Why can social media be harmful to your mental wellbeing?
Social media use has been steadily increasing, and with more than 3.4 billion users as of 2019, this number has continued to increase. This new norm in our society has caused us to evaluate what this activity is doing to our mental health. In this post, we will explore some of the research that has shown distressing signs in today’s population, as follows:
Social media creates a harmful environment where people are forced to conform to popular stereotypes and also affects the way people view themselves, especially the younger generation.
The displaced behavior theory suggests that people who are more sedentary may use social media and, in turn, have less face-to-face interaction with other individuals. They may also have more negative signs and symptoms of stress, anxiety, and other mental diseases. This sedentary lifestyle can increase their likelihood of developing chronic diseases.
Studies showed that increased time spent on social media increased the incidence of mental disorders.
The negative rhetoric on social media also played a role in affecting a person’s image of themselves.
Higher investment in social media was also correlated with higher mental health disorders among the adolescent population.
The risk of anxiety and depression was directly proportional to the time spent, activity, and addiction to social media platforms.
Even passive activity on social media that involved reading posts was also correlated with an increased incidence of depression.
Having reviewed these points, we must ask ourselves if this is an activity we or our loved one should engage in. We were all created to be unique, and we must utilize every opportunity to take advantage of our winning traits and shape our lives in the direction of our destinies rather than conform to trending stereotypes.
