Social media has had a positive influence on our culture in terms of making the sharing of important information much faster, helping businesses and entrepreneurs to market themselves more affordably, to be a platform for showcasing creativity, and of course for being a convenient and efficient way to communicate and socialize with friends, family, and new people. However, it has also had some negative effects particularly on our mental health. Here, we explore some of these effects and their root causes.
Self-Esteem
Social Media allows people to share snapshots of their life with those they know however, competitive human nature has led to people omitting the more realistic aspects of their lives in order to simply show all the best bits. This has resulted in a culture of comparison, so people view their own lives in a negative light as a result of constant exposure to those of others. Social media is particularly saturated by ‘selfies’ where people show off their looks and edit photos to once again show unrealistic portrayals of themselves. This in turn leads to an increase in the pressure on society to look a certain way. Luckily, social media also allows movements like the body positivity movement to develop a presence to help counteract these harmful developments. An online therapy service such as BetterHelp may be helpful with your mental health as you can access psychological advice and support.
Most social media sites have a “like” function where users can show appreciation for posts they particularly like. This once again has led to competition relating to who can get the most likes, and those who don’t receive many likes can begin to develop a negative mindset relating to their own worth. Sites like Instagram use post engagement to judge whether or not to include posts in larger feeds and search results, so they can also be a positive tool too; to use to share important information. To get more likes, you could use a company like KENJI, our favorite Instagram Bot list features lots of bots like this which could help you to get more attention on important posts.
Sleep
Social media has an addictive nature, due to the fast-paced turnaround of posts and news and what is known as ‘click-bait’; content designed to lure you in. As a result of this, people are spending more and more time browsing social media sites and this is beginning to affect people’s sleeping patterns. It is recommended that you do not look at electronic screens less than an hour before you need to go to sleep as they activate your mind; making it more difficult for you to switch off. The anxiety induced by too much social media access can also stop you from getting a good night’s sleep.
Loneliness
Having the social lives of others constantly available to you, whether they are realistic portrayals or not, can make you feel lonelier when comparing them to your own. The same goes for relationships which are another common theme in social media posts; if you’re single, it can make you feel like everyone except you is in a happy, loving relationship. However, it Is important to remember that people often use social media to put across a perfect image of their lives when in reality, they could be struggling far more than you are.
If you are aware of the potential damage social media can cause your state of mind, it is easier to recognize the effects and stop them from having an impact. For example, be aware that people only tend to show the more positive aspects of their lives, that “likes” are not a reflection of who you are as a person, and that you should limit the amount of time you let yourself spend online. This then allows you to enjoy the more positive aspects of social media such as the entertainment factor, access to news, and how it connects you to friends and family.
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