Social Media and the Impact on our Mental Health
Q&A with a Registered Social Worker
To sum things up... social media can be extremely harmful to your health.
This week, we interviewed our Peachey Counselling and Family Support team member, Registered Social Worker, Kate Brockbank, about the impact social media can have on our mental health.
Social media can keep us connected and allows us to stay in touch with friends in a way that would be impossible without technology. On the other hand, it also can be detrimental to our mental health, self-esteem, and our self-concept, if used excessively or imprudently. There is a fine line that divides beneficial social media usage and negative social media usage. Making sure your time on social platforms is serving you properly is an endeavor that many young people are struggling with.
Q: What are some of the ways that social media impacts our mental health?
A: With the pandemic, many have begun to realize how much we all rely on social media platforms to stay connected. Even still, you may find that your time on social media per day has increased since the beginning of lockdown last year. Social media can act as a distraction to our problems. It can also be a constant reminder of all the horrible things that can go around in the world. And although adults like to say that they are in control of themselves and how the spend their time, people of all ages can fall victim to the pull of continuing to scroll, click, respond, and view. The instant feedback nature can weigh heavily on our sense of self if we attach a perception of achievement to it. This could include how many likes a post gets, how many people comment on it, or if it is shared a certain number of times. Countless people can fall into the trap of setting a benchmark amount of likes for a post, and if they do not hit that benchmark, they may feel the need to delete the post because of a fear of appearing inadequate.
Even more problematically, kids are getting onto social media at a younger age than ever before. I say that this is problematic as children have a decreased ability to critically assess what they are seeing. Kids will most likely have a difficult time realizing that social media is really just a highlight reel of people’s lives. Children are more prone to make harmful upwards social comparisons on social media in relation to their own lives.
Another thing to mention about social media is the prevalence that people engage in arguments and cyberbullying on various platforms. Because everyone is showcasing different parts of their lives on social media accounts, it opens up room for judgement on behaviors that would have never been criticized to the same degree 20 years ago. Many “insta-moms” may feel this. They will post a picture of their baby, and then be bombarded by comments and messages telling them that they are not taking correct care of their baby because of “XYZ” reason. It’s hard to deal with this type of criticism from people who know hardly anything about you other then the fact that they follow you, or they like your posts. To sum things up... social media can be extremely harmful to your health.
Q: What types of challenges/disorders may arise?
A: Although surfing or posting on social media can seem like a relatively harmless activity, when engaged in poorly, it can lead to large problems. This could include increased anxiety, symptoms of depression or depressed mood, and a heightened degree of social anxiety. The anxiety that individuals may feel when engaging with social media is usually based in fear. They may fear a variety of situations, such as…
Being bullied or harassed online.
Not getting enough likes to feel accepted.
Wondering about what unspoken rules they need to follow in order to fit in.
Negative self-talk with the anxiety around posting.
Deleting posts because of fear of rejection and lack of expected reception.
Fortunately, Instagram caught onto the mental health implications of becoming obsessed with getting a certain number of likes. They changed their platform so that users are not able to see the number of people who liked their post anymore. Although this was slightly beneficial, it was not all encompassing, as you are still able to view the amount of likes on a post when you access Instagram through a web browser instead of the app.
Along this same line, I feel like now that the focus has been forced off likes, it has gradually shifted to comments. You are still able to view the number of comments on a post. Many young individuals tend to comment excessively on posts, leading me to believe that they feel gratified by having lots of comments on their posts. Is it possible that comments are the new likes?
Regardless, this type of behavior is rooted in social acceptance, and fixation on a number. In this respect is extremely harmful in the development and maintenance of a you person’s self-concept.
Q: What are the implications of these issues?
A: Most people are aware that social media algorithms are specifically designed by app developers to entice users to stay on their platforms for prolonged periods of time. As such, it is easy to assume that social media addiction and addictive behaviors are the typical traps to fall into.
If left unchecked, addictive behaviors can be detrimental to human functioning. Like I mentioned before, there could be an increase in anxious behaviors, fixation with various platforms or influencers, and even withdrawing from other activities that don’t include social media. In this respect, family or relationship connections can suffer from social media addictions.
Young individuals and teenagers may feel the effects of these behaviors more, as they have less of an ability to regulate their emotions and actions. For example, parents may find it difficult for their tween/teenager to disengage from their device in order to sit down for a family dinner. Their child may find it difficulty to focus on family connections because they are too fixated with what is going on online.
Q: Are there warning signs to look for? What should loved ones or parents be aware of?
A: During this time period technology is so available, meaning that it’s even more important to be aware of your kid’s self-regulation on their device. Parents need to be teaching their kids to observe and use social media objectively and responsibly. If you feel like your child is using social media too much, as a parent you can restrict their time on their devices.
Many parents give their children access to technology to amuse them so that as a parent, you do not have to. Although this behavior is not inherently terrible (you do deserve some time off as a parent), it can be detrimental to your child’s development of social skills if they are constantly focused on devices. The younger your child is introduced to social media, the more they can become negatively affected by it without proper mediation and support.
As a parent or guardian, you will need to look out for those anxious or withdrawn behaviors in your child.
Q: What sorts of strategies/techniques can parents implement in order to ensure their child/teen is not being affected by social media negatively?
A: Here are some ways that you can help your child/teenager if you feel like social media usage is affecting them negatively:
Model the appropriate behavior in yourself.
Do you often find yourself picking up your phone when someone is talking to you, just to check on your notifications? Do you often scroll aimlessly when you are sitting in front of the TV or on a car ride? Being the observant creatures that they are, children will often look to you for cues on how to act in situations. This includes your ability to self-regulate your time on a device.
When you are talking to your child, or to someone else in the presence of your child, model the behaviors that you want to see in them. Be cognizant of your engagement with a device in front of them.
If they see you put the phone down and become engaged, they are more likely to take part in similar behaviors.
If you must lock away your child’s device or impose parental controls, then you may have too.
It could be imperative for them to regulate themselves.
It may be uncomfortable at first, but something like this may be beneficial in the long run.
Engage in an open dialogue about social media as early as possible.
If you do not open the topic up, then children will not talk about it to you - they will not bring up their insecurities when online unless you provide them with a trustworthy and non-judgmental environment to do so. Ask your child how they feel when they are on social media. Be the person that your child can open to.
Q: What are some things that a social worker, counsellor or therapist can do to help?
A: Sometimes in these situations, it can be beneficial to have family counselling, so that a therapist can assist in coaching a family and parents around this issue. Therapists can help to create a tangible plan for ensuring that social media usage does not take over an individual’s life.
For people who are feeling anxious about their time on social media platforms, therapists can help in providing support on how to manage feelings about social media usage. For kids and young people – talking to therapists can be a good sounding board. Therapists provide a wonderful space to talk with someone who will not be shocked by what you are saying or be accusatory of your actions.
Your feelings are valid!
Q: When is it time to see a professional?
A: For parents, if you observe any of the warning signs I discussed previously, and you do not feel that you are able to fully support your child in this manner, you may want to reach out for some extra support. Often, parents feel like they must be everything for their children, or that they must know how to fix all their child’s problems. As parents, you have your own stressors and anxieties, as well as the additional stress of parenting your child correctly. If your child is irritated and short with you when you ask them to put their device away, or they perseverate about the goings-on of online platforms, it may be time to “outsource” some support in the form of a therapist.
Whatever it is, we’re here for you.
Life is uncertain. Jobs are stressful. Parenting is hard. Relationships take work. Families can be dysfunctional. And, sometimes love hurts. When you’re confronted by feelings, events, or issues that are making your life challenging, it’s okay to ask for some help.
