Can Using Too Much Social Media Impact Your Mental Health?
By Aidan Tollefson
In the last 20 years a titan has risen in the entertainment industry, and that is social media. Most people’s use of social media is harmless but according to The Addiction Center (2024), around 5-10% of Americans meet the criteria for social media addiction. This form of entertainment has gone from an excellent source of news and entertainment to an addictive form of personal comparing, personal degrading, and unhappiness. In this piece I will talk about the dangers of social media abuse on your mental health and wellbeing.
So, what is the criteria for social media addiction? Well, The Addiction Center (2024) says that social media addiction can show up similar to substance addiction which includes mood changes, increased use over time and feeling stressed or unpleasant when you cannot access social media. You can also see an increase in relationship problems along with difficulty in communicating and connecting with people. As you can see, even though social media seems harmless and the physical effect on your body compared to drugs and alcohol is vastly different, mentally it can still take a toll if your usage of social media is extreme.
From 2008 to 2018 people of the ages 18-23 who reported having a depressive episode increased 83%. Also, suicides have grown more prevalent as well, as it is the second leading cause of death for people aged 15 to 24 (Braghieri et al., 2022). These statistics tell us very little on their own but when they are compared to the growing number of people in those age ranges who have started to use use social media you can see that it leaves a lot to be studied. Since social media took off in the mid 2000’s so has the decline in young adults’ mental health. A study conducted in 2005 introduced Facebook to 775 colleges in the United States (Braghieri et al., 2022). After time passed, they sent out mental health evaluation surveys to randomly selected classrooms from the selected colleges. They found that the students mental health had significantly decreased after the introduction of Facebook.
Not everyone who uses social media is at risk of problems with their mental health. But now that around 53% of the world population uses social media, it is important that we as a culture and a society are aware of the possible dangers that social media can have (We Are Social, 2021). We as human beings have always naturally compared ourselves to others, whether it is athletic ability, fashion, economic status, or beauty etc. We have always found ways to compare our lives to other people's. Social media can turn that healthy comparing into a compulsive obsession that can have a huge impact on your mental health. It is always important to remember that everyone is a human being, and everyone is on their own path to success. Remember that social media can be used for good and can be fun, but it is important to take breaks, find joy in other things and remember what really matters.
References
Braghieri, Luca, Ro'ee Levy, and Alexey Makarin. 2022. "Social Media and Mental Health." American Economic Review, 112 (11): 3660-93.DOI: 10.1257/aer.20211218
Kemp, S. (2024b, March 25). Digital 2021: The latest insights into the “state of Digital.” We Are Social UK. https://wearesocial.com/uk/blog/2021/01/digital-2021-the-latest-insights- into-the-state-of-digital/
León, A. (2020, February 27). This is how social media affects your mental health. Medvisit. https://medvisit.io/how-social-media-affects-mental-health/
NouriJean. (2024a, January 12). The impact of social media on Mental Health: Navigating the digital landscape. H&H. https://happyandhealthy.cc/the-impact-of-social-media-on-mental-health-navigating-the-digital-landscape#google_vignette
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“Social Media Addiction.” Addiction Center, 3 Mar. 2024, www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/social-media-addiction/.