Is Social Media Making Us Healthier Or Sicker?

Social Chats

October 20, 2020

Like it or not, social media is here to stay. While it helps to connect us with hundreds or thousands of people worldwide, many people believe it’s taking a toll on our mental health.

It’s no secret that we are social creatures. We strive to meet new people, create new connections, and foster current friendships to be happy. When we find that special connection with another person, it helps relieve mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. It also allows our feeling of self-worth, knowing we are good enough for someone’s attention. However, people become addicted to this attention. All the attention may make us happy, but it throws us into a pit of depression that stems from loneliness and frustration when it suddenly stops.

It’s easy to get cut off out of nowhere on a social media website or app. People can log off, block a person, or stop interacting entirely, leaving someone wondering what they could have done wrong. There are many positive benefits to social media use, but it should be done in moderation like anything else in life. There’s nothing wrong with staying connected with family, friends, and people with similar interests, but social media gives as much as it takes away. It helps relieve anxiety as much as it can cause it. Social media can also get in the way of work, school, or other productive activities that can get us into trouble and send us spiraling deeper into a mental health crisis.

The best way to keep yourself from getting mentally or physically sick because of social media use is to start reducing the time you spend online slowly. Use built-in apps that tell you how much screen time you’re getting. One way to do that is by turning off social media notifications to keep yourself from getting distracted. Take some time to spend outside with friends or family in the real world to start slowly shedding your reliance on social media for feel-good hormones.