7 signs social media is harming your mental health

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Alarm bells that make you think and change behavior.

According to a global survey, 67.8 million people in Russia have social media accounts. We are constantly scrolling through the Instagram feed, distracted by notifications on Facebook, VKontakte, or Twitter. They have many advantages: you are always in touch, you can communicate with loved ones who are hundreds of kilometers away. However, experts believe that in some cases, hanging on social media can negatively affect our mental health.

1. You are subject to loss of profit syndrome

The lost profit syndrome is a psychological phenomenon, the essence of which is the fear of missing out on something important and interesting. Social media can make it stronger.

The fear of not learning about the latest trends or not being social enough can affect a person's sense of their own worth.

Lauren Ramos Physician, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Founder of She is Strong and Mindful Psychological Center

Constantly updating a page in the hope of keeping up with life can be a sign of lost profits syndrome. Try different meditation techniques to get rid of your obsession.

2. You watch out for accounts that negatively affect your self-esteem

It's a bad habit to follow people who make us feel insecure, experts say.

For example, the accounts of travelers staying in luxury hotels make you want to go there too. And the bodies of bodybuilders are envious.

Alanna Harvey Chief Marketing Officer and Co-Founder of Flipd, a digital time management service

It is better to subscribe not to specific people, but to useful pages. For example, with nutritional advice or travel directions.

3. You compare yourself to others all the time

When you follow someone's life on social media, it's hard not to be tempted to compare it to yours. But this is an unhealthy habit.

The subconscious tendency to compare ourselves to others leads to dissatisfaction with our daily and social life or work. This can lead to low self-esteem, sadness and stress.

Lauren Ramos

It's important to remember that many people spend a lot of time editing posts and choosing the best angles. People post the most beautiful shots on the Web, reduce their nose or even out their skin tone - in general, they simply imitate a beautiful life. If you find yourself comparing yourself to others more often, stop and close the page to thank life for what you have.

4. You swear on social networks

Many probably entered into a verbal skirmish, for example, defended their opinions in the comments to the post under discussion. It's really fun, but you have to wage your internet battles wisely to maintain your mental health.

Even if you are not arguing with someone online, any negative contact with the person or aggressive comment on an annoying topic is usually not worth it.

Alanna Harvey

If it helps you express your emotions, just write a message, but don't send it. You will give vent to feelings, but avoid negative consequences. And you will not have to be even more upset when someone writes back to you.

5. You get upset about bad news

In America, the term headline stress disorder is common, which can be translated as "headline stress disorder." It denotes the increased anxiety people experience after reading the news.

68% of Americans follow the news through social networks. In Russia, 56% of young people (18 to 24 years old) also read news on social media. The total percentage of those who follow current events in social networks in Russia is 39%.

To keep stress out of your life, turn off notifications and do not read the news 24/7.

6. You are subscribed to too many accounts

If because of this you spend hours scrolling through the news feed, it's time to click on the "Unsubscribe" button.

Watching hundreds of pages, you get an endless stream of content. But most of it is irrelevant to your life and is not at all important. Is it imperative to keep an eye on the person you once saw at a party? Most likely no. Observing how others live should not be a priority.

Alanna Harvey

7. You are obsessed with likes

How many times after you publish a photo or post do you check who rated it? If you are obsessed with the number of likes, comments, or reposts of your posts, this is not normal.

Indifference from other users can affect your mood and self-esteem. And constant page checks take away your attention and do not allow you to enjoy the moment here and now.

Social media itself is not a mental health hazard. But our behavior in them and our feelings when watching the news feed can play a cruel joke. Watch your habits and benefit, not harm, from mankind's ingenious invention - the Internet.