Adverse Effects of Social Media

Submitted by: Muhammad Faiz
Program: BS Computer Science -Green
Topic: Adverse effects of social media on mental health
Course: ELCS
Submitted To: Ma’am Uzma Khalil
Date: January 21,2024.

OUTLINE:
 What is Social media?
 How social media apps and mental health are interconnected?
 How social media apps negatively effecting our mental health?
 Solutions to minimize the negative effects.
 References
Adverse effects of social media apps On Mental health
What is social media?

Social media is like a giant online playground where people hang out, chat, and share stuff.
It's like a digital bulletin board where everyone can pin up their thoughts, pictures, and
jokes. It's a bit like a never-ending online party where everyone's invited to join the fun and
be part of the conversation.
How social media apps and mental health are interconnected?

Today almost every person specially teens uses at least one social media app, people are
spending most of their time on these apps as their habits. Some of the highly being use apps
are: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube , Tiktok , and Snapchat. People are spending more than 2
to 3 hours on these social media apps .Due to excessive use of these apps they have huge
impact on people's mental health.
These apps got many positive impacts on people lives but as well as negatives too. The main
motive of writing this article is to shed light on the negative effects of these social media
apps that are not normally debated.
“When something is free, you are the product.” Jonathan Zittrain
How social media negatively effecting our mental health?

1. Social Media and Notifications:
Social media platforms are designed to be addictive. They use a variety of techniques to
keep users engaged, including the constant stream of notifications. When we receive a
notification, our brains release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that is associated with
pleasure and reward. This gives us a feeling of satisfaction and motivates us to check our
social media accounts more often. The constant stream of notifications on social media
platforms triggers dopamine release, creating a cycle of seeking validation and comparison.
The dopamine-driven desire for likes, comments, and followers can be addictive and
detrimental to our mental well-being.
2.Procrastination and lack of focus:

Social media apps fuel procrastination by providing instant gratification through constant
notifications and dopamine release. The endless distractions of infinite scrolling and
engaging content divert attention from tasks requiring focus.
3.Instant Gratification:
Instant gratification through watching reels or shorts on social media apps provide you
dopamine as a quick reward which stops you from the task that are important to be done
and requires effort . As a result , you spend more time using it than you wanted to be.
4.Inadequacy about your life or appearance:

Even if you know that images you’re viewing on social media are manipulated, they can still
make you feel insecure about how you look or what’s going on in your own life. Similarly,
we’re all aware that other people tend to share just the highlights of their lives, rarely the
low points that everyone experiences. But that doesn’t lessen those feelings of envy and
dissatisfaction when you’re scrolling through a friend’s airbrushed photos of their tropical
beach holiday or reading about their exciting new promotion at work.
5.Isolation:
A study at the University of Pennsylvania found that high usage of Facebook, Snapchat, and
Instagram increases rather decreases feelings of loneliness. Conversely, the study found that
reducing social media usage can actually make you feel less lonely and isolated and improve
your overall wellbeing.
6.Depression and anxiety.
Human beings need face-to-face contact to be mentally healthy. Nothing reduces stress and
boosts your mood faster or more effectively than eye-to-eye contact with someone who
cares about you. The more you prioritize social media interaction over in-person
relationships, the more you’re at risk for developing or exacerbating mood disorders such as
anxiety and depression.
7.Cyberbullying.
About 10 percent of teens report being bullied on social media and many other users are
subjected to offensive comments. Social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram can be
hotspots for spreading hurtful rumors, lies, and abuse that can leave lasting emotional scars.
8.Self-absorption.
Sharing endless selfies and all your innermost thoughts on social media can create an
unhealthy self-centeredness and distance you from real-life connections.
9.Fear of missing out (FOMO) and social media addiction:

FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out, is inflame by social media, where individuals may experience
anxiety or unease when perceiving others' seemingly enjoyable experiences or social
interactions. The constant exposure to curated and idealized content on social platforms can
intensify this fear, negatively impacting mental well-being.
10.Having no time for self-reflection.

Every spare moment is filled by engaging with social media, leaving you little or no time for
reflecting on who you are, what you think, or why you act the way that you do—the things
that allow you to grow as a person.
Minimizing the negative impact of social media:

Digital Wellbeing Tools:
Develop and promote digital wellbeing tools that help users manage screen time, set usage
limits, and receive notifications when they've spent excessive time on the platform.
Cultivate Healthy Habits:
o Focus on nourishing your body and mind through regular exercise, balanced
nutrition, and adequate sleep.
o Engage in activities that provide natural dopamine boosts, such as hobbies, spending
time in nature, or volunteering.
Practice Delayed Gratification:

o Train yourself to resist immediate impulses and practice delaying rewards for greater
long-term satisfaction.
o Embrace the process and focus on the journey rather than obsessing over instant
results.
Seeking support from friends and family:

It is important to remember that social media can be a great source of support and
validation, particularly from those closest to us. Talking openly with friends and family
members about mental health issues can help reduce feelings of isolation and provide
emotional support.
Turn off notifications:

You’ll be far less distracted during the day if you turn social notifications off. It’s difficult to
resist checking every time you hear beeping, dinging, buzzing, and ringing alerting you to the
latest posts, replies, and activity.
Instead, set limits about how often and when you’ll check your social feeds. Start out small,
like limiting checking to every 15 minutes. Then, gradually increase the time between
checking to 30 minutes, 45 minutes, and so on.
Use social media on a device that’s not your phone:
When we think about it, do we really need access to every social media platform on all of
our devices? Try taking a break by removing apps one-by-one from the device you use most
(likely your phone) and see if it’s easier to find a better balance in your social media use
when it isn’t always on hand. When we access social media only when we’re sitting at a
computer, we might find ourselves less concerned with the virtual world, and able to be
present with our physical surroundings.
Seeking professional help:
If you are struggling to manage the impact of social media on your mental health, it is
important to seek professional help. Talking to a therapist or counselor can be a great way to
get support and learn effective strategies for managing stress and anxiety.
References :
 https://medium.com/@aditi.search/break-free-from-instant-gratification-your-
ultimate-guide-to-detoxing-from-cheap-dopamine-c42ba9dea04f
 https://profiletree.com/
 https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/04/24/teens-and-social-media-key-
findings-from-pew-research-center-surveys/
 https://medium.com/@aditi.search/break-free-from-instant-gratification-your-ultimate-
guide-to-detoxing-from-cheap-dopamine-c42ba9dea04f

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Submitted by: Muhammad Faiz

Program: BS Computer Science -Green

Topic: Adverse effects of social media on mental health

Submitted To: Ma’am Uzma Khalil

Date: January 21,2024.

 What is Social media?

 How social media apps and mental health are interconnected?

 How social media apps negatively effecting our mental health?

 Solutions to minimize the negative effects.

What is social media?

How social media apps and mental health are interconnected?

“When something is free, you are the product.” Jonathan Zittrain

How social media negatively effecting our mental health?

2.Procrastination and lack of focus:

4.Inadequacy about your life or appearance:

9.Fear of missing out (FOMO) and social media addiction:

10.Having no time for self-reflection.

Minimizing the negative impact of social media:

Practice Delayed Gratification:

Seeking support from friends and family:

Turn off notifications:

Use social media on a device that’s not your phone:

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