Trapped in Social Media

How social media can affect your mental health and how to prevent it

By Anishka Gurbani, Staff Writer

image via Mohamed Hassan on Pixabay

Mental health is a growing problem in the United States as newer generations are receiving phones at such young ages. Today, teenagers are spending an average of five hours a day on social media. Heavy usage can greatly affect their mental health in varying aspects, such as how they see themselves, others, and how they perform in school or sports. 

According to the American Psychological Association, 41 percent of teens who have a high social media use rate their mental health as poor. 10 percent show suicidal intent or self-harm, and 17 percent experience poor body image. These severe conditions come from excessive social media use from apps such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. Additionally, 60 percent of frequent social media users also report weak family relationships, despite the fact that having stronger relationships can significantly reduce mental health issues, even with a bigger screentime. 

One major factor is social media disrupting sleep. According to an article written by Kenta Minamitani in the Stanford Law School blog, screen exposure late at night can lead to increased anxiety or depression. Many teenagers stay online late for fear of missing out or pressure to quickly respond to messages.

Photos from Artemis Hospital and Toledo Blade

Many teens and social media companies might argue for the benefits of social media, and they do exist. Benefits to social media according to the National Center for Health Research include communicating with long-distance friends and family to provide them with support. Mitigating stress, particularly for minorities: 70 percent of girls of color find race-affirming content on social media, 58 percent of teens feel more accepted, 67 percent of teens feel more supported and 80 percent of teens feel more connected with friends.

But in contrast, cons to social media according to Parents Foundation include increased anxiety and stress, sleep disturbance (due to excessive hours on social media), disengagement when talking to someone or being in class, and missed responsibilities (chores, homework, family obligations).

Some tips for managing social media use according to the National Center for Health Research are putting your phone in another room while you sleep (use an alarm clock instead of your phone as an alarm to prevent looking on social media early in the morning), choosing one day a week to take a day off from social media, turn off your notifications so you are less likely to open certain apps, take a break from apps that contribute to unhealthy body image and replace with meditation apps, and setting time limits for apps that distract you to limit use.

Social Media can be a fun place, but it can also expose us to unrealistic standards and endless videos that can lead to us wasting hours in our day, taking in information that can hurt our mental health. It’s important that we set limits and be mindful of how long we are on social media so we have control over our mental and physical well-being.