How does social media affects our lives?

Social media has a huge impact on individuals and their lives. While some impacts can be positive, social media has been shown to negatively affect things like our moods and stress levels. Addiction is caused by social media too. With access to it anytime of day on our phones, it’s easy to fall into the bad habit of checking it everywhere – during a meal, in class when a professor is talking, or even in bed when it’s time to sleep! Here are a few areas where social media addiction can have a negative impact.


What is social media addiction?

Overusing social media can be a serious problem. Social media addiction is a psychological condition that compels someone to be overly concerned about social media, spending so much time on these platforms that it impacts other aspects of their life.

If you have a social media addiction, you may feel an uncontrollable urge to log on to these sites multiple times per day. You may devote so much time and energy to post and engage with other users that you neglect to take care of yourself. In some cases, you may engage in risky behaviours in order to gain attention on social media.

You may also notice that you begin to use social media more and more as time goes on, developing a tolerance to your usual consumption. When you stop using social media, you may experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms until you can log on again.

What are the solutions to the negativity?

Limiting social media use is the best way to improve mental health. Using Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat for only 10 minutes per day for three weeks led to lower loneliness and depression. But reducing social media use to even 30 minutes per day results in significantly lower levels of: 

  • Anxiety
  • Depression 
  • Loneliness 
  • Sleep problems 
  • Fear of missing out (FOMO)

Bottom line

Social media is increasingly omnipresent today, but this doesn’t mean you’ll automatically develop an addiction to it. 

By taking frequent breaks and setting clear boundaries for yourself and your children, you can help prevent an overreliance on social media before it becomes harmful. 

If you do suspect you have social media addiction, there are ways you can treat it to increase your overall well-being. Don’t hesitate to reach out to a mental health professional for help with this type of addiction.

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