Social Media And Mental Health

One of the largest negatives which have been discovered with the rise of the social media platforms has been the correlation between mental health and social media. It was discovered that people who used social media on a daily basis were nearly 2.7 times as likely to suffer from mental health problems like depression as those who did not use social media at all. That rate is very high when you compare it to the general population.

There are a number of factors which come into play when one examines the correlation between social media and mental health in today's youth. In many instances, young adults will utilize their mobiles or Smart Phones to stay connected with their friends and family, while also maintaining a relationship with their schoolmates and even their online friends. They spend an inordinate amount of time "tagging" their "friends" and posting comments and messages on their "friends" walls. This enables them to interact with other teenagers, but they never interact with their parents or their teachers. A lot of the communication that they have with their "friends" may consist of flirtatious messages and suggestive conversations.

In addition to this, there is a definite sleep deprivation which takes place during the hours spent using these social media sites. Many teenagers find it difficult to get their sleep at night after using their phones and engaging in this type of activity for several hours. If they do not get their requisite hours of sleep, they will ultimately feel sluggish and tired throughout the day, which will ultimately result in insomnia. If they have insomnia, then they could even be suffering from depression. Furthermore, they will experience irritability, a loss of concentration, and an increase in moodiness. All these can take a toll on the overall well-being of the mental health.

Final Words:

Being a psychiatrist in Bhopal, we would like to inform you that, parents need to be aware of all of the warning signs that their children display when it comes to social media usage and mental health. As a parent, you need to step in and help your child to deal with this new phase of their life. Setting realistic expectations and guidelines for social media usage can be helpful.