Written by Rebecca Fsadni

Social media has undoubtedly made its way into our lives and taken over. Whether it is that constant checking of our phones to see if we have a message, or notifications on Facebook, the need to keep our profiles active and aesthetically pleasing, or even having that urge to start our day with a cup of coffee and scrolling through different platforms.

With that being said, we need to monitor the effects social media has on our mental health and our everyday functioning. While being in contact with others through social media eases stress, anxiety, and depression, having a lack of connections on social media is likely to induce very risky mental and emotional damage.

But why has it become such an overpowering need to have a presence online?

Lawrence Robinson and Melinda Smith, listed various positive as well as negative aspects of social media, what drives social media use, and also signs to look out for which are a result of social media impacting one’s mental health. Social media enables one to communicate with friends and family around the world, find outlets for self-expression and even join and promote worthwhile causes thus raising awareness on current issues.

Whilst social media has a positive influence on our lives, we must also pay attention to the negative influences it has too. Having a fear of missing out (FOMO) is developing greatly and we then tend to check our phones for updates so that we are constantly up to date with what’s going on. FOMO has been associated with lower mood and life satisfaction. By using different social media platforms, we are more subject to cyberbullying because it is easier for someone to hide behind a screen and post hurtful comments anonymously rather than face to face.

How do we know that our mental health is being affected by social media?

For one, online interaction has taken over offline interaction on a global scale. Even while hanging out with friends, we feel the need to constantly check our phones. Especially with teens and young adults, it has become likely to view ourselves unfavourably in comparison to others online which has oftentimes been developed into eating disorders. By engaging in risky behaviour in order to gain likes, we are subjecting ourselves to criticism from others and we are also making a bad name for ourselves in the public eye. Social media becomes harmful when it is deemed addictive to a particular individual. Various studies and experiments have found that it is potentially more addictive than alcohol and cigarettes.

Another research by Mir and Novas in 2018 found that statistics are indicating an increase in mental illnesses especially in young adults aged between 18 and 25 who are considered more prone to develop such issues due to the long hours spend on social media.

The online deception of one’s self

Mir and Novas also found a report by the American Academy of Pediatrics which defines Facebook depression as depression that develops when teens and preteens spend time on social media sites and then begin to exhibit classic symptoms of depression due to the intensity of the online world. This occurs when teens opt to only put their best qualities and attributes online thus hiding their negative features.

The version of ourselves we put online is deceptive to many, thus creating a fake self for the public eye. By watching other friends’ success online such as by comparing the number of likes on a photo to theirs, will only make others feel worse about themselves. In the USA, a university had conducted research that discovered that teens who spend 5 or more hours a day online were 71% more likely to have at least one risk factor for suicide compared to teens who spent only 1 hour a day online.

How can we make a change in our social media habits?

If we are aware that social media is affecting our mental health, we should be the first to put a stop to it and seek help to move forward in the right direction. By monitoring how much time we spend on social media, we can reduce the time we spend locked on our phones thus reducing the risk of mental illness.

Another option to reduce the time spent on social media is to turn off the mobile or tablet during certain times in the day for example while driving, or working so as to fully immerse in the task at hand and the effort put is greater. One can also disable certain notifications from applications; hence the sound of the notification will not disturb and provide an urge to check the phone. By taking action, we are being the first to promote a change in our lifestyle and enabling ourselves a healthier life.

cover image: source

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Social connection is the phenomenon of feeling that we belong, that we are accepted, and that generally we are not alone. We all feel the need to connect to something or someone, in fact research claims that this is a fundamental psychological need.

Research consistently shows that people are drawn to others based on how closely we relate to them. This has led to the rise of the relatable culture. It seems as though social connection has invaded the internet, perhaps replacing traditional in-person social connection.

There’s a reason why the boundaries of what makes people successful online have changed. We enjoy things we can relate to – honest music, the intimacy in a one person YouTube video, real characters showing real emotion, etc.

Is it possible that we have created this so called #relatable culture to facilitate the replacement of the emotional connection we are starting to find harder to replicate in real life?

So, in a climate like this, can we afford not to be relatable, and committed to this form of social connection?

The want, and more so the need, to connect to others is not a novel idea. Several theorists have given importance to this concept. Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs conceptualises connection and belongingness as a basic human need. John Bowlby studied attachment in infants, showing that the need for connection is innate, with studies by several researchers observing the effects of this first attachment on our later attachment styles.

Social connection can happen in several contexts. It doesn’t require long talks or years in someone’s life. The two key ingredients for developing a connection are empathy and compassion.

This explains why we feel connected to people we’ve never met and that we don’t know. We relate to them on a level that inspires compassion and empathy, be it through music, literature, drama, a photo, a funny meme, etc.

Deeper connection, however, requires a sense of trust that needs to be nurtured. Being authentically yourself and being in the moment fosters a deeper connection. Then does this mean, that while relating to things online, and being perceived as relatable gives us a good feeling in the moment, but that what must we invest in relationships to maintain the connection?

But what is relatability? It can be defined as a longing for connection to the world. It is a desire to see ourselves in others. This is why we share what we perceive to be relatable, because we have seen that other people like it too, it connects us in some way to the outside world.

There is a sense of familiarity to what we perceive as relatable which enables that social connection, tenuous as it may be. It lets us feel that we are part of something bigger, that we are not alone, therefore satisfying the innate need of connectivity.

It’s also important to see the rise of relatability as an opportunity for representation and involvement, an area of the media – be it social media or traditional media – that has thrived as a result of this phenomenon.

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