Social Media and Mental Health

Social media takes a lot of blame for our experiences with mental health, but is this completely accurate?

Image by Aiberry

Social media has various growing digital platforms, many of which individuals use on a daily basis. Regardless of the service, social media has both positive and negative aspects which are revealed to its users. Social media allows individuals to connect with others digitally, resulting in the quick diffusion of ideas and information to many people. However, not all interactions with others are positive, which can have adverse effects on users. 

As Aiberry reports, excessive use of social media causes a heavy increase in the amount of dopamine present in your endocrine system. Though this is usually seen as a chemical with positive effects, artificial and/or high levels of dopamine can have detrimental effects on one’s physical and mental health. These include the development or worsening of anxiety, depression, and physical symptoms that may occur as a result of these.

In addition, the constant exposure to others’ pictures and experiences may cause feelings of paranoia, jealousy, and low self-esteem. Constantly scrolling through a photo feed of others’ lives may cause unrealistic expectations for one’s own life. 

With all the aforementioned downsides of social media use, there are ways to limit social media usage in order to make it a more constructive tool. Such tools are usually built into the app, such as TikTok’s screen time limit tool. Additionally, simply unfollowing accounts that spread negativity can reduce exposure to unwanted feed items. 

The next time you are warned about the dangers of social media or screen time, don’t simply disregard them, as the dangers are present. However, take note of the tools and strategies available that allow you to create and receive positive results out of social media usage.