Social media is impacting mental health

By Lindsey Cooke, Madeleine Villa and Olivia Timm

BELLEVILLE- Social media allows everyone to stay connected but that connection can trigger feelings of anxiety and depression, according to students and experts.

Loyalist College student, Lexis Hodges says she has not been going on social media as much anymore because it is causing her to feel down.  

“I used to go on it a lot and I just got really upset, I can’t do this to myself anymore,  focus on yourself and not what others want to see you” said Hodges.

Hodges said that comparing herself to images of women with unattainable beauty standards on Instagram causes her anxiety. 

Laura Summerfeldt is a psychology professor at Trent University who specializes in studying social anxiety.  Summerfeldt said that there is not a lot of evidence that suggests social media helps young people’s mental health.

“The evidence to date suggests that there is certainly more of a risk factor than a protective factor especially for anxiety” said Summerfeldt.

She told QNet News, “online it’s much easier to be lured into doing these unrealistic upward social comparisons because on social media the people you are following and looking at present a complete false front”

It’s that false front that concerns Loyalist College counsellor, Adam Gosney.

“The research is out there that people have a tendency to post only their good stuff on social media. If you’re in a bad place on social media then it’s going to paint this picture that people have a better life than you. That’s not the reality.”

Loyalist College student, Sydney Thibault agrees with Gosney and says that social media can definitely be a negative factor for people experiencing depression and anxiety.

“I’ve had experiences where I’ve been in an depressive episode and my social media hasn’t helped because everyone’s lives on the internet look so much happier and glamorous than mine”.

According to a recent study from the University of Pittsburgh, “too much social media use leaves a person more exposed to the public and more exposure means a higher potential for embarrassment”.

“Anything that detaches us from real world communications is inherently dangerous. It has to be consumed in moderation with awareness'” advises Gosney.

Social media can be upsetting in more than one way and it doesn’t just have a negative impact on young people.

Gosney told QNet News that this past summer he was a victim of cyberbullying on Facebook.

“I had an experience over the summer where I was harassed and bullied over social media.” Gosney said that he lost sleep over this incident.

Summerfeldt suggests real life interactions with others and being mindful of the problem can help with feelings of anxiety and sadness over social media. She said that people are starting to take Facebook holidays as a way of coping with social media.

“Lots of people are taking Facebook holidays, they’re just going off of it, just as some people will go cold turkey if they have addictions to substances.”