Link Between Social Media and Mental Health

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in social media use. In fact, according to the Pew Research Center, 72% of Americans in the U.S. use social media.1

People use these social networking tools to stay in touch with family and friends, get their news, and even to share their political views, which has some researchers wondering about the long-term effects of social media use.

Because social media use is still relatively new, there are no long-term studies documenting the effects of social media, but several recent studies indicate that social media impacts mental health in a number of ways.

Consequently, the increasing reliance on and use of social media puts a large number of Americans at an increased risk for feeling anxious, depressed, lonely, envious, and even ill over social media use.

Why Social Media Is Growing in Popularity

Aside from the fact that social media allows people to reconnect with family and friends that live far away or that they have lost touch with, it also has become a vital communication tool during the pandemic.

Social Media Supports Connections

In fact, people have used social media to share information and connect with people when stay-at-home orders have kept them from meeting in person. It also has become a vehicle for social support and connectedness that they would not otherwise have.

Social Media Makes People Feel Good

Additionally, social media has tendency to reinforce use and people quickly become hooked on checking their statuses for comments and likes as well as perusing other people's posts.

For instance, using social media sometimes activates the brain's reward center by releasing dopamine, also known as the feel-good chemical that has been linked to everything from sex and drugs to food and social interactions.

This dopamine release, in turn, keeps people coming back because they want to repeat those feel-good experiences.

Social Media Boosts Self-Esteem

Social media also can boost self-esteem, especially if a person is viewed favorably online or gets a number of likes or interactions on their content.

Likewise, through social media some people are able to share parts of their identity that may be challenging to communicate in person.

And, social media can be particularly helpful for people with social anxiety who struggle to interact with people in person.

How Social Media Impacts Mental Health

Researchers are discovering that there are some downsides to social media, particularly with regard to mental health.

Social Media Use May Contribute to Depression

In fact, for a technology that's supposed to bring people closer together, it can have the opposite effect especially when disagreements erupt online. What's more, social media has been linked to depression, anxiety, and loneliness. It can even make people feel more isolated and alone.

In fact, one study found that young people who use social media more than two hours per day are much more likely to categorize their mental health as fair or poor when compared to occasional social media users.2

Meanwhile, a large-scale study found that occasional users of social media are three times less likely to experience symptoms of depression than heavy users.3

Social Media May Hurt Your Self-Esteem

Aside from the increasing risks for depression and anxiety, social media impacts mental health in a number of other ways too.

For instance, social media can cause you to experience feelings of inadequacy about your life and your appearance. Even if you know that the images you see online are manipulated or represent someone else's highlight reel, they can still cause feelings of insecurity, envy, and dissatisfaction.4

The Fear of Missing Out

Another mental health phenomenon associated with social media is what is known as FOMO, or the "fear of missing out." Consequently, social media sites like Facebook and Instagram seem to exacerbate the fear that you're missing something or that other people are living a better life than you are.5

In extreme cases, FOMO can cause you to become tethered to your phone where you are constantly checking for updates or responding to every single alert.

Social Media Can Lead to Self-Absorption

Social media use also can cause people to become self-absorbed. Sharing endless selfies as well as your innermost thoughts on social media can create an unhealthy self-centeredness that causes you to focus on crafting your online image rather than making memories with your friends and family members in real life.

In fact, strenuous efforts to engage in impression management or get external validation can have psychological costs, especially if the approval you're seeking is never received. Ultimately, the lack of positive feedback online can lead to self-doubt and self-hatred.

Source: https://www.verywellmind.com/link-between-social-media-and-mental-health-5089347