The Dopamine Dilemma: Social Media Addiction and its Mental Health Effects

One way in which social media can have a negative mental health impact on people without them realizing it is by making you feel anxious. Even though people are more or less aware that many of the photos and videos shown on social media are probably tweaked in a series of ways before they are posted, those glossy photos can still make people feel insecure about their appearance or what’s going on in their lives.

The FOMO phenomenon manifests itself on different social media platforms, but sites like Instagram, which people use to document their lives, seem to exacerbate the feeling that other people are having more fun or leading better lives than you. This idea of missing out on something can gradually affect your self-esteem, trigger ongoing anxiety, and further exacerbate social media use, much like an addiction. FOMO phenomenon manifests itself specifically in the fact that people may pick up their phones every few minutes to check for various updates on social media.

Cyberbullying

According to a report by the Pew Research Center, nearly half of American teens have experienced bullying or harassment online by 2022, with physical appearance cited as a relatively common reason. In addition to teens, many other age groups have suffered many offensive comments as well. Thus, in the case of cyberbullying, it is a problem that has always been present on online platforms irrespective of age groups. Those negative comments that appear in the message boxes of different people’s accounts go a long way in making the social media platform a possible hotspot for spreading hurtful rumors, lies, and abuse that can leave lasting emotional scars.