Young adults consider social platform browsing an essential part of their daily activities. Statistical data in 2023 showed that 4.9 billion people from across the globe maintained social media accounts. Each day, people dedicate 145 minutes to social media usage. The ability to view worldwide updates from friends and relatives increases connection, according to research, but social media also creates negative effects, as described in this article. Those who need help with assignments can consult platforms like 99papers.com. As we discuss here, young adults, along with parents, need to recognize how social media affects their mental state as well as their overall health.
Notable Benefits of Social Media for Young Adults
Although online communication through social media lacks the mental health benefits of in-person interactions, it still offers several positive aspects that can help you remain connected and enhance your well-being.
Social media allows you to connect and remain informed with family and friends globally. You also have the opportunity to meet new friends and communities and connect with others who have similar interests or goals.
Significantly, social media enables you to participate in or advocate for meaningful causes while increasing awareness of critical issues. Young adults can seek or provide emotional support in challenging situations. It serves as a beneficial channel for your creativity and self-expression, enabling you to uncover valuable information and learning resources.
Notably, social media enables you to establish essential social and professional ties (like online therapy) if you reside in a secluded region, for instance, or face constraints in independence, suffer from social anxiety, or belong to a marginalized community.
What Are the Health Implications of Social Media Use?
Multiple reports confirm that online platforms make users more depressed and nervous, especially among young people. Social media has compulsive qualities that stimulate the brain’s reward system through the release of dopamine. It’s a “feel-good substance” involved with pleasurable experiences. When we share something, our friends and family can like it, and it gives us a dopamine surge. When others fail to support us, it affects our perception of our self-worth and self-confidence. Here are more ways social media may affect young adults’ mental health.
- May Increase Feelings of Isolation
Recent research conducted at the University of Pennsylvania revealed that extensive use of social media heightens, rather than alleviates, feelings of loneliness. In contrast, the study showed that decreasing social media use can lead to feelings of less loneliness and isolation, enhancing your overall well-being.
- Can Increase Risk for Social Reward
Social media possesses a self-reinforcing quality. Utilizing it stimulates the brain’s reward system by releasing dopamine, a “feel-good substance” associated with enjoyable experiences like sex, food, and social engagement. The platforms are created to be addictive and are linked to anxiety, depression, and even physical health issues.
The Pew Research Center reports that 69% of adults and 81% of teenagers in the United States engage with social media. This subjects a significant portion of the population to a heightened risk of experiencing anxiety, depression, or negative feelings related to their social media activity.
However, what encourages users to return for additional experiences even when it can make them feel ill? When the result is uncertain, the actions are more prone to recur. Consider a slot machine: if players were aware that they would never win any money by playing, they would not participate at all.
- Use of Filters Affects Self-Esteem
Social media places a strong emphasis on looks. Numerous social media platforms – including Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok – give users the choice to apply filters to an image. Filters can provide a good laugh, but the simplicity of changing one’s physical look and concealing flaws can lead to deceptive perceptions. Consistent exposure to edited images may make you feel insecure and dislike your appearance
- Increases the Fear of Missing Out
Monitoring your friends and family on social media might lead you to believe that others are experiencing more enjoyment or leading more fulfilling lives than you.
Twenty years ago, the girl could have been left out of her best friend’s events, but she might not have been aware of it unless it was directly communicated to her. Besides offering youth a perspective to observe overlooked experiences, social media presents a warped view of both appearances and reality. Social media heightens the chances of encountering unrealistic, edited images during a period when adolescent bodies transform.
Social media is frequently referred to as a “highlight reel,” showcasing the finest moments of a user’s life. Nonetheless, viewing others’ highlight reels can heighten our feelings of discontent with our everyday lives. This can affect self-esteem, provoke anxiety, and increase our desire to engage with social media. The fear of missing out may drive users to frequently check social media to avoid missing out on current events.
- Can Worsen Depression and Anxiety
People require in-person interactions to maintain mental well-being. Nothing alleviates stress and lifts your spirits more quickly or efficiently than making eye contact with someone who cares for you. The more you value social media engagement over face-to-face relationships, the greater your risk of developing or worsening mood disorders like anxiety and depression
- Can Lead to Cyberbullying
In 2022, 48% of internet users in the United States reported facing online harassment. Cyberbullying occurs when an individual persistently and deliberately targets, mistreats, or ridicules another person using an electronic device. It can greatly affect self-worth and emotional well-being. Social media sites can be breeding grounds for cyberbullying and disseminating damaging rumors, falsehoods, and mistreatment that can create enduring emotional wounds.
How Can Young Adults Use Social Media Responsibly?
An effective method to enhance your social media relationship and lessen the negative impacts is to reduce your daily screen hours. Ways to reduce screen time involve establishing time restrictions on social media applications in your phone settings and assigning particular hours for social media activity. Review your list of friends and followers and remove those whose profiles negatively impact your self-esteem.
Discover Satisfaction and Joy Beyond Social Media
Focus on face-to-face interactions and engagements to enhance your mental well-being. This may also result in reduced screen time. Discover pursuits that bring you joy beyond your device. Trekking, enjoying picnics with friends, painting, playing pickleball, reading, or taking your dog for a walk can be excellent methods to engage with others. Engaging in activities you enjoy can enhance both your physical and mental well-being.
Featured image and additional images via Pexels
