The Online Newspaper of Lakewood High School

Lakewood Times

Lakewood Times

Lakewood Times

    How Do Social Media and Phones Affect Our Mental Health?

    How+Do+Social+Media+and+Phones+Affect+Our+Mental+Health%3F

    A number of studies have found an association between social media use and depression, anxiety, sleep problems, eating issues, and increased suicide risk, warn researchers from the University of Melbourne’s National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health.A survey of young people conducted by the London-based Royal Society for Public Health found that social media sites such as Instagram, which primarily focus on people’s physical appearance, are contributing to a generation of young people with body image issues and social isolation.

    The rise of social media has meant that we as a global population are more connected than we have ever been in the history of time. While social media platforms can have their benefits, using them too frequently can make you feel increasingly unhappy and isolated in the long run.For kids experiencing anxiety or depression, carefully edited feeds can act as a smoke screen, masking serious issues behind pretend perfection and making it harder for parents or friends to see that they need help. Social Media Obsessively checking your Twitter feed just before bed could be contributing towards poor quality of sleep.

    We all have our fair share of insecurities, some that we speak about openly and others that we prefer to keep to ourselves.However, what is shared across our social networks only broadcasts the positive aspects of our lives- the highlight reels. Comparing yourself to others on social media by stalking their aesthetically perfect Instagram photos or staying up to date with their relationship status on Facebook could do little to assuage your feelings of self-doubt; it’s unhealthy.

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