When you think about social media and mental health, I’m sure you think of all the negative press it gets. And it’s true, social media has gotten a preeeeeety bad wrap the past several years for making us more depressed, causing deeper polarization in society, and other terrible things. But with all those articles comes studies and statistics that can be helpful to gain scope of a problem and then work to establish ways to change things.
We’re not ones for doom and gloom. But we also must look at the way social media influences us in order to make better choices for ourselves and our health. After all, if you don’t know what’s broken you can’t begin to fix it. So in order to see where we need to go from here, let’s highlight some stats and research about mental health in the US.
Research is a Brain’s Best Friend
So, how prevalent is mental illness in the US? According to a study done in 2017, roughly 1 in 5 people 18 years or older had a mental illness of some type. That’s around 46.6 million people! And 16 million adults had a major depressive episode within the last year alone. More women than men self-report to have a mental illness of some type and people who identify as multi-racial having the highest prevalence over other racial and ethnic groups. But, mental illness can affect anyone at anytime. Usually it comes about due to a combination of family history, brain chemistry, and sudden life events.
So with so many people experiencing a mental illness everyday, how does social media influence it? Well, in a few ways. Firstly, the more you check social media, the more likely you are to experience feelings of social isolation. Pretty ironic for a social media platform. But the reason this happens is because you compare your life to those you see. And many times, the way people present themselves on social media doesn’t show all the bad parts.
Researchers have found that social media tends to amplify whatever we’re experiencing internally. So, if you’re feeling confident about yourself, others achievements and experiences only help to boost good feelings. But when all you see on your social feeds is people being happy, living a seemingly more interesting life than yours, it makes any existing negative feelings that much more apparent. And if you’re already feeling a little blue, then your more likely to keep scrolling through your social feeds more, only adding to your low mood. It’s becomes a spiral of negative thinking.
While most research into the connections between social media and mental health have been done on teens, adults have been shown to exhibit similar behavior. So if you’re finding yourself in a loop of checking your social media constantly, it may be worthwhile to step away for a while.
Social Media Addiction?
But what happens when you’re trying to take a social media break but it’s super difficult? Turns out social media may also have addictive qualities to it. Harvard University did a study showing that by talking about ourselves, our brain’s feel-good centers light up in a similar way that eating food does. Basically, that means people really like talking about themselves — something that social media encourages.
Other researchers have come to the conclusion that social media platforms can be addictive, but it’s hard to judge simply due to the amount of things social media platforms lets us do. We can chat, play games, browse photos and articles, and many other things. The more activities, the harder it can be to point out the things that are bad for us.
As of now, there is no official diagnosis for Social Media or Internet Addiction Disorder. But as more research comes out looking into these topics, it’s worth keeping an eye on how often we use social media.
More, More, More (Information)!
One of the other ways social media can affect our brains is simply due to the amount of information we consume on a daily basis. We see numerous news articles, images, tweets, podcasts, links, and others on a constant basis anytime we open a social media app. And while we have access to more information than any other humans in the entirety of our history, it also can bring about some negatives.
Just imagine for a moment your email inbox. How many emails do you get a day? If the thought immediately fills you with anxiety, you’re not alone. Information overload, like the constant messages in your inbox, can bring about this anxiety due to feelings of stress to do more and get more done. Which can be frustrating as too much information can also lead to cognitive overload. Basically, the more information you consume, the harder it can be for your brain to think. This can increase stress and anxiety, as well as decreased self-worth due to perceived low work output.
Moderation In All Things, Especially Social Media
From all of this negativity, what can we learn? Firstly, moderation is key. Make sure that you’re keeping an eye on your social media use. There are many apps out there that help monitor and limit your social media usage. Some are even preinstalled in your mobile devices! So, try them out and see how much social media you’re using on the reg. The more you are aware of how much social media you use, the better you’ll see how it affects you.
Which ties into another way to help yourself stay mentally healthy: self-reflection. Be honest with yourself about your relationship to social media. If your having a down day, see if social media is adding to your low mood. And if it seems like that harder than it should be, absolutely go and speak with a professional. They can help you figure out strategies that work for you.
Social media doesn’t have to be a detriment to us. By approaching social media in a way that acknowledges the ways it can do us harm, we can work to minimize the impact. Social media isn’t leaving anytime soon, and honestly, we don’t want it to! Social media can also be a force for good in our lives. And next week, we’re planning on highlighting the way social media brings good into our lives. Stay tuned!