Social Media and Mental Health

Lindsay M. Adler, LMFT, CEDS, E-RYT 200 

​A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog about how social media is changing the way we communicate with each other (see blog titled, “Social Media: A “managed state of being”). In that blog, we learned about the extensive time people spend on social media and how controlled or “managed” it is by the individual. With these two ideas in mind, it’s important to now look at how social media might impact our mental health. 

Let’s look at some findings

​There have been a few research studies conducted on social media and mental health issues such as depression, low self-esteem and anxiety. Here is a synopsis of some findings from a literature review published in the academic journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. 

• Social media use can relate to depressive symptoms because the “managed” communication can lead to people getting the wrong impressions of physical and personality traits from what is posted online. For instance, if someone is always showing edited pictures of themselves or how much money they are making, it could evoke feelings of jealously or resentment from others. Such as, believing “life isn’t fair” or “I am so ugly; they always look amazing!”
• People already struggling with mental health issues, such as depression or an eating disorder, can experience an increase in symptoms by focusing on content related to their struggles or content encouraging unhealthy behaviors. This can also be seen in other areas of the Internet, such as “pro-ana” or pro-anorexia websites. 
• Adolescents can spend excessive time on social media, which may slowly impact their mental health. And, they might be more likely to engage frequently in social media when they already have mental health issues.
• Self-esteem can be lowered by objectifying ourselves through externalizing who we are, such as talking about ourselves and posting “selfies”. So, if we don’t get the responses we would like from a post, we might end up feeling more negatively about ourselves. 
• Social media has the potential to take time away from face-to-face interactions and relationships with others. Some professionals even have concerns about addictions to social media (as well as gaming and other Internet use). 
• Most importantly (and as stated in my last blog):  Social media might be creating more superficial and inauthentic interactions and relationships as we focus too much on how we portray ourselves on screen. Also, if we decrease face-to-face interactions, we may come to accept this overly managed state of being as normal in relationships. 

Overall, there is no evidence that shows causation between social media and mental health problems. However, there is correlation, meaning there is some relation between the two (e.g., individuals who are depressed, anxious or have low self-esteem could be using social media more often than others).

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Social media isn’t all bad! 

Social media has also shown to have some positive aspects in mental health. These are import to understand as well. 

• Self-esteem could increase through someone being able to share something they are passionate about. And, through deciding what aspects of themselves they want to share with others, they might feel more able to have positive interactions with others. Thus, increasing their self-worth. However, it is important to understand this is a managed way to engage with someone. 
• Social media can be a way to strengthen connection with family or friends, particularly those you may not see regularly face-to-face. 
• Social media can be a way to gain positive messages when struggling with mental health issues and help people become involved with a support network. For example, there have been individuals struggling with eating disorders who have used social media as a way to gain support during the recovery process. 

These positive aspects of social media are promising, since individuals are on social media so frequently.

Experts believe it could positively influence mental health, if there is more content related to increasing mental health education and positive messages related to being healthy. ​

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Integrating this information

With all this information regarding social media, here are some thoughts about how to foster a positive environment to interact with others.

• Think about what your intentions are when you use social media. Why are you wanting to connect with others? What are you hoping for when you connect with others in social media? Create intentions that are life fulfilling. In other words, find ways to engage in social media which lead to healthier relationships and a richer life. 
• Think about how much emotional significance you are placing on what you experience from others in social media. Try to not let the experience(s) have power over how you feel about yourself or others. Remember what you experience (or don’t experience) from social media is not the same as face-to-face interactions. 
• Understand that what you see in social media may be altered, edited or censored. So, have fun, but if you notice someone always seems to be living life on top of the world, they might intentionally be sharing only the positive experiences in their life. 
• Do not use social media as a way to engage in unhealthy behaviors. Meaning, if you are struggling with an eating disorder, depression or anxiety, stay away from posts which might increase unhealthy behaviors rather than encourage healthy ones. And, use social media to connect with others who provide positive encouragement.
• Spend more time with others face-to-face, work on having authentic connections and use Facebook as an extension of these relationships. Remember, face-to-face relationships come first and social media relationships come second! ​

Resource: Pantic, I. (2014). Online Social Networking and Mental Health. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 17(10), 652-657. doi:10.1089/cyber.2014.0070