IS THE DETERIORATION OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH INITIATED BY YOU?
We live in a world where traditional wars are long forgotten, but every individual is at a constant battle with himself. Depression, Anxiety, Body Surveillance and other Mental Health Disorders have marred the fast-paced modern world. Our self-care is coming crashing down at a disturbing rate. On the other hand, what is skyrocketing is our Social Media Connectivity. The internet is a friend which helps us find long lost peers, and much-needed respite from our busy lives. However, recent observations have given rise to numerous hypotheses which state that this ‘friend’ might actually be a foe, in disguise.
Is Social Media Related to Mental Health Issues?
Numerous findings show a correlation between Social Media Usage and Mental Health Issues, where the hours spent on
social media are directly proportional to the magnitude of suffering that the user undergoes. It is difficult to conclude whether Social Media leads to Depression and Anxiety, or whether these conditions make their victims resort to social media. However, with 32% adolescents and 25% young adults admitting that they suffered from these disorders, a generation where one-fourth people claim
that social media usage has negative impact, this is not an
issue to brush under the carpet.
Issues that Originate from Social Media
A school of thought in this arena presents a stance that the mental illnesses prevalent amongst the youth are due to lack of proper sleep, which is a result of Social Media Addiction keeping people glued to their phones, way past their bedtime. “FOMO” or Fear of Missing Out on the social interactions going on in their circles, they feel compelled to check their phones even in late hours of the night. Scrolling through the heavily edited pictures of people who establish unrealistic beauty standards and the blogs of those with a lavish lifestyle gives people a feeling of inadequacy about their body and possessions. A study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania discovered that Social Media Sites, initially created for the purpose of wiping out loneliness, were ironically CONTRIBUTING to loneliness and even depression. Social Media provides the ideal virtual set up for bullies who can execute their vengeful plans and indulge in the heinous act of cyberbullying which victims can rarely protect themselves from. The obsession with virtual lives can lead to a sense of disconnect with the present ones, causing a person to be self-absorbed and to use social media as a “security blanket” in public, and avoid real interactions and experiences. Social Media also makes people oblivious to their real issues, as they start dwelling in a fantasy world that exists only within their screens.
Signs that your Mental Health is Impacted by your Social Media Use
Everyone has a different pattern of using social media and let their minds be affected by it to different degrees. All persons have an individual boundary, within which they can safely use their social media, without letting themselves suffer.
Signs that you are crossing this boundary and making yourself vulnerable to Mental Disorders, can be felt by you. Is your virtual life making you compromise on your real one? Are you frequently comparing your body or life against an Instagram feed? Are you being cyberbullied and is it taking a toll on you? Are you distracted from important elements of life – like school, work, relationships? Are you having no ‘me time’ outside your device? Are you driven to put your own, or someone else’s, privacy at risk to gain likes and followers? Are you unable to sleep well because your beeping notifications are of prime concern? Do you have a pre-existing mental disorder that is being worsened by Social Media?
If EVEN ONE of these questions makes you answer with a ‘yes’, then you too are a victim of this barbarous side of Social Media, and it is HIGH TIME that you make amends.
How to prevent Social Media from becoming a Social Evil?
Your social media activity starts and ends with your will-power, and small steps can keep you safe from the vicious cycle of Social Media and Adverse Mental Health.
Only two industries in the whole world use the word 'users' to denote their customers. They are, the illegal drug industry and the software industry. - Edward Tufte
Enjoy every bit of your Social Media Usage,
But definitely not at your own expense!