Every day, around 4.62 billion people around the world use social media. According to a recent report by We Are Social and Hootsuite, the average time spent on social media apps per person averages about two hours and 27 minutes.
ExpressVPN’s study of Generation Z and its social media usage in 2021 also revealed some interesting findings. The study, done in collaboration with Pollfish, found that 100% of Generation Z surveyed have a social media account. 62% of those surveyed say the “Hide Likes” feature on Instagram and Facebook has helped decrease their anxiety around posting.
However, what’s most surprising is that most Gen Z individuals in the survey have reported that social media has impacted various areas of their mental health, including their happiness, self-esteem, and loneliness.
It’s clear then that social media has a huge impact on the mental health of its users.
Recently, there’s been a worrying influx in videos on TikTok with the hashtag #BPD, which stands for borderline personality disorder. In these videos, young “mental health influencers” post videos of themselves experiencing symptoms of BPD, such as rapid twitches or Tourette’s tics. These “influencers,” who don’t have medical credentials, sometimes give tips on how their followers can self-diagnose their mental health conditions.
Despite all the negative aspects social media might have, there are definitely positive impacts worth talking about. During the pandemic, many people — including teens — used social media to keep in touch with friends and family members abroad to stay updated on all the happenings around the world. Social media has also provided a great place for Gen Zers to openly discuss issues that have been bothering them, such as mental health, racism, and more. Social media has also been lauded for giving support to LGBTQ+ teens who are in need of a welcoming community, especially in times when meeting face to face wasn’t possible.
Gen Zers and millennials often use social media to keep in touch with the news as well. Given the nature of social media, news is often delivered in bite-sized formats that make it easier to consume. According to experts in this article, up to 80% of millennials and Gen Z use YouTube, TikTok, and other forms of social media apps to stay updated on the war in Ukraine.
Still, using social media can be quite exhausting. What can you do when you’re feeling overwhelmed on social media? Here are tips to help you:
The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health – Do a digital detox.
Consider taking a few days off from social media and focusing on spending quality time with people you love in real life instead. Whether for a few days or a few weeks, the timespan of digital detoxes is entirely up to you.
The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health – Unfollow accounts that could trigger you.
Have you ever looked at pictures of models or celebrities on Instagram and felt the need to compare yourself to them? You might want to unfollow those accounts. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with models or celebrities posting images of themselves, these types of content could trigger you and conjure up feelings of unworthiness, which could be damaging to your self-esteem. You can always follow these accounts again when you feel more comfortable.
The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health – Follow accounts that make you feel good.
After you’re done unfollowing all the accounts that could possibly trigger you, start being more discerning about the accounts you do decide to follow next. Making a conscious effort on who you follow can be a powerful step in guarding your mental health.
The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health – Set limits.
It’s so easy to go down the rabbit hole of endless scrolling on social media, we don’t blame you if you end up spending too much time on Instagram or TikTok. If you’re trying to avoid this, set an alarm for yourself to stop scrolling through social media after a few minutes or only allow yourself to scroll social media once you’ve completed certain tasks.
Talk to someone.
If these preliminary steps don’t work, consider reaching out for help. Sometimes, these feelings about social media could be too much for you, so it’s perfectly fine to reach out to a professional like David Goodlad who could be better equipped to help.
Like most things in life, social media is perfectly fine to use in moderation and could actually be beneficial to some. However, if you notice that you’ve been getting negatively impacted each time you’re scrolling through your favourite platforms, consider logging off for a bit and using these tips above.