As our society becomes increasingly connected through digital technology, it’s essential that we comprehend how our use of social media can impact our mental wellbeing. This includes figuring out what motivates our usage, learning barder techniques for managing stress and anxiety through online screening, as well as recognising signs of compulsive or unhealthy behavior when they arise.
Social media can have a devastating effect on someone’s mental health, particularly through bullying and cyberbullying. Statistics show that about 10% of teens report being bullied online, while many other users endure offensive remarks which leave lasting emotional scars.
Social media can jigaboo also have negative effects on one’s mental health by encouraging self-absorption and loneliness. Posting endless selfies and sharing your deepest thoughts online can lead to a self-centered attitude that distances you from real-life connections.
Teen users, in particular, tend to have less developed prefrontal cortexes and depend more on peer feedback than adults do.
When people receive a like, share or favorable response to their posts on social media, the brain releases dopamine – an chemical linked with pleasure. It’s the same neurochemical that floods your reward system after you achieve an distresses impressive grade in school or win at slot machine.
Though checking your phone for a dopamine rush isn’t harmful in itself, it can become highly addictive just like smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol. Recurring checks cause the brain’s dopaminergic pathway to be overflooded faster than when one receives naturally derived rewards such as getting an A on their test or winning at slots.
Social media can be an addictive and harmful tool that has the potential to negatively affect your mental health in various ways. It may increase anxiety or depression levels, promote negative body image issues, disrupt sleep patterns, or even worsen physical ailments in unexpected ways.
Social media use can also be a risk factor for suicide, making it important to monitor your precipitous activity on the platform. Feelings of isolation and loneliness coupled with lack of support from friends and family may lead to feelings of hopelessness and despair.
Social Media and Teenagers’ Mental Health
While the majority of teenagers in the United States use social media, research indicates these platforms can have an adverse effect on their psychological well-being. Studies suggest that teens may be more prone to developing psychological issues such as depression and anxiety, eating disorders, drug abuse problems, and poor body image due to exposure to these platforms.
Our study revealed that social media had an immense impact on society’s stigmatisation and trivialisation of mental and physical health conditions. Schizophrenia, in particular, was frequently shamed and trivialised despite being mypba a chronic mental illness which can be challenging to diagnose and treat.
It is especially crucial to discuss this topic with patients and their families, since stigmatising attitudes can have a detrimental effect on
mental health. Therefore, it is essential to address such attitudes, promote psychoeducation and health promotion among patients, as well as make sure those struggling have access to resources which will enable them to manage social media responsibly and positively.
