Social Media is Destroying Us.... WTF?!?!

Many of us nowadays can never leave our phones out of our sight. Social media can be extremely addicting, and we may not even know how to stop the addiction.  

If you really think about it, social media shows our entire lives. Scary, right? You're putting your life on display, with the invite for judgment behind you. As it is seen by the Mayo Clinic, 97% of teenagers use at least one of multiple types of social media platforms.

Picture of Social Media Addiction

Along with this a 2019 study also done by the Mayo Clinic showed that “ more than 6,500 12-15-year-olds in the U.S. who spent more than three hours a day using social media might be at a heightened risk for mental health problems'' Not only does mental health matter, it can also be possible that the amount of social media use you are using in a day, can negatively affect your mental health.

An Image Representing A Phone Making You Feel Locked up

It should be concerning for all teenagers, and at some point today you should sit back and think if there is any sort of connection between the way you are feeling and the amount of social media you use in a day. Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues should be taken seriously, and social media is not helping.

Alright, let's talk about FOMO. If you don't know what that is, which once again I assume you do, FOMO is the fear of missing out. FOMO can be pretty dangerous to teenagers' mental health around the world. Constantly feeling like you're missing out on something when you see someone's post on social media, can tear down the way you feel about yourself and the connections that you have.

 

A Picture of What FOMO Can Feel Like

An article from the website Help Guide states, “FOMO can compel you to pick up your phone every few minutes to check for updates, or compulsively respond to each and every alert- even if that means taking risks while you're driving, missing out on sleep on night, or prioritizing social media interaction over real-world relationships.” Not only are we putting our mental health at risk, but these effects can also influence our physical health. FOMO is a serious issue and I bet a lot of you out there have been upset at one time or another because someone posted that they were somewhere that you weren’t. 

Not being able to remove yourself from social media is a problem, and it is okay to admit that. Addiction is very real no matter what you are addicted to. There needs to be the realization though, that every time you feel left out or are comparing yourself to others on social media, your mental health is declining. 

Have you ever scrolled through Instagram and thought, ‘Why am I not this person?’ or, ‘I wish I could have their life.’ Many teenagers feel like influencers or celebrities who post on social media have it made. This is far from the case. Most celebrities are facing the same everyday struggles we go through, they are just only posting their highlights on social media.

 

Social Media Creating The Standard of Beauty

Another statement in the Help Guide’s article says, “ But that doesn't lessen those feelings of envy and dissatisfaction when you're scrolling through a friend's airbrushed photos of their tropical beach holiday or reading about their exciting new promotion at work.”  Whenever we see someone else’s ‘picture-perfect life, we tend to become jealous and wish we had that same life. This in turn can cause us to feel depressed, and our current situation is not enough. 

  Some may argue that social media is not making teenagers depressed and that they would still feel like this id social media did not exist. Even if mental health can come from multiple different aspects, we can not ignore the fact that millions of teenagers' mental health are being destroyed, simply because of a couple apps.

Controlling the amount of time spent on social media in a day can be a genius way to help with negative feelings teens may be having. An E-Book titled Logged In and Stressed Out states, “Studies show that the average American is spending more than 10 hours a day in front of their screens, suicide rates are at an all-time high, and mental health professionals are working hard to address social media’s role in this epidemic.” There is a clear connection between the number of time teens are spending on social media, and the way it may be consuming their entire lives and feelings.

There are some solutions to help anyone who may feel like social media is impacting their mental health. 

 

An App That Regulates Screen Time

There are apps on phones that will regulate the amount of time you spend on social media in a day. After the time allotted is up, your phone will lock you out of your apps, and it will force you to put your phone down. 

If you get on a schedule where you can put the phone down, you can start to feel better about your well-being and stop worrying about others. If teens can take this advice and control their social media time, they can see improvements in their own lives as well as the lives of others around them.