Overusing Social Media Negatively Impacts Your Mental Health (Essay Example)

Social media use is becoming more and more prevalent in teens over the past decade and a question that's commonly asked is, “How does social media affect your mental health?”. From filters that alter your appearance to cyberbullying, numerous factors indicate social media use negatively impacts mental health. Social media in moderation can have positive effects on your mental health. It allows you to stay in touch with family, make new friends, and much more. But, the overuse of social media can have many negative consequences such as depression and anxiety, severe self-consciousness, and Body Image Issues. 

Firstly, social media can cause depression and anxiety.  Overusing social media can lead to severe cases of depression. According to McLean Hospital, “The platforms are designed to be addictive and are associated with anxiety, depression, and even physical ailments.”(Mclean Hospital) You do not know exactly what will show up next in your feed so, you could be scrolling for hours.  Just like any addiction, it comes with much anxiety and depression. If you don’t go on social media for a couple of days or even hours it can leave you feeling somber and anxious because of the lack of dopamine entering the brain. (Mclean Hospital)

Secondly, Social media can cause self-consciousness.

Social media has evolved a lot over the past three decades. It isn't just email and chat rooms. Now various platforms allow you to share photos and videos of yourself. When teenagers have access to altered photos from just a click away it can cause severe self-consciousness. According to Stabler, “...the ability to easily whiten teeth, airbrush body parts, and hide imperfections can create false illusions.” (Stabler) When you are a teenager your body is still growing and your appearance is constantly going to change. Many young, developing teens will view these altered photos and maybe left questioning why they don’t look a certain way.

Lastly, social media can hurt your body image. While various social media accounts spread body positivity and can boost your self-confidence, many posts show unrealistic, toxic beauty standards that can hurt how people see themselves. According to The National Eating Disorders Association, “Body image is how you see yourself when you look in the mirror or when you picture yourself in your mind.” (NEDA) Body image concerns are completely natural. Seeing yourself a certain way can help motivate you to diet or get more in shape. In Fleps's view, “Social media can then hurt your body image by constantly exposing yourself to the ideal body type, leading to a constant comparison of yourself to unrealistic standards.” (Fleps, NEDA)

Overall, overusing social media negatively affects your mental health for various reasons. Social media can be severely addicting. Hence if you don’t use social media for a certain amount of time it can cause anxiety and depression. Social media also can cause self-conscious issues. Social media is only a perception of reality, meaning that not every post you view is real. When developing individuals see altered posts they may compare themselves to the unrealistic beauty standard. Lastly, social media can damage your body image. When you view an unrealistic, altered image of individuals it can hurt the way you view yourself. In the end, it's important to monitor your social media use. As well, you should remind yourself that you do not have to look like a certain person or behave in a certain way.