Social media has evolved so much over time. It started with a networking site called Six Degrees, and now has evolved into things like TikTok and Instagram. Now even though social media is good for networking the rest of it is purely overrated.
Most things people care about are their likes and comments. I know so many people who will delete a post just because it didn’t get enough likes or comments. It takes a huge toll on your mental health and can have immense effects.
With 13% of 12-17 year olds reporting depression and 32% reporting anxiety, mental illness is a concern for adolescent health.
Elina Mir, Caroline Novas & Meg Seymour, PhD, National Center for Health Research
Social media can cause people to have depression and anxiety. It can be so consuming that it affects your mood and your mental health. People post everything they do on social media so if someone sees a group of friends hanging out and one wasn’t invited this can cause the one who was left out to be upset. Which can lead to having FOMO, fear of missing out, and anxiety because they are thinking why weren’t they invited.
It also leads to cyberbullying. When using social media sometimes you don’t know who’s behind the screen. There are a lot of cat fishing accounts out there that will say mean or hateful things just because they can. These attacks can often lead to deep mental scars and even drive people to hurt themselves. It overall can bring people down if not used responsibly.
Lastly, it can lead to unrealistic expectations. Not everything you see on social media is real. Sometimes people can photoshop their pictures and make them look like someone they aren’t. This can lead to people thinking negatively about themselves and wanting to look like someone who isn’t real!
Overall, social media has a lot of negative effects. It is okay to be on it but you have to be aware that not everything people post are real. It is good to take breaks once in a while and do things that aren’t involved with your phone. Some things you can do are take a nature walk, journal, or just be with friends. Not everything has to have social media involved for it to be fun!