Impact Of Social Media In Mental Health

Humans tend to be social in nature. Humans are created so that they always need companionship around them to excel in their lives. Everyone is connected to each other in this world, which directly impacts us in different ways, reducing stress, anxiety, depression, and providing comfort and joy.

Simultaneously, it also has a negative impact if you reduce social connection, leading to severe risk to your mental and emotional health.

Mental Health Explained

There was a time when people could not connect because of a lack of sources for the communications platforms. But, in the 21st century, with the growth of media, we have different social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, and Instagram, where people can easily find companionship and connect with each other. 

While it has also benefited, it's essential not to forget that social media can never be a substitution for physical human connection. It always needs to have a physical connection with others to active your inner feelings, reduce your stress, make you not feel lonely, and render you more positive vibes. 

It's been observed that the new young generation loves to spend many hours on social media and making friends over social media. They feel connected, but spending an extra amount of time on social media can lead to sadness, dissatisfaction, frustration, insecurities, and loneliness, which can impact your life. As for the young generation, it may be time to go back over your online habits and find a healthier balance. 

Side Effects of Social Media

Let's look into the positive and negative side effects of Social Media Impact in our life.

The Positive Features of Social Media:

• Social media platforms help us to find out the people who have a similar kind of mindset.
• It is a fantastic opportunity to learn new skills from different people where You can follow anyone on the social media platform to improvise your skills and develop your knowledge through various people without paying anything. 
• Social media platform breaks the barrier of cultures, ethnicity, and distance, which helps relieve social isolation and open new communication.
• Also, the platform allows people to be outspoken and share their thoughts without revealing their identity. 
• There are many social media sites where people are aware of different mental health issues and can talk about them, saving lives where earlier it considers taboo.
• Social media has also helped us be active and involved in news media, which means we no longer have to wait or depend on the news reporters and the journalist.

The Negative Features of Social Media:

• When we spend lots of time on social media, that leads to self-doubt where we can see others' best lives, and we will start comparing to our shortcomings which surely can lead to anxiety, self-conscious, self- deprive.
• Social media also gives rights to the cyberbully, and because of that, people can troll you, give unhealthy comments, and attack your peace with little effort. 
• Since screens hide our faces, it can lead us to emotionally numb where we make brutal comments by not showing our face. For that, we are losing our compassion and love for the people where we can end up being lousy humans on social media websites without even realizing it.
• It is also increasing the feeling of FOMO (feeling of missing out).
• Social media can be more addictive in nature. This addiction is much higher than cigarettes and alcohol because it consumes our thoughts and attention.
• There is absolutely no harm to using Social Media, but it is the way how we are using it in place of actual communication and in-person socializing. 

How to protect your mental health from Social Media

1. You should start spending less time on Social Media. There are different applications and platforms to regulate your daily consumption, like how much time you spend on social media, which can help you know your energies.
2. Use Social Media when you need it intentionally. 
3. Spend more time with family and friends offline instead of online, and keep away from your cell phones.
4. Pay attention to how social media and online content are influencing your emotions, thoughts, or actions.
5. It is also important to switch off your phone for some time and take a break from social media whenever you feel like it.
6. Set yourself some personal goals and convictions, like not picking up your phone or not getting online for the 1st hour of the day.
7. If you are finding social media is affecting your mental health, then it is vital to take help from others who live around you, they can be your relative, friends, or someone you are close to, and you can trust the person.