Nearly 59% of the world has access to social media. Statistics suggest that about 227 million new users have joined social media platforms in the past year. Furthermore, an average person spends almost two and a half hours of his day on social media. Social media usage has inundated our lives. Many of us, check our socials first thing in the morning.
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Social media has provided people with news, entertainment, and educational content. However, the negative impacts of social media are difficult to overlook. Most people do not realize how social media content is impacted their mental health. Let us take a look at a few negatives of social media and how they can be tackled.
Social Media Addiction
It cannot be conclusively said that social media addiction is real but there is some evidence that suggests it. A study found symptoms of addiction like modified mood, concealing the use, personal care neglect, etc. were found in people who used social media immoderately. The statistical evidence is undeniable as it suggests that nearly 90% of all young people use social media first thing in the morning.
One may be addicted to social media and not realize it. Social media addiction may result in isolation from the real world, neglected self-care, procrastination, and compromised mental health. You can monitor your activity on all apps and try to assess how much time you spend on the app every day, Try to set a limit for social media usage if you are using it excessively.
Unrealistic Beauty Standards
People in the online space use filters and editing techniques to appear a certain way. We see individuals through the guise of a slimming and texture-blurring filter and end up believing this is how these people look in real life. It could not be farther from the truth. There is now an active conversation about how the heavily edited content is misleading. A study revealed that spending half an hour on their socials leads women to hyper-focus on their weight and appearance negatively.
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Cyberbullying
Social media platforms like any other thing have been misused to perpetuate hate. People hide behind the anonymity of the internet and harass and bully people online. If you are on the receiving end of any amount of hatred, reach out to a cybercrime helpline instead of engaging with the person. If you find the online space too negative, do not fear a social media detox.
Disturbed Sleep
Excessive phone and social media usage might be the reason behind disturbed sleep. If you are on your phone until you get in bed, you are doing yourself a disservice. Your phone emits blue light, which limits melatonin production, which is the hormone known to help one sleep. Therefore, exposure to blue light before bed can disturb your sleep cycle. Ideally, one should turn off their electronic devices an hour before sleeping.
Countering Mental Health Issues Caused by Social Media
Here are a few ways you can address these mental health concerns:
- Reach out for help. Many organizations are providing mental health counseling that can help deal with anxiety, depression, etc.
- Limit your time online. Try a social media detox in which you do not check your socials for some time. This may seem impossible to get through at first, but it will get easier if you make it a habit.
- Shift your focus to productive activitie Learning a language or skill can be a great way to be productive. It is a useful way of spending time that you otherwise would have spent scrolling.
In Conclusion
The online space can be a great way to express yourselves and meet new people. Evaluate your social media usage by looking at the activity log-in app settings. If you use social media platforms excessively, consider following the tips we mentioned to counteract some of the potential negative effects.