When someone becomes addicted to cigarettes, they can get serious lung damage. When someone becomes addicted to alcohol, they become more distant and their immune system is seriously weakened putting them at much higher risks to become sick. When someone becomes addicted to social media they don’t stand out, but rather it makes them fit in. Social media addiction isn’t like being addicted to a drug. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, there is no negative stigma around excessively using social media for pleasure. So many people are addicted to it at this point that you don’t stand out in any way if you’re also addicted. Social media addiction may be more accepted in our society than other addictive substances, but social media addiction does have serious negative effects just like these other addictive substances.
To learn more about how harmful social media addiction can be, I did some research to further understand the consequences. What I found was surprising, but at the same time I was able to relate to a lot of these effects just as I am sure many of you reading this will also be able to. Excessive social media use can lead to low self-esteem, mental health problems, unhappiness, and even a feeling of intense isolation (Hilliard, 2020). Social media, a place that is supposed to bring people together and create a feeling of connection, actually makes its users feel isolated! I think it is incredible how contradictory the intent, and the actual result of social media is.
It is important to understand why social media creates these negative mental effects in the people that use it. The detrimental effects someone who is addicted to social media may experience are a result of comparing your life and possessions to those that you see online. People only post the best pictures of themselves, from the most fun and important events they attend. A lot of times people will also show off materiel possessions in their posts as well. It is easy to be at home sitting on your couch looking at all this and think, “I wish I had that many friends”, or “I wish I could afford to dress like that.” Seeing the portrayed greatness of other people’s lives makes us subconsciously compare this to our seemingly less eventful and less luxurious lives. People create the self-deprecating notion in their mind that because their lives don’t compare to what they see others posting on social media, that they must be pathetic or lonely.
It is important to remember that your life is the only one that matters at the end of the day. You are given one chance at existence and you should spend it however you wish to, not worrying about what others are doing. Another important takeaway from this is that what you see on social media is a fabrication of reality, people are showing themselves off at their absolute best. You don’t need to match them or post similar things to prove yourself. Just stay focused on your own path and you will learn along the way what your real values are.
Reference list:
– Hilliard, Jenna. “Social Media Addiction.” Addiction Center, 17 Sept. 2020, www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/social-media-addiction/.
Picture Sources:
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/03/06/518362255/feeling-lonely-too-much-time-on-social-media-may-be-why
http://chintanjain.com/journey/how-to-stop-comparing-with-others.php
This post really hits home for everybody. Social media can makes us feel so bad about ourselves and really affects our mental health. You posted this at the perfect time as World Mental Health Day is on October 10! It is important that we understand how social media is affecting us mentally and reduce our time on it or who we follow to prevent the negative consequences of it.
Your posts are always so informative, but also reassuring and motivating, which I really appreciate! I think your last point is really important: social media is how everyone wants themselves to be perceived. So, they obviously want to be seen in the best light possible. It’s not real! Social media is not an actual measure of our worth as people, which is a much needed reminder.