Is Social Media Affecting Your Health?

Social media is a great way to keep up with friends and family, connect with people who share your passions, and see the latest trending memes. We know the benefits of social media, and we know how to be careful, so we don’t put our social data privacy at risk. But, did you know that it can also affect your health? From depression to addiction, social media can cause psychological and even physical problems. Let’s look at the risks you need to know about.​

From the earliest days of social media, experts have worried about the social pressure of “keeping up with the Joneses,” the tendency to compare ourselves against the seemingly perfect lives that other people project online. That turned out to be a valid concern: A recent study in the UK found that 62 percent of Facebook and Twitter users surveyed reported feelings of inadequacy and sometimes jealousy triggered by comparisons with other users. Negative comparisons can trigger sadness and depression. (In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics has coined the term “Facebook depression,” and warns that social media use can trigger the same problems in adults as in kids.) A 2016 study found that people who reported the most social media use had three times the risk of anxiety or depression. Other research found that women who used Facebook had more body image concerns and more likelihood to develop eating disorders.​

Researchers have also found that social media can cause dependency, similar to behavior patterns with drug addiction. Addicted users post and then wait for the Likes and comments that give them a social “fix.” But, like drug addiction, the fix leaves the user feeling worse and needing more. Social media addiction, especially “FOMO” (“fear of missing out”), can also reduce our physical activity and lead to obesity and other health problems.​

Most ironically, social media usage can lead to feelings of social isolation. Besides the potential for feeling inadequate, research has shown that people who interact mostly online, rather than face to face, lose empathy for other human beings (which helps explain the behavior of Internet trolls).​

Of course, there are plus sides to social media, too. It’s a great way to share your experiences, look back at memories, or share a funny meme to make someone’s day. Just as we protect our privacy on social media, we need to be aware and stay informed about mental health risks. In our next blog in this series, we’ll look at how to protect our psyches on social media and how we can help children use it in a healthier way. ​