Social Media & Mental Health: Is There A Connection?

The Connection Between Mental Health And Social Media

Human beings need the companionship of other people. This connection that we share with other people can impact our happiness and mental health. By connecting to others on social media, we can ease our anxiety, stress, and depression, prevent loneliness, provide comfort, boost self-worth, and even increase our life. However, there is a flip side to it. Studies have shown that social media can risk our emotional and mental health.

In today's world, we use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Snapchat to find and connect with other people. And while there are several benefits to it, it is important to understand that social media is not a replacement for real human connections. To trigger hormones that can alleviate stress and feel happy, healthy, and positive, you need to have in-person contact. Ironically, a technology for bringing people closer together can sometimes make people feel isolated and lonely. By spending too much time on social media, you can exacerbate mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

Even though social media has been in existence for more than a decade, there isn't much research establishing the long-term consequences of social media use. However, some studies have found a strong link between prolonged use of social media and risk for anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts. Here is how social media can promote negative experiences and affect your mental health:

1. Inadequacy about your appearance or life - Most of the images you see on social media are edited. And even though we know that they are manipulated, we can feel insecure about our looks and lifestyle. We know that people are only sharing the highlights and not the low points of their life; we get dissatisfied or envious of their airbrushed photos or new promotion.
2. FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) - This has been around for a long time. With platforms like Instagram and Facebook, the feeling that others have a better life is exacerbated. This idea of missing out can trigger anxiety, impact your self-media, and fuel more social media use. It will force you to pick up your phone frequently and respond to every alert.
3. Isolation - As mentioned before, using Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat can increase feelings of loneliness. Spending too much time on social media can turn you away from the real world to a point where you prioritize it over your real relationships.
4. Anxiety and depression - For optimal mental health, you need to have face-to-face contact. Nothing boosts your mood faster and reduces stress more effectively than spending time with someone you are close to. If you prioritize your social media interactions over real relationships, you increase the risk of developing mood disorders like anxiety and depression.
5. Cyberbullying - With the rise in social media activity, the reports of cyberbullying have increased as well. Teens are the most affected by these offensive comments. Platforms like Twitter are a known hotspot to spread lies, hurtful rumors, and abuse that can lead to lasting emotional scars.

If you are one of those individuals who spend a lot of time on social media and, as a result, are feeling dissatisfied, sad, lonely, and frustrated, it is time that you reexamine your habits and decrease your social media activity. By hiring a local SEO outsourcing company, you can take a break from business social media activities as well.

​There are services available that can help ease your workload and are not expensive. Remember, corporations have departments for different tasks and jobs. Meanwhile, many who work for themselves on social media do most of the work. However, many creatives have taken off some workload by hiring others to help with video editing, marketing, etc. Remember, you can take a break. It is okay to relax and enjoy some freedom. Your mental health will thank you. 

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by IC mag Contributors