Social media has been taking a large portion of our lives in the past years. They can be used as means to interact with your friends and family, exchange ideas or simply express yourself creatively. Yet, many researches have shown that social media can lead to anxiety, especially among the younger generation.
First, it is important to understand why social media can cause anxiety. One major reason is the pressure to present a perfect image online. Users often share heavily edited photos and stories that showcase the best of themselves. This can then set an unrealistic standard for those who view these flawless posts and compare their own lives. For example, you see perfect vacations and cool clothes. It’s easy to compare yourself to these images and feel like your life isn’t good enough. This can make you feel bad about yourself, which is a sign of worry.
Also, those non-stop social media pings can make worry worse. Each “like” can feel like how good of a person you are. If you don’t get enough “likes”, it can bum you out. You feel like you need to check your phone all the time and keep up with everything. It can be too much. This immediate feedback can create a cycle of anxiety that makes users feel they need to constantly check their accounts to feel validated. Constant notifications and messages can create concern because people feel they need to answer right away, even when they are busy or don’t want to. This stress can lead to constant distress and distraction, and it damages productivity and general mental well-being.
Social media can expose individuals to cyberbullying. Not everyone is emotionally resilient enough to deal with abusive comments, especially from anonymous people, and such incidents can lead to mental health issues. Cyberbullying victims might feel more anxious, scared, or depressed. Someone being bullied online could end up being scared to communicate with people or staying home from school.
But social media isn’t everything bad. It can also offer support and means of connecting. For example, individuals who have anxiety share their struggles on sites such as TikTok and feel better because they know they are not alone. It creates a unique bond and helps the victim not to feel isolated.
It can also be a source of support. Understanding how social media affects our mental health is key. Checking our social media constantly can cause anxiety, but as long as we know how to use it properly and focus on the positive interactions it provides, we have nothing to worry about. It is important to maintain a balance between the online and offline world for mental health.
If you or someone you care about are suffering from anxiety, give Arbor Wellness a call to talk to an expert who can give you help and advice. Getting help is the first step towards living a healthier and better life.
Sources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10337317/
https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/wellbeing/social-media-and-mental-health
https://childmind.org/article/is-social-media-use-causing-depression/
https://childmind.org/article/help-kids-deal-cyberbullying/
https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/social-medias-impact-our-mental-health-and-tips-to-use-it-safely/2024/05
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/social-media
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/why-we-worry/201612/social-media-loneliness-and-anxiety-in-young-people
https://www.stopbullying.gov/resources/facts
https://www.stopbullying.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cyberbullying-infographic.pdf
https://news.uga.edu/lies-on-social-media/
https://www.apu.apus.edu/area-of-study/business-and-management/resources/how-social-media-sites-affect-society/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/positive-media-psychology/202405/the-often-overlooked-positive-side-of-social-media
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1095196/tiktok-us-age-gender-reach/
