The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health

Social media has a tremendous hold on our lives today. It would not be an exaggeration to say that many cannot go a day without using it- both kids and adults. Sharing every milestone, staying constantly connected, and striving for validation from our peers have proven to be a double-edged sword for many. It may help us make connections or make us more susceptible to mental health issues like depression and anxiety.

Considering the broad spectrum of social media's impact, it is worth looking at how it influences our mental health and how we can combat its adverse effects.

Social Media's Negative Influences on Mental Health

Addiction

Unlike the past, easily identifiable addictions, social media addiction is often normalised and goes unnoticed, hindering psychological intervention. We are turning into dopamine addicts - seeking constant validation and instant gratification at the click of a button.

MSc in Clinical Psychology graduates know that social media addiction has to be treated with the same seriousness as other forms of addiction, as it can lead to severe neglect of personal life, escapism, mental preoccupation, and even withdrawal symptoms.

Psychologists will have to modify their psychodiagnostic methods to ensure that less obvious addictions, like social media addiction, can be identified. This is why the top universities of Rajasthan, like Manipal University, Jaipur, train MSc Psychology students in advanced and updated psychodiagnostic methods to assess disorders, addictions, and their underlying reasons comprehensively.

Depression, Anxiety, and Envy

It is no secret that studies have repeatedly linked social media usage to mental health issues like depression and anxiety. Viewing the highly curated version of other people's lives incites feelings of envy. Our real lives can seem dull and inadequate compared to other people's reel lives.

However, it is possible to combat this by using social media more mindfully. Psychological interventions like therapy can assist us in turning social media into a more positive influence in our lives. MSc in Clinical Psychology students are trained to diagnose the underlying reasons for dependence on social media and help address and resolve them.

Mental health problems like depression and anxiety usually have multiple causes. Social media can exacerbate them, but is rarely the sole reason. Identifying these reasons enables psychologists to aid people in developing healthier coping mechanisms and moderated social media use.

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying has been an issue ever since the advent of social media. The anonymity offered by these platforms emboldens users to engage in harmful behaviours like bullying. The constant access to these sites also means that there is no escape from bullying. This can lead to heightened isolation, loneliness, anxiety, and depression.

Cyberbullying has a profound impact on self-esteem and mental health, making it an essential issue for psychologists to address. The top universities of India with MSc Clinical Psychology programmes strive to train psychologists well-equipped to deal with complex emerging issues like cyberbullying.

Let's look at a few ways psychologists can help in battling depression and anxiety caused by social media-

Identifying Triggers

MSc in Clinical Psychology students are trained to identify the triggers that lead to symptoms of anxiety and depression. Hence, they can pinpoint the aspects of social media that are causing stress or depression in patients. This can aid individuals in modifying their social media usage to mitigate its harmful effects.

Ways to Use Social Media Mindfully-

• Set screen time limits - this minimises users' neglect of their personal lives. This has positive long-term effects, boosting productivity, delayed gratification, and life satisfaction.
• Curate positive online spaces - only following accounts that promote well-being instead of inducing FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).
• Take a break - disconnecting from social media entirely can help you reassess your relationship with these platforms and decide how to use them going forward. Reevaluating your social media usage may lead you to delete it, use it less, or use it more positively.

Collaborating with Schools and Parents

Social media impacts everyone's mental health, but this impact can be particularly acute for children and young adults. Psychologists can intervene and mitigate its negative impact by collaborating with parents and schools to educate children to use social media more carefully. Parents must supervise their children's social media usage, and psychologists can assist them in exercising oversight without being overbearing. Psychologists can also collaborate with schools to organise workshops and seminars that promote healthier and moderated social media usage among students.

Schools and parents can substantially benefit from learning about the psychological impact of social media from psychologists. Psychologists trained by the top universities of Rajasthan, like Manipal University Jaipur, can elucidate the challenges presented by social media for mental health and how to combat them effectively.

Building Self-Esteem and Resilience

Social media can often make us feel inadequate. There is always someone with a better career or a better social life. However, everyone presents the best version of their lives - not reality. This may lead to low self-esteem and a lack of confidence. However, therapeutic interventions like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) taught by the top universities of India can help us reframe the distorted thinking caused by social media.

Psychologists trained at top colleges like Manipal University, Jaipur, can help individuals have more self-compassion and reframe distorted thinking processes into more positive ones that better reflect reality. This is the best way to tackle social media envy, as it forces us to look within and alter our own thought processes.

Practising Mindfulness

Everyone recognises the importance of practices like meditation, but only some know how to practise it and integrate it into our daily lives. The top universities of India teach Clinical Psychology students about mindfulness techniques like meditation. Therefore, psychologists can offer their expertise and teach us how to get the most out of meditation to keep anxiety and stress at bay.

Conclusion

Social media is not all bad- it can help us stay connected and even enrich our lives. Sadly, it often has the exact opposite impact when used excessively. Using social media in a healthy and balanced way requires restraint and knowledge of its negative impacts and how to combat them. Luckily, psychologists from the top universities of India can guide us in the right direction due to their in-depth understanding of social media's psychological impact. However, social media is constantly evolving, and so is its impact, necessitating constant updates to the MSc in Psychology curriculums to keep pace with changes and face emerging challenges for mental health.