Social Media Impact: How social media can impact one’s relationships and mental health |

Social media has a huge impact all over the world. Everyone has been affected by the new age of social media, and it’s easy to get so caught up in this world that we ignore how social media affects our health. Scrolling through reels until 3 a.m. isn’t good for your physical or mental health. According to a study in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions (2019), digital media can cause anxiety and depression. Social media has many disadvantages. Let’s take a look at five ways social media can affect your mental health.
1. Anxiety: Being part of this generation is not easy. You’ll meet a lot of people who look better than you, have better grades than you, travel more, and have beautiful accounts. All of these things can make you feel inferior and not good enough. You have to encourage yourself not to feel bad about yourself. According to a study in the Journal of Youth and Adolescent (2019), social media is associated with self-esteem.
2. Jealousy: These days, every time you open your social media account, you start comparing yourself to others. You may begin to resent seeing their content or become jealous of their lifestyle or appearance. According to a study in the Journal of Adolescent Health (2018), social media can increase jealousy among users.
3. Lack of sleep: Social media can steal your sleep. Scrolling through reels late at night won’t give you quality rest. It can negatively impact cognitive function and completely disrupt sleep. Blue light emitted by devices can interfere with your sleep schedule. According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 75% of adults use electronic devices before bed, resulting in delayed sleep onset and reduced sleep duration.
4. Stress and anxiety: Social media can make you feel anxious and stressed. According to research from the Royal Society for Public Health, social media can lead to increased feelings of loneliness, isolation and anxiety.
5. Depression: Today, many people try to distance themselves from social media to protect themselves from depression. According to a study published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 45% of adults suffer from depression due to social media.