Social Media & Mental Health: Balance Is Key
Social media: a necessary evil in the modern world or a massive benefit? I’m going to be honest: I am not the most social of people, in real life or online. Those who have followed me for a while will know this already. There are many reasons for this, but mostly because, for me, social media & mental health can become too intertwined and it’s just not healthy.
I have a love-hate relationship with social media, and the social aspect is what always gets me. I much prefer to be that person lurking in the shadows, consuming content and letting others post and share information.
That is unless I have a foster dog, in which case I am active on my dog social media account (if you like cute dogs and have a passion for rescue, I highly suggest you follow me—shameless plug). However, even the cute dog world isn’t free from the underbelly of social media, dark places, people, and insatiable keyboard warriors.
But before I go off on a tangent, let’s bring this post back to something coherent and get to the point.
Social Media & Mental Health: A Study
Click Consult recently compiled a multi-generational survey of 1,000 people on social media and its effect on mental health. There’s no denying that social media can be a fantastic place, but it can also be a cesspool of hate and negativity. With the good always comes the bad.
And with the bad comes the impact on mental health. Sure, it can be a seriously uplifting and positive place; for me, one of my favourite accounts and a constant source of happiness is Good Boy Olly and his crazy brother Tato. And I’m not alone, as the UK’s, maybe the world’s favourite chocolate labrador, has surpassed a million followers.
But you don’t even need to scratch the surface these days to find the not-so-great. This is for both accounts and user comments, too.
Personally, I do find there can be a lot of joy on social media. I am thankfully largely able to sidestep a lot of the negativity, and if I hear anything, it’s only in passing or because someone else has told me. I get a lot of support from a beagle-centric group I am in on Facebook, and I’m not alone. In the Click Consult social media survey, the word happy was used 45 times and inspired 15. Entertained also cropped up 29 times. Some survey respondents echoed my sentiments about finding the right groups for my interests, with one saying, “I’ve got engineering and science groups I follow.”
However, it’s crucial to acknowledge that within these positive experiences, there are also negative aspects that demand and often do get more attention. This is the side of social media that I believe needs to be addressed more prominently.
The Negative Side of Social Media
Let’s be honest: anyone who has been within earshot of a social media account in the last decade will have seen both the good and the bad and, more likely than not, experienced it too. Millennials and Gen Z will experience this more as they are the most voracious consumers of social media; millennials are the most active generation on social media, while Gen Z spend more time on social media per day. However, one survey found that those born between 1965 and 1980 are more impacted by toxicity on social media than any other age group, which is Gen X. As a 1981 baby, I narrowly miss this generation; however, I, too, have seen the impact on mental health social media can bring. And I, too, like many others, have experienced it firsthand.
The Click Consult survey found that people mentioned doom scrolling and being addicted to the mindless scrolling of content (guilty), which can drain your mindset and energy levels. Others mention feeling overwhelmed and anxious, which is something I have felt in the past on social media, too. With over half of the adolescents surveyed in a different study reporting they have experienced cyberbullying, the questions still remain: are social media platforms doing enough to protect the mental health of their users, and can the hate and toxicity ever be removed?
For me the answer to both is no. At least not how I see social media and know of it. But with so many people using at least one form of social media a day and for multiple hours, it seems, for now anyway with the good comes the bad. Making it more important to be aware of the potential negative impacts and to use social media with caution and mindfulness.
My Thoughts on The Social Media & Mental Health Survey
The results of the survey did not actually shock me. In a way, it kind of confirmed what I thought I already knew. Social media does have its place in helping people to connect and support others; my beagle owners group is a testament to that (ironically, beagles for the uninitiated are also damaging to your mental health, hence the need for a dedicated support group- but once you get them, that all changes).
And for mental health, this can be extra important, especially for those who struggle to make connections in real life or who are isolated for any reason. The power of social connections forged online cannot be dismissed regarding social media and mental health, and I believe there is some good out there, and these sites were started with the intention of helping people connect with others.
But the sad reality is more often than not, social media is or can be to blame for the rise in mental health issues in some people; this is mostly due to those with pre-existing conditions and like with anything else, it’s the way you engage and the content you consume that can play a part in how you’re impacted. The sad rise in the number of suicides due to online bullying or indiscretions proves that social media can be extremely damaging and is only further proof of the negative impact social media can have on people’s mental health.
Food for thought there. If you want more information, you can check out the full results of the Click Consult survey on social media & mental health in its entirety. And if you don’t do anything else today, go watch a Good Boy Olly video or two. You won’t regret it!
