Mental health is related to mental and psychological well‐being. It affects feelings, actions, and thoughts, which are an integral part of a human being's existence as well as general health, and also play a huge role in how we deal with stress, relate to others, and make choices. Thus, it has a bearing on our sense of being and our view of life and the world. According to Medical News Today, 'conditions such as stress, depression, and anxiety can all affect mental health’.
The most important thing to note as we get into this discussion is that all these conditions that affect mental health are determined by social, psychological, and environmental factors. Then the question is, where does social media fit in? How does social media affect mental health and, what impact does mental health have on social media?
Social media offers platforms for people to freely interact with one another or simply share information. We are talking about people from different backgrounds who have different intentions for being on social media including having fun, selling different kinds of lifestyles, attention, and business, you name it. Needless to say, all people have to censor them is their conscience and for some, the fear of being attacked or bullied as well. With everyone left to their own devices, you can only imagine the chaos and insensitivity going on there.
Thankfully, the world still has caring people who are just there to help a brother up by posting supportive content and, we all still can know the conversations to participate in. However, the latter is still dependent on one's mental health because situations can force us to do things we would shy away from under normal circumstances.
How social media affects mental health
1. Cyberbullying –
people on social media can be ruthless. A simple and innocent comment can turn you into a joke while disagreeing with some people can lead to body shaming or loads of hurtful words. It's as if people are always ready to attack and will grab whatever opportunity is given to them. If you are not strong enough, this can get you questioning yourself and losing confidence in your looks. Therefore, to avoid such situations, it would be better to avoid sharing photos of yourself or your loved ones and choose wisely the people to engage in a discussion with. Hurtful comments, lies, and bullying are common on Twitter.
2. Feelings of inadequacy –
apart from hurtful comments about a person's life and looks, social has a nice way of making people feel inadequate about their looks and lifestyle; pictures and videos. Many people on Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and Twitter look like they have made it in life, have perfect bodies, and the best skin one can ever have. Unfortunately, these have led to unrealistic standards of beauty while making other people feel like they have already failed in life. One can easily withdraw from society and friends due to fear of failing to fit in. For those who are already struggling financially and with accepting who they are, feeling inadequate add to their stress and does further damage to their mental health.
3. Poor sleep –
excessive use of social media has been found to disrupt sleep. Due to its addictive nature, users spend too much of their time on social media and stay up late. Conversations can continue all night long and users can stay awake to avoid missing out. Lack of sleep can affect one’s physical health and productivity during the day. It also affects one’s mental abilities and emotional state. 4. Fear of missing out – this is anxiety resulting from the idea that you are missing out on certain things with every second you spend away from social media. It is for this reason that people check their phones now and then. This has also led to stress related to not getting responses from people when you expect them and leads to people feeling forgotten, ignored, and abandoned.
5. Healing and growth –
it is not always the case that social media has negative impacts on mental health. For those who know the right things and people to focus on and those you use social media moderately, these platforms can be helpful in so many ways. The spiritual, motivational, and educational content can help one heal and grow mentally.
Following the right people and the right content can protect you from the negative energy of social media while feeding the brain with the right things that improve mental health. One good example of mental healing and growth opportunities presented by social media are free counseling sessions that professionals sometimes offer those who are struggling with mental health. Sometimes survivors of depression also offer support and share their journey to recovery for the benefit of those in need.
The impact of mental health on social media
As mentioned previously, mental health affects our behavior and how we relate with others. While it is possible for someone who has mental health issues to be considerate and sympathetic towards others to avoid having other people feel the difficulty of living with mental health issues, some take it out on others.
Part of the reasons why social media is unbearable for some people is that the platforms have bitter people who have mental issues, lack of self‐esteem for others, who find fulfillment in and try to dominate through hurting other people and spreading negativity.
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