Introduction
In an apparent effort to limit the comparison and hurt feelings brought about by the reinforcing nature of social media, Instagram once tried to suppress its likes button. This effort by Instagram was a direct response to criticism that it was fueling a mental health crisis among young people. Instagram was not the only social media application to receive this criticism, as other social media applications, such as Snapchat, Facebook, TikTok, and others, have been accused of contributing to the deteriorating mental health status of most of their users.
Consequently, experts argue that social media applications are built to be addictive because their use prompts the secretion of the feel-good hormone associated with drug use and other pleasurable activities such as sex (Sperling, 2022). Secretion of a massive amount of the feel-good hormone due to extended social media use is associated with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and fear of missing out (FOMO), among many others. Thus, mental health issues among social media users are directly attributable to social media overuse.
Main Body
Many Americans use social media regularly, increasing the risks of serious mental health issues. A recent study by the Pew Research Center established that 69 percent of adults and 81 percent of teenagers use social media (Sperling, 2022). This significant portion of the total United States population is at an increased risk of suffering from mental health issues or falling ill due to social media use. An insatiable need to boost one’s self-esteem and a sense of belonging among other social media users, coupled with potential future rewards, ensures that people constantly check their social media profiles (Sperling, 2022). Further, social media users tend to compare the number of likes received in a particular post vis other popular posts. In addition, while searching for validation, they question why so and so did not like, comment, or share their post. These constant questions and judgments about one’s posts compared with others take a heavy mental toll on an individual, leading to issues such as anxiety and depression.
In the past, people argued that social media could replace direct human interaction as it offered a simpler and more convenient way of keeping in touch with friends, family, and relatives. Some even went further and suggested that social media was a source of inclusion and social connection (Bonsaksen et al., 2021). However, despite the validity of these arguments, no amount of social media can replace direct face-to-face interactions. Millions of people who embraced social media as an alternative method of keeping in touch with loved ones end up suffering from loneliness (Bonsaksen et al., 2021). By design, social media provides a virtual connection and a way to passively consume information and media. This is in contrast with direct face-to-face interactions, which provide people with a more emotional connection that alleviates any sense of loneliness. Consequently, research associates higher social media use with higher levels of loneliness (Bonsaksen et al., 2021). Thus, the lack of real or emotional connection connected with social media use leads to a feeling of loneliness among social media users.
A common feeling among social media users is that everyone uses social media. Thus, most create the illusion that if they do not join, they will miss invitations, connections, jokes, and others. Thus, when people open their social media pages and see they are excluded from activities, it affects their feelings and thoughts. Consequently, this fear of missing out creates anxiety and depression. Researchers have linked FOMO with intensive social media use (Sperling, 2022). This fear of losing out is also associated with lower life satisfaction and lower mood as people agonize that they could be missing out on life after reviewing their friend’s social media posts (Sperling, 2022). FOMO also elevates a feeling of inadequacy when a social media user is unable to match the elegance or flamboyance laid bare in their friend’s social media posts. Thus, intensive use of social media leads to a fear of missing out, which elevates other mental issues such as anxiety, depression, and a feeling of inadequacy.
Intensive social media use is especially destructive to young school-going youths as it leads to delayed, decreased, or disrupted sleep. The deprivation of sleep, in turn, leads to depression, anxiety, and poor academic performance (Sperling, 2022). Depression and anxiety can escalate to physical illness, where a connection between the gut and the mind can turn anxiety and depression into nausea, tremors, headaches, and other physical conditions. Thus, extended social media use can cause mental and physical health issues that negatively impact young learners’ lives and academic performance.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the nature of human beings as social beings and the inherent nature of social media as a passive communication media and non-emotional increases the risk of mental health issues among users. In particular, users’ inclination to compare their lives with others, the fear of missing out, and the loneliness that comes from social media use to increase the chances of depression and anxiety. To young people, who are the majority of social media users, intensive use leads to sleep deprivation which causes depression and anxiety and thus negatively impacts their academic performance. Thus, social media negatively impacts the mental health of its most intensive users and could hamper the academic performance and progress of its youngest users.
References
Bonsaksen, T., Ruffolo, M., Leung, J., Price, D., Thygesen, H., Schoultz, M., & Geirdal, A. Ø. (2021). Loneliness and its association with social media use during the COVID-19 Outbreak. Social Media + Society, 7(3), 205–338.
Sperling, J. (2022). The social dilemma: Social media and your mental health. McLean Hospital.