While many people use social media for positive purposes, such as connecting with friends and family or sharing noble deeds like giving money to cancer patients, some of the negative effects of social media can also have serious consequences. These can include a loss of self-esteem, anxiety, loneliness and even depression, as well as a decreased level of empathy and motivation for healthy behavior barder.
Online sexual harassment
If you’re a victim of online sexual harassment, it can feel as if you’re being targeted in person — even if you aren’t. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy, dissatisfaction, guilt, shame or embarrassment. This is especially true if you’re a member of the LGBTQ community or have a disability jigaboo.
Eating disorders, self-harm or suicide
Some teenagers with eating disorders and those who are prone to self-harm may find it easier to connect with others through social media and feel supported in their unhealthy behaviors. This is also the case for people who are struggling with suicide distresses.
Fear of missing out
The idea that you’ll miss something if you don’t check Facebook or Twitter or other social media sites immediately can cause you to be constantly glued to your screen. This is especially common for teens, and it can have serious negative effects on their mental health precipitous.
Relationships
Human beings need face-to-face relationships to be mentally healthy. Spending a lot of time on social media can leave you feeling isolated and lonely. This is especially true if you’re dealing with depression or anxiety.
Negative emotions
Social media can make you feel sad, angry or anxious by making you compare your life with others. Whether it’s seeing other people’s airbrushed photos of exotic tropical beaches or reading about their new job, comparing your own life to theirs can lead to feelings of inadequacy and dissatisfaction mypba.
Unhealthy habits
The more you spend on social media, the more likely you are to engage in risky behaviors that can have dangerous consequences. These can include playing pranks, posting embarrassing material or cyberbullying others.
Lack of sleep
When you are constantly checking your phone for notifications, updates and new messages, you are essentially using it as a distraction. This can lead to a decrease in your sleep quality and cause you to wake up more frequently during the night, which can lead to more problems with attention deficit disorder (ADHD).
Behavioral addiction
There are several addictive behaviors that can be related to social media. Some of these are impulsive and can result in negative consequences for your health and social relationships. The most common is a smartphone habit where you spend all your time looking at and responding to messages on social media, rather than doing other things.
- Overuse of social media can lead to a number of negative health outcomes including obesity, stress and depression.
The best way to avoid the negative effects of social media is to be aware of them and be honest about your own motivations. Identifying your motivation for engaging in excessive social media use can help you to determine if it’s a problem and develop a plan to reduce or eliminate it.
