On Monday, October 4, 2021, the world was thrown into a temporary state of confusion. This was not as a result of impending war or potential alien takeover. This confusion came about as a result of an outage from Facebook, as a result, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp were offline for close to 8 hours. This meant that people lost the ability to update their followers and friends about their lives, communicate with family and so much more. The outage caused a lot of people to be anxious for varying reasons and this makes you wonder why Facebook and social media in general means so much to most people.
Humans are social creatures by nature. We need to connect with people. This has a significant impact on our mental health and happiness. Over the last decade, the fast rise of social media has created an altogether new platform for human contact. Even during our offline social interactions with friends, we feel compelled to check social media frequently. We all use social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram to find and connect with one another. While each has its advantages, it’s vital to realize that social media will never substitute for genuine human interaction. However, spending excessive time on social media makes us feel more lonely and isolated. Anxiety and depression are two mental health concerns that are exacerbated by this. It has been reported that the break from Facebook gave many people the chance to take a break from social media. Some say this had a positive impact on their mental health.
Fear of missing out (F.O.M.O) has been connected to excessive social media use and has been linked to poor mood and unhappiness. In recent years, the implication of social media’s rapid rise, and its interaction with young people’s mental health, has gotten a lot of attention. It is suggested that the popularity of social media as a medium of communication among young people needs to be carefully investigated, as it may end up playing a more harmful role than we might think.
In recent years, the term social media addiction has gotten a lot of attention. The degree of compulsivity with which it is utilized accounts for its ‘addictive nature. In addition to enhancing users’ ability to keep up with the activities of their social circles, social media can increase anxiety.
If you spend too much time on social media and are experiencing feelings of unhappiness, dissatisfaction, frustration, or loneliness, it’s time to re-evaluate your online habits and establish a better balance. Social media is great when it comes to building connections but it should not be our primary medium of communication. Learn to talk to people, be social and smile a lot!
For more information on social media, and its impact on mental health and other related questions, please contact us at (484) 373-2710 or schedule an appointment online. Located in the City Avenue district of Philadelphia, Restore 360 also serves the Haverford, Havertown, Bryn Mawr and nearby areas. Schedule your free consultation with us today to speak to one of our therapists, we are here to help.