How Does Social Media Really Impact Our Mental Health?

By Kelly Schwint

We’ve all heard people say that social media causes anxiety and depression. However, the lines are blurred when it comes to the studies proving whether or not that accusation is true. Feeling left out and increased body image issues are side effects of social media that cannot be argued. There’s no doubt that social media can fuel mental illnesses, but the better question to ask is why are people with pre-existing mental illnesses drawn to using social media as a coping mechanism? Although social media can be a positive tool for socializing, it’s hard to discuss these topics without youth bashing coming into play. Adults love to bash social media, but they might not be looking at it from the right perspective.

It’s hard to generalize social media as a whole. There are so many different apps and websites. TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, the list goes on. Who’s to say the effect these different apps have on us is all the same? More importantly, what we do on these different apps is all completely different depending on who you are. One person might be looking at the latest Instagram influencer, comparing themselves to them. Another person might be looking at pictures of dogs. One of these options is far more dangerous than the other. It’s different for everyone, and so are the effects it has on us.

With the importance of politics and social issues being shown on social media, a lot of teenagers are shying away from sharing their opinions and feelings in fear of being “wrong”. It is

normal to make mistakes as teenagers, it is normal to learn. Not everyone is brought up with the same values. As performative activism rises on social media, it can be scary to go against the “norm” that's decided in Instagram posts. Truth be told, infographics aren’t always the best source of information. If everyone is afraid of sharing their thoughts, people might not ever learn or hear a new perspective. This is just another way how Instagram can be anxiety-provoking.

The links between social media and mental illnesses are close. Still, there is no exact evidence to prove if social media is what’s causing the uprise in mental illnesses in adolescents. Social media does cause a lot of harm on specifically adolescent girls. One might say it is causing anxiety, depression, body image issues, or perhaps it is worsening these issues that society has already implemented on them. Eating disorders are not new. In the 1970s as “thin” became the “body standard”, Anorexia started receiving mainstream coverage and diet pills became popular. It cannot be argued that social media is worsening body image issues, especially amongst teenage girls. However, it can be discussed how teens with anxiety and depression are using social media as a coping mechanism.

It’s valuable to look at social media as a coping mechanism before and during COVID-19. People who had been feeling rather lonely have been turning to the internet for years to make friends. Whether that was through Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, online forums, or more. Using the internet as an escape has never been new. It’s a place where you can be yourself, without fear. Someone introverted can suddenly have a voice through Twitter. Making friends through similar interests is elevated on social media. You can talk to someone from anywhere around the world that likes the same topics as you if you know where to look. Although this can be dangerous at times, it’s a sufficient way to make friends if you are shyer or even dealing with mental health issues. A lot of teenagers will even use forums or social media apps to connect

with those who are struggling with the same mental illnesses as them. This can create a toxic environment or make you feel like you're not alone. Teenagers that are struggling with mental illnesses might be more inclined to desire “internet friends”.

Making friends online isn’t the only way adolescents have used social media as an outlet. They use it as a technique to forget about what’s going on in their life. It’s extremely easy to get into the habit of scrolling on your “For You Page” on TikTok for hours. There’s endless amounts of content, one video after another, you can be entertained for as long as you please. People who are struggling mentally could be more prone to desire these outlets to forget about their emotions. They might be in an anxious situation, an upcoming test, or a social situation that they want to forget about. Then, they turn to their phone and scroll. Nothing good comes out of this except a little spark of serotonin. It’s not necessary to be completely productive all of the time, but using social media to distract from your anxious thoughts might not be the coping mechanism you think it is.

Now during the COVID-19 pandemic, people are making friends and scrolling on the internet more than ever. Due to the lockdown, there aren’t as many opportunities to make friends in person. Naturally, people are turning to the internet to fill this empty space they feel inside of them. Humans are designed for social interaction, it makes sense if that interaction is taken away in person, it will translate into virtual interactions. With a lot of free time, teenagers are scrolling on their phones a lot more out of boredom, or maybe out of anxiety.

For me specifically, a lot of the ways I used social media, I thought I was doing it out of pure enjoyment or passion. For example, making a fan account for an actor I admired. But, when I look at it, I was just using these tools as coping skills for what I was dealing with. If it wasn’t for the issues I’ve dealt with, I don’t think I would have ever met many of my current friends,

channeled my emotions into art, or even wrote this article. That’s looking at the positives of using social media, specifically Instagram, as a coping skill. There’s plenty of ways to use it negatively.

It’s not complex to understand why teenagers are so addicted to these apps or why they use them to cope. Why schools are not implementing healthy coping skills into the health curriculum is a better question to look into. Teenagers, or even adults, do not have the proper resources to deal with their emotions beneficially. As a generation that grew up being addicted to social media, breaking a habit of a negative coping mechanism is nearly impossible. There are not enough studies on how teenagers with pre-existing mental illnesses are using social media. The true links between social media and mental health might never be found, but we still cannot give up on those struggling, they deserve at least that.