The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health

We live in a world where technology is becoming increasingly more important in our lives. From major advancements in cell phones allowing us to be available to others at any point in the day, to increased accessibility to information through the use of the internet. You name it, there’s probably an app for it. In fact, you’re most likely reading this article through your own device.

With all this advancement and improvement there are bound to be some negative aspects to the role that technology plays in our lives. One such form of technology is that of social media. Social media is defined as ‘websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking’. How then does it impact our mental health? 

How long do we spend on social media?

One of the biggest and most researched technologies in recent times is social media. The use of apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Twitter and more are increasing every day. Research conducted by digitalportal.com, a leading social media trends research institution, indicated that the global average time spent on social media every day was about 2 hours and 23 minutes.

The data further revealed that there are gender differences in social media use, with women between the ages of 16-24 using social media for 16 minutes more per day than men. These differences were also noted at different ages, seen in the graphic below.

More shockingly, when comparing social media use across the world’s top 53 economies, it was found that South Africa ranked second in overall social media use, behind Kenya in first place. South Africans typically spent around 3 hours and 41 minutes per day on social media.

How does this affect our mental health?

Research findings have shown that social media use can negatively affect our mental health in a number of ways. Things such as body-image dissatisfaction, addiction, lowered self-esteem and decreased life-satisfaction have all been outlined as detrimental effects. Social media even has the power to negatively affect your mood.

Many of these social media apps and websites encourage users to portray the best version of themselves, to the point where the line between fact and fiction is blurred. Posting perfectly edited images to portray the perfect vacation, or altering one’s body to seem as if they are fit and healthy is standard practice for these sites. These are the kinds of trends that have permeated the social media space. What happens next is that users inevitably begin to compare themselves to others and these seemingly ‘perfect’ individuals who they follow online, and what follows are some of the negative effects.

So does that mean we should abandon social media entirely?

The simple answer is no, social media has been shown to be useful in a number of ways. During the covid pandemic, many people used social media to stay connected with friends and family. Similarly, social media can be used to facilitate social connections and provide peer support. Online communities can be used to discuss health conditions, difficult life events or simply provide support for everyday challenges. Information sharing is also hugely beneficial to local communities.

What this does mean, however, is that we need to be careful with how we choose to spend our time online. Setting healthy boundaries for social media use, choosing positive content to follow, and making sure you feel comfortable to share your authentic self online are all ways to ensure you get the most out of social media.

At the end of the day, social media seems to be here to stay. Considering the ever-growing influence of social media in our lives, let’s take a moment and ask ourselves: Are we really in control of our online experiences, or are we unknowingly allowing them to control us? Why don’t you take a moment to reflect on how you engage with social media and consider what changes you can make to prioritise your mental well-being in this digital age.