If you have ever wondered about social media affecting mental health, you are not alone. Many users, teachers, family members, and scientists have studied how social media can have a positive or negative impact on personal well-being. By learning more about the relationship between cell phones and mental health in teens, you can better find treatment when necessary.
WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CELL PHONES AND MENTAL HEALTH IN TEENS
Social media can promote many negative consequences:
- Firstly, looking at images on social media and not recognizing that they are manipulated or the highlights from someone’s last few weeks can make individuals feel dissatisfied or inadequate about how they look, think, do, or appearance.
- Secondly, social media encourages the symptoms of fear of missing out, often called FOMO. Part of this begins when you see other people having fun or being more productive or healthier than you. It triggers anxiety and low self-esteem because you are worried that you are missing out on something great. The other side of FOMO refers to constantly staying on social media out of fear you’ll miss something funny, interesting, or otherwise newsworthy. Often, social media moves so quickly that many may feel like missing out on a “moment” if they log off for an extended time. In either of these scenarios, you compulsively check social media regularly, which only worsens the problem.
- Similarly, it increases feelings of loneliness and isolation and decreases overall well-being. Individuals need face-to-face contact to improve mental health, reduce stress, and boost mood. Still, when people prioritize social media instead of in-person interactions, it increases depression and anxiety.
WHAT MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS CAN BE WORSENED BY SOCIAL MEDIA
Multiple studies have found that social media can worsen many feelings of loneliness, inadequacy, self-harm, isolation, or self-absorption, but in particular, how does social media affect mental health? There is strong evidence that it exacerbates depression and anxiety disorders.
WHAT ARE HEALTHY SOCIAL MEDIA HABITS
Many people use their devices without considering the impact of social media on mental health, so it’s important to cultivate healthy habits to limit social media’s impact on mental health problems.
TAKE TIME AWAY
Too much cell phone interaction can negatively impact how you feel about yourself, how you think about your life, how happy you are with your decisions, and even how well you sleep at night or how active and productive you are during the day. Don’t let social media be the first thing you check when you wake up or the last thing you look at before you go to bed. Choose a specific time to be offline, like your weekends, evenings, or holidays. Integrate time away from all social media regularly.
LIMIT SCREEN TIME
When you use social media, remember that social media affecting mental health is serious, and it can be detrimental. So, limit the amount of screen time you have. If you find it difficult to do this alone, there are often options in the phone settings or third-party apps that can help you set time limits. Do things like establishing a 2-minute timer if you go on social media without a purpose so that you don’t end up scrolling endlessly for more than a few minutes at a time. Turn off any notifications on your devices, and always log out at the end of each session. If you can’t easily click on an app and immediately see everything everyone else has posted, you will think twice about spending your downtime automatically checking social media without a purpose.
USE SOCIAL MEDIA WITH PURPOSE
Tangentially, try only to use social media for a purpose. Use it intentionally. Don’t go on social media platforms unless you have something you are looking for, unless you want to check up on friends and family, or unless you want to post something specific.
DON’T USE SOCIAL MEDIA FOR COMPARISONS
Anyone who has questioned the relationship between cell phones and mental health has probably seen the negative impact of social media and comparisons. It’s all too common for people to immediately jump on social media, see a post from a friend, co-worker, or even a famous individual, and make a comparison. This can exacerbate mental health problems making people who are depressed or anxious feel even worse about themselves. But it’s important to remember that you see what people have curated for you to see whenever you go onto social media.
A good tip is to write down something inspirational to remind you of this fact and look at it before opening any social media. You might write something affirming your own life and reminding you not to be jealous of the curated posts on your feed; you will likely feel better after scrolling through these types of posts. Someone might post something that makes it seem as though their life is luxurious when it may be their first vacation in years.
Teen Mental Health Treatment in South Florida – AWA
At Adolescent Wellness Academy, a teen mental health treatment center located in South Florida, we understand the complexities and challenges of guiding our loved ones, especially adolescents, towards recovery from mental health challenges.
Recognizing the delicate nature of this journey, we are committed to offering compassionate, specialized care even in situations where individuals may be hesitant to seek help.
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When you join our therapy or afterschool programs, you enter a caring and non-judgmental community. This support network involves teens, their families, peers, and our team.
Our team of clinicians, alumni, and other parents are here to offer invaluable assistance. Parent Support Groups (PSG) and assessments ensure that the support is tailored to each family’s needs. Contact us today for more information about teen mental health at 1-866-548-8677 or visit our locations in Miami-Dade and Broward.
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Brandsmen
