The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health

Social media has become a ubiquitous part of our daily lives, but what impact is it having on our mental health? There is a growing body of research that suggests social media use may be linked to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns.

On the other hand, some argue that social media can have positive effects, such as providing a sense of community and support, and connecting individuals with similar interests and experiences.

What do you think? Has social media impacted your mental health in any way? How do you manage your social media use to ensure it doesn't negatively impact your well-being? Do you believe social media has a net positive or negative effect on mental health?

Parents
  • I've always found social media (and even messaging apps like WhatsApp, Slack) really overwhelming. I've regularly been off of social media (I am currently), and even once replaced my smartphone with a basic one.

    I think I've always struggled with social media, and the traditional platforms have only got more noisy and polarising and not so nice places to be. 

    I much prefer being a part of smaller, more curated online communities (I've always had a fondness for old-school forums like Discourse - and this place we're all currently in!), more thoughtful and conducive to slower and more thoughtful conversations, as opposed to endless streams of meaningless stuff & folks shouting their opinions into the void for more attention. A few years ago I really liked twitter and made friends through there; these days I'm only on there for a minute before I feel overwhelmed and terrible. 

Reply
  • I've always found social media (and even messaging apps like WhatsApp, Slack) really overwhelming. I've regularly been off of social media (I am currently), and even once replaced my smartphone with a basic one.

    I think I've always struggled with social media, and the traditional platforms have only got more noisy and polarising and not so nice places to be. 

    I much prefer being a part of smaller, more curated online communities (I've always had a fondness for old-school forums like Discourse - and this place we're all currently in!), more thoughtful and conducive to slower and more thoughtful conversations, as opposed to endless streams of meaningless stuff & folks shouting their opinions into the void for more attention. A few years ago I really liked twitter and made friends through there; these days I'm only on there for a minute before I feel overwhelmed and terrible. 

Children
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