Introduction
Social media became popular only several decades ago, but at present, they constitute an important part of everyone’s daily routine. People use them to communicate with each other or to show details from their life or work. Instagram and Facebook are among the most widely used social media today, and many people cannot imagine their day without posting a photo or video and watching what happened in their friends’ lives. Though at first sight, social media does not look harmful, their uncontrollable use may lead to severe problems in both physical and mental health (Sherrell). People who excessively use social media often face anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem, as well as poor quality of sleep.
Mental Health Issues Caused by Social Media
When speaking about the negative influence of social media on mental health conditions, it is necessary to mention that it works like a drug and may cause addiction. People addicted to social media use them to get dopamine, which is considered a hormone of happiness (Stabler). They compensate for the lack of dopamine not by spending more time on non-screen activities such as doing sports or communicating with others, but by scrolling their Facebook or Instagram feed to see what happens there. As a result, they become less interested in face-to-face communication and spend more time online, which may finally lead to complete loneliness. It is interesting that people who feel lonely tend to spend a questionable amount of time in social media to get rid of this feeling, but it only grows when they do not use them. This phenomenon is called escapism, and social media are an excellent way to help people escape their problems and look at someone else’s life that is completely careless.
If lonely people overuse social media, loneliness may transform into a depression that will be hard to cure without attending a psychologist. Apart from that, depression often goes together with increased anxiety and the feeling of sadness. It may relate to the feeling of social isolation social media produces because people who spend hours on social media may lose the sense of reality (Walton). In addition, social media may be the reason for developing an inferiority complex, especially in teenagers. When people look at someone who is more successful, more beautiful, or more popular than them, they often tend to think that something is wrong with their own lives (Watson). That is why they may have anorexia, perfectionism, or, again, depression if their attempts to become a better person failed.
Another negative consequence of using social media related to mental health is the fact that their constant use may lead to a decrease in people’s cognitive abilities and shortening of their attention span. In this case, people face procrastination and a high level of stress because of improperly done work (Stabler). Apart from that, they cannot concentrate long on one action or task and are often distracted. Thus, they may feel disappointed in themselves, which leads to anxiety or depression as well. In addition, social media use disrupts and delays sleep, as people become overexcited after using them, which prevents them from having calm and safe sleep (Sherrell). Sleep troubles pose a significant threat to people’s well-being, and poor quality of sleep may cause such mental health problems as memory loss or depression.
Positive Influence of Social Media on Mental Health
Though social media have a lot of negative consequences for mental health and stability, it is possible to find positive aspects in their usage. For instance, they remain the most efficient means of communicating for those who cannot meet in person. Moreover, they can educate people and give them space for expressing their opinions and creativity (Sharrell). Finally, people who struggle to communicate with others in real life because of social anxiety can freely interact with people on social media, find support and even make friends there.
Another positive aspect of using social media is related to the fact that they help people who were subjects to violence in real life talk about their experience and live through it. For abuse and bullying victims, social media become the only place where they can find support and help because, in real life, they are often condemned or blamed for what they feel (Sharrell). Thus, social media, in that case, become the place where they are not afraid to openly speak about their traumatic experience without the risk of being judged and improve their mental health state.
Conclusion
Considering everything mentioned above, it is possible to conclude that social media use has both negative and positive consequences for mental health states. When speaking about negative influence, it is necessary to mention that people who overuse social media often face loneliness, anxiety, and depression, as well as social isolation and poor sleep quality. They often try to escape their traumatic reality through social media use by looking at other people living careless lives. The positive influence concerns the fact that social media helps people openly express themselves and their creative potential and gives the opportunity to communicate to those who have social anxiety. Moreover, social media helps those who face violence or abuse find help and support and live through their traumatic experience.
Works Cited
Sherrell, Zia. “What to Know about Social Media and Mental Health.” Medical News Today, 2021. Web.
Stabler, Christine M. “The Effects of Social Media on Mental Health.” Lancaster General Hospital, 2021. Web.
Walton, Alice G. “6 Ways Social Media Affects Our Mental Health.” Forbes, 2017. Web.