By: Amnah Shaukat
Social media has become really important to the way that billions of people get information about the world and connect with each other. You can communicate well with the people and groups in a more convenient manner. Social media platforms provide various benefits but frequent use of it makes one feel increasingly unhappy and isolated in long term. How is social media affecting us and our relationships? Does it leave negative effects on mind? Is it a cause of anxiety?
Various studies have found a strong link between social media and increased risk of depression, anxiety and loneliness.
‘‘A study published in the journal Computers and Human Behaviour found that people who report using seven or more social media platforms were more than three times as likely as people using 0-2 platforms to have high levels of general anxiety symptoms.
While some studies have found a link between depression and social media use, there is emerging research into how social media can actually be a force for good. Two studies involving more than 700 students found that depressive symptoms, such as low mood and feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness, were linked to the quality of online interactions. Researchers found higher levels of depressive symptoms among those who reported having more negative interactions. ’’source BBC.
Scrolling social media sites has become a must practice everyone prefers to spend time on it. We all are addicted to it before. Even when you are sittings with friends or family majority of us are hooked to social media sites and going through all sites is must practice before sleeping, indirectly you involve ourself in comparison zone. Whatever you watch on these sites it leaves an impact on our mind and somehow our direction of thinking on certain things is changed. When people look online and see certain things and are unable to achieve those this affects them emotionally. Majority of people show fake life to look best and to gain more likes or followers on social media but it leaves a negative effect on minds of people and they start to compare their life or relationships which have an adverse effect on life.
In present world you can’t deny the importance of social media it is a good tool for communication and we are more connected globally but reliance on social media can have damaging effect on our mental health.
Social media platforms can have their benefits but you need to balance the watching habit using them recurrently can make you feel increasingly unhappy and isolated in long term.
