The answer to that question will probably depend on who you ask. We will have a series of articles in the coming months delving into that question. It’s far too much to talk about in one article as it would take up the entire magazine. What is becoming quite evident is that social media is taking a toll on our mental health. As more studies are being conducted, a pattern has emerged that shows social media use can lead to low self-esteem by constant comparing, cyberbullying, fake news, social media addiction, sleep deprivation, depression and other negative effects. On the other hand, the positive side of social media are feelings of connection, business development, social engagement and even love connections! So, it’s not all bad to be sure. Although social media was intended to make us more social, it can actually lead to us being less social with people we know. Have you ever walked into a restaurant and witnessed a lot of people looking at their phones instead of talking to one another? It’s a good bet that they are on social media. The FOMO effect is real. For those who don’t know what that is, it stands for Fear of Missing Out. This phenomenon suggests that no one wants to “miss out” on the latest thing that just happened on social media. It can lead one to constantly check their Facebook page or Instagram page to see what’s happening. For many people, checking their social media page is the first thing they do in the morning and the last thing they do at night. Psychologists are not sure if this behavior is healthy or not, but it surely doesn’t sound healthy. Additionally, the other major concern is the need to be “liked”. This can lead to feelings of depression if your post gets very little to no likes. It’s the fear of not being accepted or not being “good enough” to be liked and who doesn’t like to be liked? The problem is you feel being liked by strangers gives you validation but that can lead some people to do things that aren’t healthy in the name of being “liked”. Professionals encourage us to have more face-to-face interactions and not just online ones. We need to put our phones down and talk to one another more. That type of communication may seem old-fashioned, but it seems to be the best way. In the coming months, as I stated in the introduction, we will have more on social media and its impact on society and more specifically, it’s impact on our youth. Stay tuned..
