Evidence is mounting that social media use is linked to depression making many people unhappy, increasing the feelings of isolation and hopelessness despite its initial aim to connect people.
Several recent studies show that teenagers and young adults spend most of their time on social networking sites, such as Instagram, Facebook, and others. According to the Child Mind Institute, the rate of depression among those users is about 13% to 66% higher than those who spent the least time.
In order to minimize the adverse effects of social media on mental health, it is advisable to limit the time of using them and be mindful of engaging in positive interactions and avoiding or cutting the negative ones.
The Link Between Social Media and Depression
Social media do not directly cause depression, but it can facilitate the habits that may cause people to feel depressed. It is easy to get lost in a world of social media that people sometimes forget their responsibilities in life, stay up late, and become easily distracted, said psychiatrist Lea Lis.
Moreover, a 2019 Canadian study suggests that for every hour spent on social media, depressive symptoms among seventh-graders significantly increased. These symptoms include feeling lonely, sad, and hopeless. Although the study did not conclude that social media use causes depression, the researchers recommend regulating its use.
Even if social media could cultivate a sense of community, it could also lead to the fear of missing out or commonly known as FOMO. A 2019 study suggests an increase in social media-enhanced feelings of isolation that overpowers the increase in self-described positive experiences on social media.
People tend to fall on doomscrolling, which is the phenomenon that makes people endlessly scroll down on their newsfeed to see what their friends are up to these days. Doing so might sometimes lead to sleep deprivation, which endangers a person's health.
Not only that, but it could also breed cyberbullying because people can easily throw insults to other people using anonymous usernames, which makes it challenging to hold them accountable. Besides, too much social media use would lead people to always compare themselves to others, and not meeting those "standards" would make them feel depressed or hopeless.
How To Fix Negative Social Media Habits
The Insider consulted psychotherapist Mayra Mendez, Ph.D., LMFT of the Providence Saint John's Child and Family Development Center, to list some ways of fixing the negative social media habits.
First, turn off notifications for all apps, including emails and texts, to avoid being reminded of using social media and limit the time on using them. Second, set time limits by adding a reminder to the phone that alerts when the user has gone over their allotted time to reduce screen time.
Third, Be selective in creating and maintaining relationships online. According to experts, it would help to focus only on strong relationships and set-up a specific time for face-to-face interaction with them.
Lastly, be mindful of using social media. Seek out positive platforms and interactions and spend less time comparing oneself to celebrities or models to avoid negative feelings from unrealistic goals.
Read More: The Social Dilemma: Netflix Explores Social Media Ethics and Effects on Mental Health
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