The
rise of social media has meant that we as a global population are more
connected than we have ever been in the history of time.
However, our
reliance on social media can have a detrimental effect on our mental health,
with the average Brit checking their phone as much 28 times a day.
While social
media platforms can have their benefits, using them too frequently can make you
feel increasingly unhappy and isolated in the long run.
The
constant barrage of perfectly filtered photos that appear on Instagram are
bound to knock many people’s self-esteem, while obsessively checking your
Twitter feed just before bed could be contributing towards poor quality of
sleep.
Here are six
ways that social media could be negatively affecting your mental health without
you even realizing.
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| Do the pros of social media outweigh the cons? |
Self-esteem
We all have our
fair share of insecurities, some that we speak about openly and others that we
prefer to keep to ourselves.
However,
comparing yourself to others on social media by stalking their aesthetically
perfect Instagram photos or staying up to date with their relationship status
on Facebook could do little to assuage your feelings of self-doubt.
A study
conducted by the University of Copenhagen found that many people suffer from “Facebook
envy”, with those who abstained from using the popular site reporting that they
felt more satisfied with their lives.
When we derive a
sense of worth based on how we are doing relative to others, we place our
happiness in a variable that is completely beyond our control.
Becoming more
conscious of the amount of time you spend scrolling through other people’s
online profiles could help you focus more on yourself and boost your
self-confidence.
Human connection
As human beings,
it’s so important for us to be able to communicate and forge personal
connections with one another.
However, it can
be hard to do so when we’re glued to rectangular screens, becoming more
acquainted with our friends’ digital facades than their real-life personas.
Stina Sanders, a
former model who has 107,000 followers on Instagram, explained how social media
sometimes makes her feel like she’s being left out.
“I know from my
experience I can get FOMO when I see my friend’s photos of a party I didn’t go
to, and this, in turn, can make me feel quite lonely and anxious.”
A
study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology that
assessed 5,208 subjects found that overall, regular use of Facebook had a
negative impact on an individual’s well being.
Memory
Social media can
be great for looking back fondly on memories and recounting how past events
occurred.
However, it can
also distort the way in which you remember certain tidbits from your life.
Many of us are
guilty of spending far too much time trying to take the perfect photo of a
visual marvel, all the while not actually absorbing the firsthand experience of
witnessing it with your own two eyes.
If we direct all
of our attention toward capturing the best shots for our social media followers
to admire, less will be available to enjoy other aspects of the experience in
real time.
Spending too
much time on our phones will detract from those other aspects of the
experience, undermining the happiness we could be gleaning from them.
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| Going on social media before you go to bed can negatively affect the quality of your sleep |
Sleep
Having enough sleep is of paramount
importance.
However, many of
us use our phones too soon before choosing the hit the hay, making it harder to
doze off.
Getting worked
up with anxiety or envy from what we see on social media keeps the brain on
high alert, preventing us from falling asleep.
Plus, the light
from our mobile device just inches from our face can suppress the release of
melatonin, a hormone that helps us feel tired.
Try setting
yourself a strict rule of not going on your phone for at least 40 minutes to an
hour before going to bed, and see if that makes a difference to the quality of
your sleep.
Attention
span
It’s not just
your subconscious brain that you need to worry about, but also the extent to
which your brain is able to fully concentrate when you’re awake.
While
it’s incredible to consider the amount of information readily available at our
fingertips thanks to social media, it also means that people have become far
more easily distracted.
Social media has
provided a means of constantly giving into the temptation of instant,
easy-access entertainment.
If you’re unable
to not check your phone for at least a few minutes, then you’d do well to practice
exercising your willpower on occasion.
Mental health
Not only has
social media been proven to cause unhappiness, but it can also lead to the
development of mental health issues such as anxiety or depression when used too
much or without caution.
In March, it was
reported that more than a third of Generation Z from a survey of
1,000 individuals stated that they were quitting social media for good as 41
per cent stated that social media platforms make them feel anxious, sad or
depressed.
While you don’t
necessarily have to quit social media for good, if you feel like it’s beginning
to bog you down, why not consider allocating social media-free time slots
during your daily routine? The slight change could do you a whole lot of good.
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