Social Media Can Seriously Affect Your Mental Health | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Mental Health

Social Media Can Seriously Affect Your Mental Health

Society today heavily relies on social media for all things friends, family, and news related. However, has the overtake and affect social media has been causing more harm than good?

59
Social Media Can Seriously Affect Your Mental Health

While social media can have its perks of staying up to date on current news or in contact with friends and family, it can also make you feel extremely unhappy or isolated.

Instagram, for example, is full of photoshopped and perfectly filtered pictures showing just how great Brittany is doing on her study abroad in Greece, or Megan's sorority formal where she managed to get a Gucci dress.

Not to mention, the obsession of always checking what's new and updated or waiting for that one person to call or text can lead to poor sleep quality.

Below is a list of ways social media could seriously be affecting your mental health without you knowing.

1. Self-esteem

Looking at the perfect filters, or seemingly photoshopped bodies on Instagram often makes people think they don't have the perfect body image, or that they need to now change everything about themselves.

Comparing yourself to social media influencers due to their photoshopped photos or perfect Insta feeds can add to self-doubt you may or may not already have.

2. Connection

Ironically, although most people claim to use social platforms as a means of connection and communication, it could actually be making that worse.

By relying on the internet or phone contact, you may lose sight of how to connect in person, causing stress or anxiety. Not to mention FOMO from a photo a group of friends posted at dinner and how lonely or anxious that could make you.

3. Memories

Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram all have a way of showing your "on this day" memories throughout the years. However, the reality of the situation is those memories can sometimes spark sad or depressive feelings about the past or the people in the memories.

4. Sleep

Because the tendency is to always be up to date with social media, many people will stay up scrolling through to see all the newest updates, making it harder to fall asleep.

Social Media has not only been proven to cause unhappiness, but also affect anxiety and depression. In a survey in 2018, 41% of Gen Z people said that social media made them feel anxious, sad, or depressed.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

190635
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

15131
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

458026
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

26715
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments