So, what is social media? Social media stands for interactive technologies that let us use and share information through a specific platform. It’s like a movie where we are the main character, letting the world see us. However, as movies do, we can play a role, or maybe we can be a reality show and expose the real parts about us, this being up to us.
Now that we have stablished what social media is, let’s see if it can affect our mental health. But, first, if you are not familiar with the term, mental health encloses emotional, social, and psychological well-being. Taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of any part of your body or physical health. As the majority of us have annual checkups for our blood sugar, cholesterol, and so on, we should always make sure our mental health is treated the way it should be.
So, how can social media affect our mental health? Let’s imagine is 1990, and technology and internet access are slowly making an entrance. Social media was not the main subject that the majority of us are obsessing about, and smartphones didn’t even exist.
Fast forward to this decade, technology surrounds us, social media presence is mandatory, and we have access to information within seconds. But this is not the only thing that has changed. The increase in mental health problems is almost impossible to believe it’s true, recent studies show that the rate of mental health conditions has almost doubled. And, yes, social media is one of the factors that caused this
We used to call our friends to see how they are doing. Take photos and just keep them for ourselves. We were used to not knowing what a person was doing or where they were on vacation; the only way of finding out was to ask or talk to them.
Now, everything is easier! Social media has become a part of everyday life for most people. We use it to stay connected with our acquaintances, but we also use it as a mechanism for escaping our problems. You know it’s true!
From a person’s social media presence, you can figure out where they were, if they are in a relationship or not, and see if they are doing better than you. So, comparing ourselves with others became the norm we all live in. This leads to anxiety, depression, stress, or FOMO (fear of missing out). You see your friends going to a party, and maybe you couldn’t join them that day. You might end up stressing and following their every move on social media to see if they are having fun without you, stressing out and worrying that you missed the best time of your life - FOMO.
Fear of missing out, the fear that you are not doing something right, and everybody around you is not struggling and is doing better than you. Fear that your friends might go somewhere without you and you might miss the time of your life. Fear that you can keep up in a society that has everything going on at a high speed, causing you to trip and fall. This condition can lead to excessive stress, anxiety, or even burnout.
FOMO can be applied everywhere, even at school or at your job. You can feel left out all the time, and unfortunately, social media just makes us more aware of that. It’s the place where we can showcase a (false) dream life, playing our role and smiling at the camera when needed. It’s a vicious cycle that can stress you out
When you see someone else's posts that depict them doing something interesting or traveling somewhere new, you might feel envious or left out. This causes you to doubt your own life choices and wonder why you aren't doing what they are instead of lying on the couch. But take everything you see on social media with a grain of salt.
Let’s try another example. When you see someone else's post about how happy they are in their relationship, it might make you feel lonely and as if you, too, need to find that special one in your life. When we compare ourselves to others, we may fail to recognize that the person whose life we are examining is likely not living up to their standards as well. Life is a never-ending succession of ups and downs. If you only see the good aspects, it's easy to feel like you are doing something wrong and that you are not succeeding for a reason.
Social media can take the best of us, depression and anxiety are the mental health conditions of the century, and social media just makes it easier for them to affect us. The sweaty palms, the stomach aches, and the restless nights are experiences that I think most of us have gone through at least once in our lives.
Remember! It's one way to connect with people, share information, and entertain yourself. Social media can be great for staying up-to-date with what friends are doing in their lives, but if that means checking Facebook every ten minutes instead of spending quality time with family members or going out with them in real life, then maybe it’s time to consider taking a break from social media for a bit.
