There is no denying that all of us spend most of our hours on social media. Without knowing the adverse effects on our well-being, we use it like a pro as it is a common maxim that excess of everything is terrible. Thus, too much use of social media promotes anxiety, mental health side effects, isolation, and many more. So, let’s begin with the post about how human health is getting worse day after day.
Social media and mental health side effects:
Humans are known as social creatures. To live in this life, we all need relationships and communication with others. Not only does it strengthen our existence, but also it helps us in having excellent mental health. Hence it enhances the happiness level too.
At present, people prefer social media connections to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.
Moreover, it helps avoid isolation and loneliness and adds joy and comfort to our lives. As a coin always has two sides. So as we flip back, social media is creating a great fuss. It is adversely affecting our emotions and mental stability. Moreover, many people develop potential mental health side effects that are normally cringy to treat.
Social media activism sources:
In this era, everyone owns a mobile phone. Due to this reason, most of us depend on various online applications such as; Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat, YouTube, and many more. In addition to spending time, it also connects us with people worldwide.
Unquestionably, all these applications have a lot of benefits but, at the same time, are ignoring our genuine relationships. Hence, it can never be a suitable replacement. When we connect with others in the real world, our stress goes away, and happy hormones are alleviated. Ironically, social media platforms create distances and take up too much time. It promotes loneliness and isolation.
If you are the one who is spending too much time on social media and suffering from stress, anxiety, frustration, and sadness, it is time to examine your mental health side effects deeply. In contrast, examining mental health, jot down the things you are adopting. It will help you maintain an outstanding balance in your life. Also, you will be happier and more satisfied.
| Common Social media platforms |
| 1. Facebook |
| 2. Instagram |
| 3. Twitter |
| 4. YouTube |
| 5. Snapchat |
Before learning about the cons of social media, let’s know about the positive effects.
Positive effects of social media activism:
Undeniably, social media helps in promoting contacts in the virtual world. But it doesn’t share the same positivity you have in the real world. Also, it has a significant effect on the mind. However, there are a lot of benefits; you can easily enjoy it using social media. Not only does it help you stay updated, but it also enhances virtual connections.
Social media activism enables a person to:
- Communicate and create strong bonds with friends and family in other parts of the world.
- You can make new friends and join global communities. It also serves as a motivation to fulfill your goals and ambitions.
- By using it positively, you can work for the noble cause of humanity, for instance, By raising awareness on various issues.
- Afterward, it helps in seeking help from your friends during challenging days.
- You can easily have an outlet where you can represent creativity and self-expression.
- Last but not least, you can get a lot of information that serves as a source of learning.
Lastly, all of these benefits are easy to achieve. However, you have to manage things in a better way. Try to do the right things at the right time. Frequent use of anything can impact your mental health and overall well-being.
The negative side of social media activism:
Because social media is such a revolutionary innovation, limited research is available to evaluate its long-term impacts—either good or bad of using it. Numerous studies, however, have connected excessive social media use to an elevated risk of sadness, anxiety, solitude, self-harm, and even suicidal thoughts. However, there are specific negative encounters on social networking sites, such as:
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Inadequacy about your life or appearance
Even though you’re clear that the pictures you’re seeing on social media platforms have indeed been edited, they can still cause more stress about your looks or what’s happening inside your life.
We’re also all aware that some people only talk about the good times of their lives, not the terrible points everybody goes through.
However, you’re going through a buddy’s photoshop images of their beach vacation or reading about their new exciting career advancement. You can’t help but think of jealousy and become discontent.
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Fear of missing out (FOMO)
While FOMO has been around long before social media, sites like Instagram and Facebook seem to intensify emotions that others are having more fun or have better living standards than you. The idea that you’re missing out on something can impair your personality, induce stress, and drive you to use social networks even more.
FOMO might make you pick up your smartphone every few minutes to check for news or reply quickly to every alert—even if it means risking your health while driving, falling out of sleep, or preferring online activity above normal relationships.
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It makes you feel alone
Excessive use of social media platforms such as Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, or youtube usually increases loneliness compared to decreasing. Hence this is the primary mental health side effect.
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Anxiety and Depression
To be psychologically fit, humans require face-to-face communication. Eye-to-eye connection with one who knows about you minimizes stress and improves your outlook faster and more effectively than anything else. You’re more likely to attain or worsen mood disorders like chronic depression if you prefer platforms like YouTube over in-person interactions.
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Emotional scars via Cyberbullying
While we are enjoying technology, an increasing number of teens complain about cyberbullying. Because of the harmful and offensive comments, they have poor mental health. Social media, for instance, Twitter, is one of the most common way to spread rumors and lies about anyone. Spreading false information is the root cause of emotional scars that are difficult to deal with.
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No time for self-actualization
As you spend more time on social media- you are one step forward in getting away from genuine life relationships. Additionally, you become self-centered. You share your thoughts and expressions on such applications and have no time for family.
