Social media and mental health

Social media can be wonderful. It’s fun, a way to keep in touch, and entertaining. But it can also have an effect on your mental health. An increase in feelings of anxiety and depression, and sleep disturbances are connected to the overuse of social media, especially in young people. And, while it’s hard to avoid social media entirely, it is a good idea to be aware of potential problems. A bit of thought will help you use it in a way that boosts your mood and enhances your life.

How does social media affect mental health?

Let’s start by looking at some of the worries.

Loss of sleep

Apart from the urge to stay up till all hours reading posts, the blue light produced by most computers and phones can suppress the production of melatonin. This is a hormone that makes you sleepy. To avoid temptation and prevent the light from interfering with your sleep, keep electronic devices out of your bedroom. If you need white noise, music, meditation, or ASMR to fall asleep, use an MP3 player which doesn’t have an internet function. If your phone is your only option, there are night settings on some phones that reduce blue light emission. Or you can use apps such as Twilight and Night Owl.

Fear of missing out (FOMO)

People most often post on social media about things that are going well or exciting things they’re doing. Seeing all your friends’ holiday snaps, new babies, new jobs, etc. can make you feel left out, or as if you’re lagging behind. Keep in mind that they’re only showing what they want you to see. Everyone takes life at their own pace.

Fear of missing out can also apply to worrying about missing interesting posts or updates. Remember you can always go back and look at the site later.

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying has become a big problem among children and teens on social media, and it can happen to adults too. When bullying is in real life, it can include physical as well as emotional abuse. This isn’t true of online bullying, of course, but a constant string of negative messages can seriously affect your sense of well-being.

Take steps to feel safe online. Make sure your personal information is not easily accessible via social media. Block unpleasant users without engaging, and report harassment to moderators. Tell someone who can support you personally as well – a parent, partner or friend. Many sites allow you to block all anonymous comments automatically so that only people you know can contact you.

Loneliness

Social media is a wonderful way to connect with people around the world and encounter new points of view. And it can help you keep in touch with friends or relatives who would be difficult to see otherwise. However, it doesn’t have the same feel-good benefits as face-to-face interaction. And it can actually increase feelings of loneliness in some circumstances. Make sure you’re not using it as a substitute for talking to people in real life.

Addiction

It’s very easy to get hooked on the dopamine rush caused by someone liking something you posted. You may find yourself spending more and more time making posts to get likes. Or getting upset if a post you made doesn’t get as much attention as you were hoping. This is natural, but the enjoyment is fleeting, and it’s not as good for you as getting validation for real-life achievements.

Try finding a hobby such as writing, knitting, or gardening in real life. You can still join online clubs or groups but you’ll learn practical skills and create something worthwhile.

Can social media positively affect mental health?

Here is our summary of how to get the best out of social media without letting it take over your life.

• Set a ‘switch off time’ and have a break from social media before bedtime.
• If you must have screens in your bedroom use blue light glasses, a filter, or an app to reduce the chances of sleep difficulties.
• Remember that other people’s posts are what they want you to see, and are not necessarily representative of what is really going on in their lives.
• If you are being bullied online, report it to moderators, block the person, and tell someone in your real life who can support you.
• The old saying ‘If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all’ applies very well to social media. Think twice before posting or commenting. Could your words be misunderstood and upset someone else?
• Don’t just scroll through the posts without really looking at them. Read and interact with the ones you enjoy (like or share them or post a comment) so you’ll be shown more of the same.
• Be sociable, and interact with people, not just posts. Join a group connected with your hobby, interests or even your favourite TV programme so you can chat and communicate with like-minded people.
• Try to have a social life as well as a social media account! Meet up with people in real life and have fun.
• Limit your time online, and/or the number of platforms you use.
• Be honest with yourself about how social media makes you feel. If you don’t enjoy it, cut your use back to essentials only.

Social media can be great for contacting family, hobbies, activism, talking to new people, etc. Just be sure it’s not ruling your life. If it is, please contact me to see how hypnotherapy can help.

References
https://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/blogs/anxiety-loneliness-and-fear-missing-out-impact-social-media-young-peoples-mental-health
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/abuse/cyberbullying-dealing-online-bullies.htm
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20563051211033821
https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/it-or-not-social-medias-affecting-your-mental-health