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The document discusses the negative impact of social media on mental health, highlighting issues such as self-doubt, comparison, anxiety, and depression. It emphasizes how the addictive nature of these platforms and the culture of comparison contribute to declining self-esteem and increased mental health challenges. The author calls for more mindful and purposeful engagement with social media to mitigate its harmful effects while recognizing its potential benefits.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
14 views5 pages

Document 15

The document discusses the negative impact of social media on mental health, highlighting issues such as self-doubt, comparison, anxiety, and depression. It emphasizes how the addictive nature of these platforms and the culture of comparison contribute to declining self-esteem and increased mental health challenges. The author calls for more mindful and purposeful engagement with social media to mitigate its harmful effects while recognizing its potential benefits.

Uploaded by

Nuawood
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Savage 1

#Does Social Media Affect my Mental Health? #Causes and Effects.

Laryssa M. Savage

University of Windsor

GART 1500: Effective Writing II

Dara Vosoughi

March 10th, 2025


Savage 2

Glamorous holidays and flawless photos on Instagram are sure to make your life seem

unappealing and superficial. While social media objectives were meant for communication,

the allowance of self-doubt, comparison, and anxiety proves much greater. The way people

interact with these platforms is a determining factor of how well their mental state is. Such

deep forms of interaction can nurture a sense of connection and support, whereas superficial

forms such as scrolling or watching idealized content can be detrimental. Among a range of

reasons, social media fuels a culture of comparison and addiction which has continually led

to decline in self-esteem, enhancement in anxiety, and escalation of depression (Valkenburg,

2022, p. 540). Social media makes use of highlighting reels of other people’s lives, which

prompts one to set unrealistic goals and thereby making it extremely difficult to appreciate

their own lives. The impact of self-doubt incited by social media is rapidly increasing and has

proven to worsen the overall mental health, indicating a shift towards more mindful usage of

digital media is imperative.

With the rise of Instagram and Facebook, people’s perception of these networks

results in an evaluation disparity of their self-image, which mirrors the unachievable. These

platforms give users the opportunity to show only the best, edited and filtered, takes of their

lives while omitting the pain and mundane aspects of daily life. This misrepresentation of

reality can lead to feelings of inadequacy especially amongst the youth, who are still

grappling with their self-esteem. Such images negatively impact one’s image of their own

body, and their willingness to eat, as well as lead to increased levels of anxiety and

depression (Ugwu, 2023, p. 2). Comparison is necessary, the more one compares their lives

to the permeating unrealistic social media depictions, the lesser the chances of self-

acceptance and love there are. This unhealthy cycle gives rise to self-disparagement and

stress, which disrupts the normal self-worth balance. Each of us has a limit when it comes to

accepting our flaws, once crossed, invasive thoughts filled with anxiety and depression take
Savage 3

over. Unfettered comparisons can engender a vacuum of self-worth and slowly make it

impossible for one to view themselves positively.

Social media, without a doubt, further increases anxiety and depression due to its

unbelievable addictive qualities. Most users, either knowing or unknowing, get caught into an

unhealthy cycle of compulsively engaging with social media under the excuse of staying

socially relevant. Yet, these digital dependencies can prove to be dangerous. Some users

constantly check their profiles and notifications and feel as if their self-worth is based off

online interaction. Other users feel the need to stay connected to avoid missing social events

and conversations, making them ready to engage even at the cost of face-to-face interactions.

This need for online validation can make a person socially overstimulated and mentally

drained, thus increasing stress, chronic anxiety, and risk of depressive symptoms (Bhat, 2016,

p. 127). The need to maintain an engaging account makes it even harder to disconnect, and

the effects become increasingly worse. People stuck in this vicious cycle are forced to live

with pangs of guilt when they witness the ill effects of their habits but are practically

incapable of setting them aside.

In short, the addictive nature of social media and the culture of comparison are both

negative factors where people's mental well-being is involved. The rapid increase in issues of

self-esteem, anxiety, and depression is due to such sites' unreal expectations and never-

ending need for approval. As much as there are benefits in social media such as uniting

people, spreading messages, and entertaining, the negatives must be considered as well. The

first step towards the creation of healthier social media use habits, and consequently, mental

health in the digital era is to understand the problems that exist underneath.. If the users of

social media accounts learn to be more self-aware and purposeful in how they engage with

social media, they stand the chance of minimizing its harm while maximizing the good.
Savage 4

References

Bhat, S. (2016, January). Effects of social media on Mental Health: A Review. International

Journal of Indian Psychology.

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shabir-Bhat/publication/323018957_Effects_of_

Social_Media_on_Mental_Health_A_Review/links/5a7c9e97aca272341aeb7472/

Effects-of-Social-Media-on-Mental-Health-A-Review.pdf
Savage 5

Ugwu, L. E., Idemudia, E. S., Chukwu, O. O., & Onyedibe, M. C. C. (2023, April 19).

Measuring the Impact of Social Media on Young People’s MentalHealth:

Development and Validation of the Social Media-InducedTendency Scale. Depression

Research and Treatment. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2023/8677521

Valkenburg, P. M., van Driel, I. I., & Beyens, I. (2022). The associations of active and

passive social media use with well-being: A critical scoping review. New Media &

Society, 24(2), 530–549. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448211065425

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