Do you use social media? If so, how many social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn) are you a member of? With about 40% of the world’s population already on some form of online social media, even if you don’t use it, you’ve probably heard of it. Devoting several hours each day to keeping up with social media isn’t uncommon. In 2017, global internet users spent 135 minutes per day on internet-based social networking. Like it or not, social media has a massive impact on our lives from influencing the way we communicate with others to altering the way we shop and receive news.
Is social media influencing a little too much and affecting more than we’re aware of? Social media can better connect us to our family, friends, colleagues, events, and new opportunities, but continuously looking through the daily lives of others and sharing so many of our own details opens the door for a range of mental health hardships.
How social media might be hurting us.
Social media (and the internet in general) can be toxic, but a prior article in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine discusses how social media use can also result in feelings of isolation. Primack and colleagues measured the time and frequency of social media use across 11 different platforms alongside feelings of perceived social isolation from a sample of over 1,500 U.S adults, all between 19 and 32 years of age. The 11 platforms studied were: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google+, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine, Snapchat, and Reddit. The results indicated those with higher social media use felt more socially isolated compared to their counterparts who don’t use social media as frequently. Social isolation can have some negative health consequences, potentially disrupting sleep or impact a person’s cognition.
While the authors acknowledge additional research is needed to determine the reasons behind this association, they also propose several possible explanations, including how individuals already experiencing social isolation may use social media as a substitute for in-person interactions. Also, social media may be displacing authentic social interactions and facilitating feelings of exclusion. For instance, if you see pictures of all your friends out to a dinner that you weren’t invited to.
Another article in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology also explored the connection between social media use and feelings of depression, loneliness, and the fear of missing out (FOMO). The authors asked a group of 143 students to limit their social media use to 30 minutes per day for three weeks. After the three-week period concluded, intervention group participants showed significant decreases in both depression and loneliness. Further, both the control and the intervention group showed reductions in anxiety and FOMO, potentially indicating that just self-monitoring and being aware of your time spent on social media could have benefits.
How social media might be helping us.
Acknowledging that social media risks our mental health, there are examples of how social media has been used to positively affect users. A 2017 article in Behavioral Sciences discusses how social media platforms and web forums can be used to identify depression and other mental health issues. The authors reviewed several different previously published approaches to collecting and analyzing social media data that discuss the user’s mental health. The hope would be users with undiagnosed or worsening mental health conditions could be provided additional resources, support, and treatment. While potentially helpful, the authors acknowledge this type of work does raise some ethical questions about privacy.
Social media can also help by functioning as a support network. Platforms, such as PatientsLikeMe allow users to connect with others and share their experiences. An article in PLoS ONE discusses how those with severe mental illness found peer support through uploading videos on YouTube. The authors identified four emerging themes through their analysis of user videos and commentary: 1) minimizing isolation, 2) support through peer-exchange, 3) sharing of coping strategies, and 4) learning from shared experiences.
What are the next steps?
As we move into the future, identifying and addressing mental health concerns through social media could be the next stage of digital health interventions. The use of telemedicine to address mental health concerns is growing and shows promise, reducing costs and making it easier for patients to access behavioral health services. Further, apps (such as Pacifica) that specifically deal with managing our stress and anxiety are undergoing evaluation. In summary, social media holds the potential to positively or negatively affect us, depending on how it is used. The next time you engage in social media, take a moment to consider how it may be influencing your mental health.
Alexa Ortiz
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Catherine Gupta