i’m really starting to think that social media will drive us all crazy.
ig
snapchat
facebook
twitter
(insert one i missed here)
for someone with mental illness,
even as basic as depression,
social media is one of the worst things you can be addicted to.
time magazine broke down the number one worst social media for mental health.
this is the main culprit for your craziness…
Instagram is the worst social media network for mental health and wellbeing, according to a recent survey of almost 1,500 teens and young adults. While the photo-based platform got points for self-expression and self-identity, it was also associated with high levels of anxiety, depression, bullying and FOMO, or the “fear of missing out.”
Out of five social networks included in the survey, YouTube received the highest marks for health and wellbeing and was the only site that received a net positive score by respondents. Twitter came in second, followed by Facebook and then Snapchat—with Instagram bringing up the rear.
The #StatusOfMind survey, published by the United Kingdom’s Royal Society for Public Health, included input from 1,479 young people (ages 14 to 24) from across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. From February through May of this year, people answered questions about how different social media platforms impacted 14 different issues related to their mental or physical health.
There were certainly some benefits associated with social networking. All of the sites received positive scores for self-identity, self-expression, community building and emotional support, for example. YouTube also got high marks for bringing awareness of other people’s health experiences, for providing access to trustworthy health information and for decreasing respondents’ levels of depression, anxiety, and loneliness.
But they all received negative marks, as well—especially for sleep quality, bullying, body image and FOMO. And unlike YouTube, the other four networks were associated with increases in depression and anxiety.
Previous studies have suggested that young people who spend more than two hours a day on social networking sites are more likely to report psychological distress. “Seeing friends constantly on holiday or enjoying nights out can make young people feel like they are missing out while others enjoy life,” the #StatusOfMind report states. “These feelings can promote a ‘compare and despair’ attitude.”
Social media posts can also set unrealistic expectations and create feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem, the authors wrote. This may explain why Instagram, where personal photos take center stage, received the worst scores for body image and anxiety. As one survey respondent wrote, “Instagram easily makes girls and women feel as if their bodies aren’t good enough as people add filters and edit their pictures in order for them to look ‘perfect’.”
i believe it.
i have sorta broken down all the social medias:
ig – the place where you put your highlight reel.
everything has to show your life perfectly.
you have to be perfect in order to be “liked”.
they made a mistake introducing that insta-snap tho.
that can conflict with the image you portray on the main platform.
if you really pay attention to that,
it will show you who is wack af.
snapchat – where you are yourself in raw real time.
like insta-snap,
it’s 10 seconds to show everyone what you do all day/night.
it can be dangerous because it shows everyone the real you.
even with dog ears or an alien face.
that highlights the lack of personality you can have.
facebook – where you connect with family,
close friends,
and co workers.
that is also a place you try to be perfect,
but it’s more personal.
folks wyld out in beef with their status messages.
twitter – where you share your thoughts with the world.
you have 140 to be as honest as you want to be.
the ig/fb live/periscope platforms – fuckin,
killin people,
talking about nothing…
don’t even get me started.
cubs aren’t just hooked on social media.
adults are way down that rabbit hole.
social media is the place you get to flex when you didn’t in high school.
the nerds and outcasts are suddenly “the shit”.
the sad part is,
most of these social medias highlight just how “blah” most are.
i’ve been turned off from quite a few.
there are only so much ways you can:
wake up
go work out
come home
show what you are cooking
go work out again
show your hair
show something you bought
show some inspirational quote you aren’t following
show your car
show your food
show yourself almost half naked
hmm.
so maybe in a twisted way,
once you realize just how wack some are,
and they are flexing for their own self esteem issues,
it might just help you get your own life together.
foxhole…
Take frequent breaks from social media
it’s exhausting and seems like a job all in itself.
your mental health will thank you for it.
lowkey: it’s okay to take a break.
you will have the same followers when you return.
if they leave,
they weren’t loyal to begin with.
article cc: time
I took a break from facebook it’s been almost a month or so and I don’t miss it as much as i thought I would. I get on snap and IQ sporadically because I just don’t care to use it and I feel watching shows/reading a book and being boring by myself works wonders.
Social media is not real. We can get caught up with looking at a couple who always post pictures together and they look happy and people automatically write goals asf in the comments, but what we don’t know is that the dude treats her like shit and beats her. People look at the females who got a nice big round booty and we want our butts to look like that, but what we don’t know is that they got black market injections which probably in 5 to 10 years that material will probably poison their insides. We look at people who always going on vacations taking pictures of their passports always posting their designer clothes and shoes, but what we don’t know is that they are selling drugs, escorting, or sleeping with an old white man to have those things. I write all this to say we have to stop comparing ourselves to others, because sometimes pictures don’t mean a damn thing. Also let me add that if you work hard, you deserve to buy yourself nice things and yes you should be proud of your accomplishments, so yeah posting those things are harmless, because I do that, but there are plenty of people who love to brag and show out for social media and that is so annoying.
