Social Media and Mental Health

Let's begin with a story.

A few weeks ago, one of my family friends that is a high school senior got grounded. Her consequence included her phone being confiscated and her Instagram account deleted. Not deactivated. Deleted. When she was telling me about her situation, she was devastated and felt like crying. Having 7 years of life experience under my belt, I told her it wasn't worth crying about. That there are other things she can focus on. But what upset her the most was how hard she worked to build up her following on the app. She is an aspiring singer, and so many people have been "discovered" by going viral on social media. But that is how much value is placed on social media with the younger generations. 

Social Media and Mental Health

I recently attended the comedy show of Jo Koy that was originally scheduled for April 2020. Jo Koy briefly spoke about how great it was to be back in each other's presence. He also spoke about the need for human interaction and how we feed off of each other's energy. The lockdown prevented people from physically being together. Social media gave us the ability to connect with each other and be together while apart. 

In the Help Guide's article Social Media and Mental Health, all perspectives of social media and the impacts were shared, including the positives, negatives, and suggestions on improving one's mental health if you find yourself being negatively impacted by social media. 

The positive aspects of social media as shared on the HelpGuide

As great as social media can seem, there is also a downfall. The negative aspects of social media were also shared on the Help Guide -- inadequacy about your life or appearance, fear of missing out (FOMO), isolation, depression and anxiety, cyberbullying, and self-absorption. The Wall Street Journal shared in their article Facebook Knows Instagram is Toxic for Teen Girls, Company Documents Show how "32 percent of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse." 32 percent! There has been a movement about body positivity and how models have unrealistic bodies that images that are often edited, people are constantly still comparing themselves. 

Image source: Very Well Mind

Reflecting on Social Media

I find myself guilty of FOMO, especially now that I have decidedly lessened my time on social media to prioritize schoolwork. But I also have to remind myself that most of the time, people will solely share the picture-perfect parts of their lives. Although, lately, I have seen an increase in sharing the lows in life and being more vulnerable on social media. The Help Guide and Wall Street Journal confirmed what I already knew. Oftentimes, we are caught up with sharing everything on social media that we forget what is right in front of us, myself included. It is so important for adults and educators to emphasize to our students that there is more to life outside of social media.