How Social Media is Harming Your Mental Health

Social Media and Mental Health: Why too much of a good thing can actually be harmful

Social media platforms have grown rapidly over the past decade. With over 3.8 billion active users, it’s impossible to ignore the impact social media has on our daily lives. Yes, social media has its positives. It enables us to stay connected with friends and loved ones from all over the world, enables us to share our experiences, and can even assist us with our business. As such, it has become such an integral part of our lives that many people simply can’t imagine living without it. However, did you know that social media can have significant risks to our mental health?

In this article, we’ll be exploring the link between social media and mental health and take a closer look at why it could possibly be harming you. We’ll examine the research into the topic, focusing on how social media may cause the following issues and more:

1. Depression and Anxiety –
Numerous studies have shown that increased social media use is associated with depression and anxiety. One study by the University of Pennsylvania found that reducing social media usage led to a reduction in feelings of depression and loneliness. Furthermore, studies into a Facebook user’s social comparison activity found that indeed, those with more use of media platforms are more likely to experience social competition than those with less activity.

2. Cyberbullying and harassment –
Another significant risk factor of social media is that it makes users more vulnerable to cyberbullying and harassment. One study found that people who use social media frequently are more likely to be victims of cyberbullying than people who don’t use social media frequently. Cyberbullying can lead to PTSD symptoms, depression, anxiety, as well as severely affect someone’s self-esteem.

3. Addiction –
Social media is the ultimate time-waster that distracts from the things that matter most. Some users spend hours scrolling through their feeds or constantly refreshing them, becoming so addicted that they hardly go a few minutes without checking their profiles. This can lead to an addiction that can interfere with your life and relationships.

4. Sleep disorders –
Sleep is vital for both physical and mental wellbeing, and social media can cause sleep disruptions, making people sleep-deprived, fatigued, and irritable.

As social media usage continues to rise, so do the risks it poses to our mental health and wellbeing. It’s important that we all make a conscious effort to monitor our social media usage. If you find yourself feeling increasingly anxious, depressed, or overwhelmed, set aside some time to disconnect from social media and instead, focus on activities that you love and make you feel positive in life.

Overall, social media is a fantastic invention, but like all good things, it has a downside. It’s time we understand the relationship between social media and mental health so that we can create healthy usage habits that won’t harm our mental health.

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