Can you imagine your life without social media? Is social media a necessity in your life? Are you often left dissatisfied with life after spending time on social media? Welcome to the dark side of social media platforms. For once and all, let’s just admit the truth. Social networking sites are beneficial, but they are also a great source of trouble.
And today, we will just talk about the troubles. The one truth that everyone is acquainted with is how nothing is real on social media. The more you ‘try’ to make your picture natural, video candid, and content relatable, in most cases, every single move is has been carefully scripted and curated.
Thus, there’s no point denying the negative impact of social networking sites. Scroll down to find out more about the dark side of social media and how you can stop it from impacting your life.
Table of Contents
The Dark Side Of Social Media: Negative Impacts:
Social networking platforms have an influential dark side, and the sooner we realize it, the better for all of our mental health. So, let’s find out the negative impacts of social media before coming up with any solution for the same.
1.) Anxiety And Depression:
If you have spent several hours on social media, you must have seen how much it affects your mood. And a lot of it has to do with presenting that carefully selected part of your life, you know everyone will fawn over. So what’s the point of even going somewhere if you are not going to post all about it, or at least make a vlog about it.
The news is that chronic users of social media are more likely to have bad mental health, and we are not surprised. These platforms give you the space to compare yourself with those carefully selected parts of other people’s lives. Am I poor? Am I ugly? Am I a failure? Thus, a lot of your anxiety and subsequent depression has plenty to do with the dark side of social media.
Solution: A complete digital detox for a few weeks will help you get your life on track and feel better about yourself.
2.) Cyberbullying:
Before social media, the only way bullying could be done was face-to-face. However, things changed when communicating and socializing online became a thing in the last decade. Now you can bully just about anyone online, and that too anonymously. Most cases of cyberbullying never get reported due to the vagueness of the situation.
One day, you might be a popular influencer on Instagram but the next day? The next day, you might just become a viral meme. Yes, people, including the ones who know you, will laugh at you, and you might not take it as a joke. Publishing any content about you without your consent is also cyberbullying.
Solution: Just so you know, cyberbullying is a criminal offence punishable by law. Thus, take action when needed.
3.) Fear Of Missing Out:
Have you heard about FOMO? Yes, that fear we millennials are always talking about. Lightly, we use the word in conversation, signifying that feeling in the pit of your stomach when your friends embark on a vacation, and you are sitting at home working. Then, you see their pictures and videos on social media, experiencing ‘major FOMO!’
Well, the fear is such a social media-induced feeling. You experience FOMO when you actually see how the vacation is going online. For instance, you might not love texting, and friends might often tease you about it online, where everyone who doesn’t know you can see that. What would you do? You actually look up ‘how to not be a dry texter’ online because social media put that pressure on you!
Solution: The best way to get rid of FOMO is by reducing your screen time and, in the worst case, going for a complete digital detox.
4.) Unrealistic Expectations:
The most essential issues with social media platforms have everything to do with setting unrealistic expectations. A good majority of what’s uploaded online lacks originality and authenticity. As we discussed earlier, people on social media are more likely to plan a content strategy and work with elements that work with their audience.
How does it make anything real? More than real, it sets expectations that are restrictive and unrealistic. You cannot just judge yourself or your life compared to some Instagram influencer who gets paid for making her life look visually appealing on social media platforms.
Solution: The faster you understand that it’s an influencer’s job to appear ‘perfect’ on Instagram, the better for your mental health.
5.) Negative Self Image:
The whole-body positivity movement garnered much attention on social media only recently. But it was the dark side of social media that caused the whole issue. Yes, all types of media have jointly worked together to create conventional body images – the idea that this is how you must look.
But no one had access to media the way they do on social media. It has a dual negative impact. Of course, you might feel sad and depressed, hating your body in the process. But it also leads to a lot of hate towards people deemed perfect by social media sites. Everything is not real on these sites, and hating your body over this is a waste of time.
Solution: Instead, love your body every day! Follow body positivity influencers and experts who will motivate you every day.
Conclusion:
Social media has a pretty influential dark side, and the sooner we are aware of it, the better our mental health. If you are already experiencing issues with your mental health, especially if you are a chronic user of social media platforms, then it’s high time you go for a social media detox.
Our solutions are compact, but if your issue is severe, you might need a complete detox and, in many cases, professional help. So what are your waiting for? Protect yourself against the negative impacts of social media.
About the Author:Lucia Patterson was born and raised in New York. She is a passionate blogger and also a contributor writer at 7Best Things. As an admirer of history and art, she keeps travelling around to places that have a story to tell.
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