How Social Media Affects Mental Health
Globally, 59% of humans spend about 2 hours on social media every day.
Like it or not, social media continues to have a real-world impact on so many aspects of life. What’s more, social media habits can alter a person’s mental and physical health.
On one hand, social media can help isolated individuals feel less lonely. On the other, it can cause a person to feel insecure, anxious, or stressed. Have you ever felt this way after browsing online?
Exposure to so much content has its pros and cons.
Learn more about how social media could be impacting your mental health below.
The Effects of Social Media on Mental Health
Social media use has serious consequences on adult and youth mental health.
For some, social media provides an outlet for expression and social connection. For others, it becomes a breeding ground for bullying, negative content, and fear.
The way social media impacts you depends on the content you’re consuming. With that in mind, your behavioral health is linked to your online actions.
You can check to see the effect social media has on you by becoming more mindful. Take note of your emotions as you scroll, see certain content, or read through comments.
The Social Media Impact of Engagement Algorithms
Have you noticed that you’re feeling more negative after using social media? If so, then it might be more than a coincidence.
Facebook’s algorithms value your negative reactions way more than your normal likes. In fact, your feeds consider angry reactions 5 times as valuable as normal likes!
If you respond angrily to a post, then you’re likely to see 5 times as much of that type of content in the future.
You can combat this by refusing to use angry reactions. Don’t give negative content any of your attention at all.
This very important social media hack can solve most negative social media problems.
Possible Social Media Dangers You Need to Know About
Social media can cause and contribute to mental health conditions like:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Body image issues
- Cyberbullying
- Insomnia
- FOMO
- Validation seeking
What’s more, social media can also become addictive. If you frequently use social media, then it’s best to attempt to fill your feed with positive posts.
You should also make sure not to spend too much time online. Like all things, balance is key. You can minimize the negative consequences of social media by balancing it with in-person socialization or other hobbies.
The Link Between Social Media and Mental Health Issues
Regardless of how you view social media, it’s obvious that it’s here to stay. To ensure you use it wisely, you’ll want to keep what you’ve learned in this article in mind. The link between social media and mental health issues is clear.
Too much social media can be either disastrous or empowering depending on how you use it.
If you know someone who struggles with mental health issues, then take the first step today. You can contact us to learn more about how our services might be able to help.