How Social Media Use Affects Mental Health

Social media connects us, entertains us and even divides us. In just 20 years, social media has transformed from blog-style websites to a vast landscape of countless platforms where users share photos, videos, updates and opinions. With so much energy spent on social media, it’s worth asking: how does it affect a person’s well-being? Below, we provide insight into how social media can impact your mental health — and what you can do about it. 

How does social media use affect our mental health today?

Scrolling social media is like watching peoples’ heavily-filtered highlight reels: vacations, achievements, flattering selfies. Constant exposure to these curated moments can cause users to draw unfair comparisons to their own lives, making them feel like they’re falling short and causing distorted views of reality. These unhealthy comparisons often lead to a growing sense of inadequacy, lower self-esteem, heightened anxiety and feelings of loneliness. 

What is “FOMO” and what role does it play in mental health?

Fear of missing out, or FOMO, is a phenomenon in which a person sees others — including friends, influencers and even total strangers — participating in something they’re not involved in. Think back to when you were a kid and your friends hung out without you. It stung, right? Now that feeling can be a daily occurrence thanks to social media feeds.

Watching life happen without you can incite feelings of exclusion and isolation, and can even lead to compulsively checking apps to stay in the loop. Repeated exposure to FOMO can chip away at one’s self esteem and emotional resilience over time, making it harder to feel satisfied with one’s own life.

Remember that social media never paints the full picture of someone’s life.

“Doomscrolling” is a newer term. What is it?

Over half of U.S. adults say they at least sometimes get news from social media, according to Pew Research. While social media can be beneficial in keeping users up to date, it can be easy to become trapped in a negative cycle known as “doomscrolling,” wherein users endlessly consume negative news or content, especially before bed. This behavior can increase cortisol levels and stress hormones, and even distort a person’s view of the world. 

How does social media impact kids, especially over the summer?

Younger generations have never known life without social media. During the school year, students can rely on the structure and ongoing opportunities for social connections that school provides, but over summer break, that routine is disrupted and many kids turn to social media to fill the connection gap. Kids may develop an unhealthy obsession with likes, followers or their appearance, which is why it’s critical to check in with them throughout the summer and monitor for signs of withdrawal, mood swings, increased anxiety, irritability or depression.

What can you do?

Remember that social media never paints the full picture of someone’s life, and increased access to artificial intelligence, filters and emerging technologies means all of us should tread lightly in believing what we see presented on social media. It’s important to be proactive about social media use by having discussions about healthy behaviors, putting limits on screen time and prioritizing tech-free times, like during meals and at bedtime. 

Watching life happen without you can incite feelings of exclusion and isolation, and can even lead to compulsively checking apps to stay in the loop.

If you feel social media is having a negative impact on your or a loved one’s mental health, we encourage you to seek out a mental health professional for help. At CTI-OK, we offer individualized services to individuals and families, including behavioral health counseling. To learn more about how we can help, visit www.cti-ok.org or call us at 918-384-0002.