^i often ask what were people doing in the 90s and 80s?
did they compare themselves?
its like social media has become such a new world,
we don’t know how others survived.
there was no siri or google maps.
lol
People read books and magazines back then! Mention a book nowadays and people look at you like you’re crazy. LOL
IG just shows you that some people are living lifestyles that are above their means, and it makes you question what they are doing to maintain those lifestyles. It seems all of the guys are personal/online trainers. They constantly post shots of their abs/legs/backs, solely with the intent of really showing you their ass or dick print. Yeah, okay.
I’ve never been the type to flaunt what I have, because it only invites trouble. People see what you have and will try to take it. Never been one to envy what others have, especially when I knew what they were doing to get it. I work, pay my bills, and I got my own spot…not living with my momma or with my baby’s momma’s family. Pics of you in the club drinking, doesn’t excite me or make me want to emulate you. I’m good. Lol
^i love this c.
these are the words of someone with healthy self esteem.
you see beyond.
i was dreading this holiday weekend,
as i do with most,
but then i realized that most of these people are drinking and drugging their issues away on the weekends.
come tuesday,
they will be depressed af all over again.
LOL. I have a healthy self-esteem thanks in part to my parents. They’ve always been ones to not try and keep up with the Joneses, keep their business their own. I’m a realist and optimist too. Make no mistake though, I don’t trip/stress because I know what I can and can’t control.
Since my shoulder surgery my stomach has a expanded a little, so I tend to get a little bummed over that, but once the doc gives me the OK to go hard, I’m going in.
I follow fitness people to motivate me, but I don’t want to be big like most of them are, just fit. However, seeing them spend so much time in the gym, makes me question their lifestyles a bit. Granted most claim to be personal/online trainers, yet you never see them with clients. They show you their supposed “online clientele” but for all we know, those could be emails from friends and family.
Initially I did think that these people live these awesome lives, but over time you start to see things and you start to realize that many of them DON’T live those great lives they post about. It’s a facade.
I’m sure we could ALL name a few of them. LOL
It kinda reminds me of this guy I know who was in the barbershop today talking shit. Dude drives a Mercedes, doesn’t have a legit job, has kids by three different girls (none of which he supports), and still lives with his mama. Meanwhile he bragging he got this, goes to the DR and PR to get pussy at least once a month, etc. Now people that don’t know any better would be like wow. My barber and I we just look at him and shake our heads. We know him and how he really is. It’s all about presentation. I’m gonna emulate someone like that?! Nah, I’ll emulate the postal worker sitting next to him doing his thing the right way and quietly, WITHOUT fanfare.
Great post I totally agree, I take breaks from social media from time to time just to give myself a refresh.
I don’t think it’s the social media platform itself but who and what you’re following that is shown on your timeline.
I’m seen as upbeat to most but I have really low self esteem ( about my body, my face, hair, and just current life circumstances ). Going on the gram and following good looking people who are living these larger than life lives ain’t helping or having a Tumblr that’s mostly pornographic than artistic when I’m not getting sex on the regular definitely tugs away at one’s self.
Like the study said I don’t have that issue with YouTube. On there I might follow one or two YouTubeers that have a pretty extravagant life but for the most part I’m following cooking channels or video game channels or just watching shows that I can’t find on TV. It’s a totally different experience than the other social media platforms.
^agreed!!!
i didn’t realize how much harm it was doing to my own self esteem and mental health.
that made me really take a look at myself and everyone differently.
i enjoy social medias that show me scenery.
i started learning more about photography and videography because of certain social medias i follow.
im almost turned off with “flex-medias”.
there are so much ways i can see your body or your material possessions.
I always tell my goofball team members to get off of social media and enjoy nature. Or on my lunch break I’ll take a picture of the lake by my job onna sunny day and send it to them in a group message with a message to go out and enjoy. SnapChat and all them social apps are more “anti” social than folks want to admit. If fact it seems to alienate some tbh… A social media break is definitely a good thing.
^i find a break helps to refresh what you’ve been seeing.
we get so caught up in these fake lives online,
we start to try and be that.
when we see others doing what we want to do,
and we aren’t doing it,
it can really make you feel “less than”.
social media will have you going into debt trying to keep up with the online jones.