My View...
The topic of mental health is becoming more and more important and popular. Indeed, many factors in the world affect our well-being, but also people themselves began to think more about themselves and their health, about how it can be hilled. People become more emotional, so they become more fragile and susceptible to the effects of social networks. People become more emotional, so they become more fragile and susceptible to the effects of social networks.
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Social media usage obviously has some side effects on our mental health. One of the most major and common ones is anxiety. Anxiety is increasingly becoming an urgent topic of our time, and sometimes social networks only aggravate the situation. Thus, being constantly absorbed by DMS, texts, and notification makes us constantly be on guard and wait for something, such emotions cause the production of the stress hormone- cortisol. Furthermore, people tend to follow unrealistic ideals created by social media, thus it creates social anxiety (Amedie, 2015). The stress of social anxiety is linked to the need to always present oneself as an ideal version in front of people. Constant stress from striving to project an image of perfection, such as a divine appearance, wonderful relationship or gorgeous career, causes the stress hormone cortisol to be released continuously, which, like social media use, leads to sadness and anxiety.
Another crucial aspect of social media effects is a Fear of Missing Out or FOMO. While FOMO has been existing long before social media, sites like Facebook and Instagram tend to amplify thoughts that others are having more fun or living better lives than you do. The feeling that you're missing out on something can lower your self-esteem, cause worry, and encourage you to use social media even more. FOMO might make you pick up your phone every few minutes to check for updates or reply obsessively to each alert—even if it means risking your life while driving, skipping sleep at night, or putting social media involvement above real-world connections ((Robinson, 2022)Fear of Missing out reminds us of jealousy, however, this feeling is unhealthy and unjustified.
Although it is easy to concentrate on the negative sides of social media, it is vital to note that there are several beneficial advantages to utilizing it. Social networking allows you to establish a community of like-minded people who can collaborate which is vital for our well-being. For instance, students benefit tremendously from social networking sites in school, particularly through engaging with one another on school tasks and collaborating on group projects outside of class. Especially after and during the pandemic period, social media provided teens with communication, thus it is possible to be-friend someone while not having an opportunity to meet them in person. Furthermore, communications and friendship bring positive emotions and help to cope with difficulties and issues.
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In my opinion, social networks cannot be completely controlled, just as it is impossible to control the actions of other people. However, everyone can decide for himself whether social networks are harmful specifically for him. A person can resist things that cause harm, including social networks. But at the same time without creating an environment in which there is no place for social networks, therefore, media has become an integral part of our life and, despite some disadvantages, greatly facilitates our existence.
Amedie, J. (2015). The impact of social media on society - Santa Clara University. Retrieved April 19, 2022, from https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=engl_176
Robinson, L. (2022, April 9). Social Media and Mental Health. HelpGuide.org. Retrieved April 19, 2022, from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-mental-health.htm
I think this is a really important topic, because it is a well-known fact that social media can have negative influence on our mental health. Anxiety and self-esteem can indeed be very harmful, and escalate quickly when social media is over-used. I think that you are right that we should find ways to resist it, and I think it is manageable if topics like yours are spoken about. Really good job!
ReplyDeleteThe topic of mental health and its correlation to social media is more relevant than ever. In my humble opinion, you make a great use of academic research to debunk this issue accurately. As a person who has been suffering from a social anxiety disorder for a number of years I would actually argue that social media can be a great tool in conquering the issue, however I certainly understand where you are coming from. Social media may and does certainly affect our health, enhancing our addiction to information even further.
DeleteAlso your playlist is lovely:)