Mental Health and Social Media

If there has been one constant in my life all these years, it's that my mental health has had its share of ups and downs. Most notably, the COVID-19 pandemic totally destroyed it, with me being completely consumed by fear and anxiety, and even depression at first, due to the unprecedented stress of being confined inside and having to adapt to virtual learning among many other things. The pandemic aside, however, there are many other things that certainly shape our mental health, for better or worse, and social media is a prime setting for such things.

I was both intrigued and unsurprised simultaneously to read about how even (or perhaps especially) celebrities such as Tom Holland are not immune to the potentially corrosive effects social media use may have on us all from a mental standpoint. As Holland noted, these platforms can be "overstimulating" and or overwhelming, causing us to "get caught up and spiral," as has happened to myself given that COVID basically tore me apart mentally.

Image Source: Giphy

Yet despite the personal accounts of many people regarding the perceived negative effects of social media on mental health, I was somewhat surprised to learn that the actual research and data regarding said effects is, in fact, mixed at most. For instance, parallel studies at University College London and Imperial College London showed that amongst younger generations in particular, social media use alone isn't what harms their mental health. Rather, other factors contribute to negative feelings, including cyber bullying, lack of sleep or exercise, and unhealthy habits such as smoking, alcohol and drug use. Perhaps it's these indirect factors which, as recently as 2018, have caused teens in the United States to have such a sour outlook on social media, with 24 percent of kids ages 13-17 saying it had a 'mostly negative impact' on them.

Image Source: Statista

Regardless of whether or not social media use itself directly impacts mental health, I do believe there are benefits to taking breaks from it, however long they may be. A 2022 study has shown, in fact, that just taking a week off from social media may bring about benefits including mental well-being, depression and anxiety. Two other benefits which stand out to me personally include less of a feeling of being left out of other people's activities and having greater appreciation for your own life. I myself have a more moderate presence on social media, at least for personal use, and it has left me with these very feelings. I truly believe others would experience them as well.

Further Information:

Mayer, Beth Ann. “Why You May Need to Take a Social Media Break Just like Tom Holland.” Healthline, 17 Aug. 2022, www.healthline.com/health-news/why-you-may-need-to-take-a-social-media-break-just-like-tom-holland. 

Richter, Felix. “Infographic: U.S. Teens Have Mixed Feelings about Social Media.” Statista Infographics, 1 June 2018, www.statista.com/chart/14085/teenagers-views-on-social-media/.

Stevens, Alison Pearce. “Social Media Doesn’t, by Itself, Make Teens Unhappy or Anxious.” Science News Explores, 3 Dec. 2019, www.snexplores.org/article/social-media-doesnt-make-teens-unhappy-anxious-cyberbullying.