Social Media and Mental Health: A Tricky Relationship

Mental health is affected by so many things, some we can control, others are harder to control. A common theme which is said to harm mental health is social media. Social media was created in order to connect people, and it can be used for so many other things, most good but, unfortunately, some bad.

Social media is a great way to keep in touch with your friends and post about what is going on in your life and allows you to see what is going on in others’ lives as well. However, on the surface, although it seems like a harmless and beneficial platform to keep in contact with friends, it can also have detrimental impacts on one’s mental health.

The perfectly photoshopped posts and airbrushed images can lead to a lower self-esteem and an all-round lower happiness. Everyone feels self-conscious every now and again; however, with this fake comparison of perfect bodies and pretty faces in our heads, it can cause us to feel even worse about ourselves. The University of Copenhagen conducted a study which found that a lot of people suffer from “Facebook envy” and those which avoided the platform felt more satisfied with their lives.

With mental illnesses, one of the most helpful forms of support is social interaction, not on screens but face to face; actual conversations. Friendships and family connections when going through a tough time can be just what someone needs. However, with the recent rise in mobile phone ownership, people are glued to their screens, meaning that human interaction has decreased and we have become more focused on who we are on social media rather than the person we are in real life. Mental illnesses are affected in different ways by social media, varying from person to person as well. However, anxiety is definitely negatively impacted by social media. In a recent study done by the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, it shows that with more use of social media, comes the increase of anxiety, depression and sleep disturbances.

Social anxiety can stem from obsession over social media. It gives people a way to hide behind a barrier but can also put pressure on people to be seen in a certain way from their profiles. In social anxiety, people avoid social situations and feel as though they are being judged the whole time: they are always worrying about what other people are thinking of them. This drives them into wanting to be by themselves, in their room or at home. Social media, although it is designed to make you feel more connected, can actually make you feel isolated and lonely. This feeling of seclusion and fear of social interaction can be mentally harmful and can lead to a not very happy, nor healthy, lifestyle.

The social media world is great for birthday posts, keeping in touch with old friends, making new connections, etc… but we need to be wary about what is going on underneath the airbrushed surface. People are often not the same as their profile and it’s important to take time away from social media every once in a while to look up to see what is happening in reality, because that is what actually matters.

Hannah McClelland, L6 th

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