Driving factors that promote using social media:
Currently, most of us use social media applications on our mobile phones, smartphones, tablets, MacBooks, and whatnot. Owing to this, our virtual connections are more accessible. Moreover, these little devices and the fast internet availability make the use easier and quicker.
Remember, the availability of all these things around the clock creates a triggering impulse. Furthermore, the continuous alerts and notifications never allow you to relax. It affects sleeping patterns and creates a disturbance in your life.
No question at all, more and more social media use indicates poor behavioral values in the upcoming days.
The vicious social media cycle and mental side effects
Too much social media use is the primary cause of self-perpetuation. It creates a vicious cycle that is usually irreversible.
- Whenever you are alone or depressed, you use more social media. Often, it helps you feel happy and joyful and lessens boredom. Thus you feel a strong connection with others in the virtual world.
- Frequent use of social media increases FOMO, dissatisfaction, loneliness, boredom, and isolation.
- As a result of the symptoms mentioned above, your mood is always wrong, and you suffer from anxiety, depression, and stress.
- All of these things alleviate social media use, and the cycle continues.
If you are not feeling good, it is clear that it’s time to visit a good psychiatrist or mental health expert.
These worsening symptoms cause you to use social media even more, so the downward spiral continues.
Let’s know how social media is impacting our mental health:
Every human being has a different nature. Therefore, it is impossible to have a clear idea of how much time one should spend. However, you can get the idea By how frequently you open the applications. This is an indication that you are not using it right.
Remember, there is a great need to look at the aspects and motivation for using social media. If you are using it healthily, it’s okay. Else you are moving into an unhealthy lifestyle.
For instance, if using social media creates issues in dealing with your face-to-face communication and distracts you, it is undoubtedly problematic. Due to this reason, you suffer from anxiety, distress, and suffocation. If you have all these indications, ensure to decrease its use. If you are facing some issues to know the signs that social media has side effects on mental health, you can go through these points.
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Reducing the interest in real-world relationships
Undeniably, social media plays a significant role in our daily life. Due to this, it serves as a substitute for real-world companionships. For instance, if you are having dinner with your friends, you constantly scroll through the applications rather than communicate with them. People do not like such behavior, and you become lonely in the long run.
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Comparison with others
There is no going back once you start adopting the charms of social media. Owing to this, you lose your self-esteem and a negative image in society. Also, you suffer several other disorders, such as sleeping or eating.
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Mental health side effects of cyberbullying
Once fully engaged in social media, you do not care about cyberbullying, which has a harmful effect on the mind.
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Distraction from daily activities
More indulgence in social media puts extreme pressure on me to post daily activities. As you get more likes, shares, and comments: you lose interest in your life, such as school, office, or other things. Furthermore, it makes you more enthusiastic about your social media friends too.
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Lack of time for self-realization
By using social media, you lose interest in face-to-face communication. Your every moment is dedicated to mobile applications. Hence, it decreases the chances for self-realization of who you are? What do you think? And how can you promote positivity? It resists your growth and development as a person.
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Risky behavioral changes
Using too much social media also encourages negative behavior. It is risky as you engage in posts more and more. Along with this, you play more pranks and mocking material. Also, cyberbullying material is an indication of its harmful use. Once you are addicted to its excessive use, you are at risk, for instance, accessing your phone while driving.
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Develops insomnia
Most people habitually check social media as the last thing and the first thing in the morning. Keep in mind that light and radiation from the device negatively influence your sleeping pattern. Due to this reason, you suffer from insomnia and exhaustion all day.
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Worsen anxiety and frustration
Social media hurts mental health. Rather than making you happy and freshen up, you feel more frustration, anxiety, and depression. Hence it promotes loneliness.
World social media day
In addition to all signs mentioned above, social media is causing a fundamental change in our daily life communication. Around the world, billions of people have adopted social media as their primary communication source.
According to research, a person spends more than 2.5 hours on social media every day. People celebrate and acknowledge the positive and negative impacts of social media and technological advancement on world social media day.
Undoubtedly, social media provides myriads of information and accessibility to the things we had no idea before. So, like other things, technology is also advancing with each passing day. Therefore, while focusing on the pros of social media use, also try to know about its adverse side effects on mental health.
Social media and mental health side effects – final verdict
If you use social media more than a specific limit, ensure you are not negatively influencing mental health. Also, ensure that you are using it for a good purpose. At the same time, everything is just one click away. You can see and search for anything beyond limits. Contrary to this, social media helps develop strong and healthy relationships with the world.
Therefore, it is necessary to use but at the same time also be very cautious about its adverse impacts on mental well-being. Mental health side effects are too serious and sometimes they are the leading cause of death.
Jump right away into our comment box if you are suffering from any mental health issues. We’ll indeed develop a simple and easy solution to all your problems.