Social media has undoubtedly changed how we see the world and has brought people around the world closer together in an unprecedented way. It has long been hypothesized that social media is having a negative impact on mental health and stress, but several studies over the past couple of years have recently proved it. Social media usage is one of the most popular online activities. In 2021, over 4.26 billion people were using social media worldwide, that’s 54% of the global population. This number is projected to increase to almost six billion in 2027. Are we sacrificing our mental health as well as our time by overusing social media, and inflicting unnecessary stress on ourselves? Here are a few potential consequences of spending too much time on social media:
Stress
In 2015 a Pew Research Centre study found that social media induces more stress that it releases, especially for women. It found twitter to be especially stressful, as it increases the awareness of others’ stress as well. This stress stems from the overwhelming amount of information that is consumed via social media, whether it is milestones in the lives of family and friends you’re connected to on social media or from the news.
Mood
In a study last year, Facebook found that heavy users of the site have worse mental health, and that it can impact users’ mood. “Researchers hypothesize that reading about others online might lead to negative social comparison,” wrote Facebook director of research David Finsberg and research scientist Moira Burke, “and perhaps even more so than offline, since people’s posts are often more curated and flattering.”
Anxiety
A study published in the journal, Computers In Human Behavior, found that people who use seven or more social media platforms were more than three times as likely to suffer from anxiety systems as people who use zero to two platforms. But more research needs to be done to understand exactly how and why social media induces anxiety.
Depression
Two studies with over 700 student participants found that social media use impacted mood swings and fuelled insecurities and feelings of hopelessness. There were higher levels of symptoms of depression with negative interactions on social media. In the second study, they found that having a distorted view of others’ lives played a big role in depression caused by the platforms.
Sleep
A study from the University of Pittsburgh found that young people visit social media sites for an average of 61 minutes a day and visit various social media sites on average 30 times a week and that it impacts sleep. The study found nearly 30% of young adults in the study suffered from frequent sleep disturbance. The study also found that the relationship works in reverse as well: if someone has trouble sleeping, it leads to increased social media use.
We aren’t suggesting to not use social media at all, as this is possibly unrealistic, but maybe it’s time to consider how you can restrict your usage to a healthy amount of time each day. Here are 5 tips to help:
- Keep apps out of sight, so they’re out of mind.
- Use apps to help you limit your time on social media.
- Spend an hour a week on at least one screen-free hobby.
- Enjoy phone-free mealtimes.
- Leave your phone outside the bedroom.
