Social media and the internet are great to interact with our loved ones and friends. Unfortunately, the ways most people use social media take a toll on their health. This is why many people consider social media a malady. So, is social media bad for your health and well-being, or are we just abusing this technology?
Here we will review some of the issues that have put social media in the spotlight.
Low Self Esteem
A major trend in social media is putting up pictures. Friends who are linked to your social media profile like and comment on these images. Unfortunately, the trend of liking and commenting on pictures has become so popular that people go out of their way to secure others’ approval. They even resort to unconventional means and inappropriate pictures to secure these “likes.”
However, not all people receive the likes and comments they desire. When faced with negative–or negligible–responses, they tend to think that they are not good enough. Their low self-esteem disrupts their health significantly. This really makes one wonder, “Is social media bad?” Social media is not essentially harmful, however. In fact, it is a great way of connecting with people. Unfortunately, people’s expectations toward social media are often unrealistic and capable of affecting their health.
Immense Mental Stress
Many individuals who take pride in being different end up being bullied on the internet. This is known as cyberbullying. By contrast, some people try to juggle various lifestyles and images. They try to portray a different life on their social media profile from the way they present themselves in person. Juggling various aspects of their compartmentalized lives becomes quite difficult and leads to unhealthy stress.
Such stress disrupts eating habits and the body’s metabolism, causing stress eating. Stress eating induces weight gain, which is the mother of many problems. Those extra pounds lead to many physical and mental difficulties. In short, stress takes a toll on a person’s health.
There is countless research to suggest that there is a huge difference between sleeping for long hours and sleeping properly. Sleeping for extensive periods of time does not make a difference if the sleep is not proper. To get proper sleep, one needs to relax and turn off all devices with lights at least one hour prior to sleeping.
Unfortunately, this is advice that most people do not follow. In fact most people use their devices up until they go to bed. This is because they do not want to miss a single thing that happens on their favorite social media network. This results in improper sleep, which in turn affects their health significantly.
For those who are asking, “Is social media bad?”, here’s your answer: social media is a technological advancement that offers both advantages and disadvantages. However, whether or not it affects your health depends on how it is used.