Young adults need to pay less attention to social media

By: Elisa Payne

Our ability to access social media nearly every second of the day may not be
for the best. Social media allows us to connect with individuals anywhere at
anytime; it is also linked to depression, anxiety, and other negative mental
health problems.
According to Pew Research, 92% of individuals 29 years old and younger are
social media users. 24% of these individuals are constantly using social
media. The SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
found the more an individual uses social media, the lonelier they are. Social
media evokes the process of sitting alone and being remote; individuals are
less attuned with the world around them.
Young adults are obsessed with social media. A fifth of them wake up in the
middle of the night and log on. They feel the need to constantly make
themselves available, impacting their quality of sleep, which can cause
anxiety. A 2015 study from the University of Missouri found that social media
usage could lead to symptoms of depression and anxiety. When social media
usage is higher, so are self-reports of depression.
Young adults have enough stressors from peer approval in everyday life and
social media is only increasing their negative mental health. It is a great tool
for communicating with loved ones and friends, but it is crucial that users
remember that it doesnt represent all aspects of their peers lives.
After viewing social media, 51% of users compare themselves to others and
become less confident. The University of Missouri study found that as social
media users post exciting or happy content, viewers experience envy. These
feelings of envy alone can lead to symptoms of depression.
Females are more likely to compare themselves to other women on social
media, leading to body image issues. A study in The Journal of Eating
Disorders found that higher social media usage leads to higher distorted
body image. Eating disorders are also associated with higher social media
usage.
Viewers of social media are being impacted negatively by comparing their
entire lives to the few things their peers are posting on social media. Social
media users are posting glorified images and content from their lives. These
posts are not an accurate portrayal of all aspects in life or how individuals
look at each moment of the day. Positive self-presentation is motivation
behind many users posts.

We cannot let social media hinder our personal interactions and outlook on
life. Individuals need to focus on face-to-face exchanges to improve mental
health and build relationships; these are the meaningful, honest interactions
in our lives.
Elisa Payne, junior studying Advertising at UIUC, Champaign