills, establishing connections, or simply having fun. However, persistent use of these platforms can have severe consequences, particularly for young users’ mental health and well-being.
How does social media use affect teenage mental health? Teenagers are also subjected to unfair abuse on social media. According to a 2018 Pew Research Center poll of teenagers in the United States (US), one in every six has encountered at least one of six types of online bullying behaviour ranging from
- Calling people names (42 percent).
- Spreading misleading information (32 percent).
- Accepting unwanted explicit photographs (25 percent).
- Experiencing physical threats (16 percent).
What aggravates the situation is when kids consider terrible things that happen on social media as typical and as “risks” of using social media. If this is continued to be justified, it may lead to much more significant issues.
It is not unthinkable that kids who have been victims of internet harassment may do the same to others. Smart social media use is an attempt to protect oneself from the detrimental consequences of social media usage on mental health.
See also : Benefits of Social Interaction for Mental Health
Keeping Your Mental Health While Using Social Media
Efforts to avoid the harmful impacts of teens using social media begin with teaching them about the hazards that social media presents. Another useful strategy is to guarantee that kids’ social media use positively influences their lives.
According to a study published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, college students who limited their time on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat to 10 minutes each day for 30 minutes on all social media had a more favourable self-image.
After three weeks, students who curtailed their social media use to 30 minutes each day reported decreased melancholy and loneliness. Furthermore, there is an improvement in mood, which lowers the amount of depression.
Teenagers typically use social media to compare themselves to others. This can be detrimental to a positive self-image. Many women believe they look horrible when they see how others seem on social media.
The most difficult task for today’s parents is ensuring that their children use social media responsibly. Adolescents’ social media use habits frequently mirror those of their parents.
According information from Kevincalvey.com, children will spend more time online if their parents spend more time on electronics and rarely involve them in real-world activities.