Social Media and Mental Health
As we began exploring the benefits and drawbacks that have resulted from our massive technology expansion in the last few decades, we took a look at some of the negative effects of our increased connection. One important subtopic in this broader discussion is the role that social media plays in our mental health.
Think Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, Twitter, YouTube, and more. (Fun fact: I just recently learned that it’s “TikTok,”—one word—not “Tik Tok.” Out of touch elder Millennial, over here!) Interactive technologies where we share information, ideas, personal information, and (much, much) more.
Undoubtedly, this exchange of information in a social context has brought immense goodness to the world. And still, we have more and more emerging data that it’s taking a toll on us, mentally and emotionally. Today, let’s explore how social media impacts our mental wellness and what we can do to protect our energy in the online space.
When we consider social media in the scope of mental wellness, we see a corresponding increase in addictive behaviors (there’s even something called “Facebook Addiction Disorder,” or “FAD,” that has started to be discussed in the social sciences fields), increased anxiety and depression, lower self esteem, struggles with perfectionism and body image, and increased difficulty with relationships and social skills. We also know that social media can impact sleep quality, both because of the blue light emitted from smartphones and because of the cognitive and emotional arousal that can come from scrolling, and sleep disturbances greatly impact mental wellness.
The reasons for these increases in mental unwellness are dynamic; as we discussed yesterday, there are so many ways that technology stresses our systems. Overstimulation, “keeping up with Joneses,” cyberbullying and radicalization, only seeing “highlight reels” from peers, and so much more. And it’s worth noting that we see these effects (and threats) compounded among young people; more and more data is developing that shows social media’s connection with depression, suicidality, anxiety, substance misuse, self-harm, loneliness, stress, low self-esteem, and more, among teens and young adults. One explanation of this points to our friend, the Prefrontal Cortex and it’s emotional regulation, which is not yet fully developed in young people. We also know that the volume of social media consumed appears to be correlated with increased emotional dissatisfaction, suggesting that the more time we spend online, the more unhappy we are.
