Social Media and Mental Health

Social media has been a major part of our lives ever since its creation.

It allows us to stay in contact with those far away from us, it helps people
who find difficulty with social interactions converse and it provides
knowledge and information for basically anything we search for. Social
media in many ways has truly helped better society as it allows us to stay
interconnected with numerous people around the world.

However, it also has a negative impact on the mental health of people who
constantly use it. It creates an addiction where one frequently spends time
with their devices instead of spending time with their friends and family. It
makes people compare themselves with others and can cause feelings of
anxiety, depression and isolation.

Young children are more likely to develop ADHD and often face issues like
cyber-bullying which greatly damages their self-esteem. They also become
unaccustomed to regular interactions and tend to be socially awkward.
People who are constantly focused on sharing and posting photos may
also become self-absorbed and focused only on themselves.

This desperate need for more attention has led to the deaths of numerous
people who weren’t paying attention to their own wellbeing and had instead
focused on filming and live streaming videos of themselves instead of being
aware of their surroundings.

When a person gets addicted to something, it becomes very hard to stop
the addiction. Thankfully, there are various ways to reduce a person’s
usage of social media if they are dedicated enough to follow through.
Partaking in other activities to clear the mind, going outside with friends and
family and finding ways to keep track of how much time is spent online.
The most important thing is to be consistent and realize that there is a
problem so that it is possible to better yourself.

By Dean Fernandes