When was the last time you had a genuine conversation with someone and there were no distractions? There were no phone calls or Facebook notifications that interrupted the conversation. You were communicating, face-to-face just like how it used to be. It was nice, wasn’t it?
Today it’s hard to find people who are willing to have these kinds of conversations with you due to one thing, social media and its nagging grasp for attention.
One of my professors recently asked me if social media is bad for you? It’s a tricky question because it’s hard to label social media universally as a bad thing when it brings us so many benefits.
As the article BBC states, social media affects us all differently depending on our own life experiences and personal traits.
If you’re someone who thrives from social media than of course it’s going to be a good thing for you. If you’re someone who doesn’t and tends to isolate yourself after scrolling through it feeling insecure, then it’s probably not the best thing for you.
Overall, I do love a lot of things about social media but when it comes down to it I think the negatives of social media tend to outweigh the benefits. It’s an ever-growing platform and it’s not going to stop any time soon.
Self-Esteem & False Sense of Reality
“Wow, she looks so happy and tan. Her body is literally perfect. I wish I looked like that. Her life in general looks perfect. I wish my life was that great.” These have been thoughts that cross my mind while I scroll through my social media.
STOP!
Stop comparing yourself to other people, stop envying people from their Instagram profile, stop wishing you were someone else. Stop, stop, stop!
The fact that I have had these thoughts cross my mind before, simply because of a post on social media, makes me so sad. No life is perfect, even if it looks like it on social media.
Although it took me a while to figure out, I have finally realized that social media creates this false sense of reality. Reality isn’t always as perfect as social media displays.
According to BBC, a survey of 1,500 people by disability charity scope says half of social media users feel inadequate and half of 18-34 year olds say it makes them feel unattractive.
On top of that, a study of 1,000 Swedish Facebook users found that women who spent more time on Facebook reported feeling less happy and confident. The researchers concluded: “When Facebook users compare their own lives with others’ seemingly more successful careers and happy relationships, they may feel that their own lives are less successful in comparison” BBC.
From this research, it looks like I am not alone with these types of feelings. The key to not having these types of feelings is to realize that although these people we follow seem like they have it all together, they don’t. No one does.
Major Distraction
Have you ever caught yourself scrolling through Twitter while someone is trying to have a conversation with you and you realize you have no idea what they just said? I’m embarrassed to admit that I have.
Social media not only is a distraction from our friends and personal relationships, but to our learning.
There was a study by EAB where they found that 97% of college students are distracted by phones during class, while 70% of that time is spent on social media sites. I not only find that ridiculous but very disrespectful to the professor.
Health Related Issues
Social media has shown signs of stress, anxiety, mood swings, and depression.
Stated in BBC, two studies involving more than 700 students found that symptoms of depression, such as low mood and feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness, were linked to online interactions.
A similar study done, from the article BBC, in 2016 including 1,700 people found a risk of depression and anxiety among people who used the most social media platforms. Reasons for this include cyber-bullying, having a distorted view of other people’s lives, and feeling like time spent on social media is a waste.
My Thoughts
Although we all have different experiences and feelings about social media, I find that the negatives outweigh the positives as they tend to create lower self-esteem among users along with a false sense of reality, it’s a major distraction from our everyday lives, and harms our mental state.
No matter how perfect someone else’s life looks on social media know that it’s not. We are all humans that have flaws. We are imperfect and that’s what makes us all so beautiful.
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