By Nishala Rasiah
Human beings are social creatures. We need the companionship of others to thrive in life, and the strength of our connections has a huge impact on our mental health and happiness. As times changed, and consequently the Internet emerged, people were able to communicate at an alternative as well as experience other new things.
Everyone has some form of social media, whether it's TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, or Tumblr. You get where I’m going. Sure, it may be entertaining to scroll through, reply to a comment, like a post, or repost a funny video, but as you continue the cycle of liking, commenting, and reposting it forms a habit. This is backed by science.
Social media platforms are designed to snatch your attention, keep you online, and have you repeatedly check your screen for updates. It’s how companies make money. But, much like a gambling compulsion or an addiction to nicotine, alcohol, or drugs, social media use can create psychological craving. When you receive a like, a share, or a favourable reaction to a post, it can trigger the release of dopamine in the brain, the same “reward” chemical that follows winning on a slot machine, taking candy, winning a game, etc. The more you’re rewarded, the more time you want to spend on social media, even if it becomes detrimental to other aspects of your life.
As you fall deeper and deeper into the depths of smartphone addiction, signs of increasing loneliness and depression, anxiety and stress, reducing your ability to concentrate and think deeply or creatively, and disrupt your sleeping patterns. Due to the accumulation of all of this, it is obvious that the mental health of one will rapidly diminish, and could even lead to more dire effects such as suicidal thoughts, and disorders such as eating disorders and attention deficit disorders depending on the content viewed online. Especially, in the case of cyberbullying, where people have been driven to suicide countless times since social media allows anyone from anywhere to communicate with one another regardless of whether they are saying negative or positive things.
This is why it's important to remember that social media can never be a replacement for real-world human connection. It requires in-person contact with others to trigger the hormones that alleviate stress and make you feel happier, healthier, and more positive. Ironically, for a technology that’s designed to bring people closer together, spending too much time engaging with social media can make you feel lonelier and more isolated.
To reduce the impactfulness of social media on Mental health, remember to take phone breaks often for at least an hour to do something productful, such as read a book, take a walk, study, etc.., not to use it the first thing you wake up and the last thing before bed, and don't be afraid to delete apps if it’s too overwhelming.
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