Social media has become a Habit to some people almost like second nature checking their phones non stop everyday. Although, social media brings people together to express themselves and have fun. Studies have shown social media has its downsides by ruining teenagers self-esteem and making them more depressed. However, the million dollar question is, how is it hurting our self esteem? In this article I’ll explain the good and the bad of the usage of social media.
First, I’ll start with the positive side of ways social media can affect our mental health. How we can express ourselves with posts and TikToks showing how we feel by emotions through text or even dances. Throughout social media a lot of things like supportive communities can be found, for example if you are scared about your sexuality, what your hobbies are, if your scared to talk to family members or even friends you can find communities with similar things in common that can give a sense of you not having to be alone.
Now for the bad side of social media. The excessive use off social media can lead to negative effects on mental health. This happens because of people comparing themselves to others online. As some say “comparison is a thief of joy” that could lead to stress and sadness. Teenagers have this problem of addiction and constant use, as if they cant go a day without their phone which can interfere with their daily life, such as school and work, making a cycle of dependency that’ll be hard to break. The dependency of your phone can lead too poor attention span and productivity only because social media is a constant simulation. The attention span has really died down because of phones and social media causing people to get bored easily.
While social media can be a good way to stay connected, it’s important to know the impact on peoples mental health. The main point is to balance the use of it for fun and to use it in a way that can positively impact you. Putting boundaries and being mindful of how you consume the content will create a significant change that can change your life. At the end of the day your mental well being is the most important thing, and should come first.
