Social Media’s Psychological Impact on Users

Social media platforms connect people from all over the world to one another. However the problem that many users face is that they do not know how to detach themselves from these social media giants.

 

With constant influxes of various viral videos, tweets, status updates and comments to sift through and respond to, social media platforms can create a never-ending loop of attachment. 

 

The youth of the world especially feel a sense of pressure to stay active on these platforms almost 24 hours a day. They feel compelled to answer texts or direct posts online almost immediately.

 

That sense of obligation to be available and the emotional investment involved with maintaining that presence are affecting teens’ mental health, this was discovered in a new health study that was recently conducted.

 

Researchers surveyed a total of 467 teenagers, they monitored their social media use throughout the day and night. Whilst carrying out this survey, scientists also tested the users sleep quality as well as a number of psychological indicators.

 

The results of the survey showed that social media use, particularly at night, combined with emotional investments in social networking interactions, led to lack of sleep, poor sleep quality, lower self-esteem issues and also higher levels of anxiety. Previous studies also found that teenagers with a lower self-esteem, have a higher tendency to suffer from depression as adults.

 

“We have to think about how our kids use social media, in relation to time for switching off,” lead researcher Cleland Woods said in a statement.

 

Time of day, however, isn’t the only potential factor that could affect teen mental health when it comes to social media use. The amount of time spent on social networking platforms can also have psychological implications.

 

Following a survey of 753 primary school and high school students, researchers found that those who spent more than two hours a day on social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram or Twitter were more likely to report distress, poor mental health and even suicidal thoughts.

 

Social media, of course, isn’t going anywhere and is a big part of how teenagers communicate. But spending too much time managing their virtual identities can have a profound, and negative, impact on teens’ actual lives.