Have you ever not finished your homework? Or wished you had more time to finish your chores? Well, you probably did have enough time, you might have just spent it all on social media without noticing. One of the most significant effects of social media is its power to take up huge portions of our day. OSF Healthcare tells us that the average screen time for the ages 11-14 is nine hours, and for 15-18 year olds it is seven and a half hours (Legner). That is over half of the day you have spent looking on a screen when you could have been accomplishing something else.
A freshman at Garden Plain High School, Ade Kasselman, has an average screen time of five hours. I asked Ade what other things she could have been doing instead of playing on her phone, or other things she should have been doing. Ade said, “Probably could have cleaned my room and studied, especially this week with finals. Looking back, I wish I would’ve spent more time focusing on my schoolwork.”
Not only does social media make you procrastinate in other activities, it also can have an effect on your mental health. Social media could be a reason for increased feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. While on social media you constantly see videos of other people’s “perfect” lives, and that causes you to compare yourself to others. Even though everything you see on social media isn’t true. Say you see a video of a mom and daughter happily shopping together. That doesn’t mean they have a good relationship and always get along, you don’t even know if that is her real mom. It is important to know the difference between reality and what is portrayed on social media. If you don’t, videos could make you feel as if you aren’t doing enough or you aren’t as exciting as other people. All of that thinking could lead to very low self-esteem.
Social media also creates the issue of cyberbullying. The dictionary defines cyberbullying as, ”The use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature.” Cyberbullying could really affect your mental health in negative ways.
Social media also creates the feeling of FOMO, which means the fear of missing out. It usually happens when you see friends or celebrities posting about their trips, hangouts, or events. It makes you feel like you are missing out on something fun, and that could lead to feeling lonely or dissatisfied with your life. One way to deal with FOMO is to remind yourself that social media usually just shows the best parts of people’s lives, not the bad parts. Everyone has their own problems or times they feel lonely, but they usually choose not to post that stuff. Taking breaks from social media could also help reduce those feelings of feeling left out.
Another effect of social media is it could interfere with your sleep patterns. Your screens have a blue light emitted in them that could lead to fatigue if staring at them for too long. It is almost like the light is pulling us in. The blue light can trick our brains into thinking it is daytime, even if it is not, and it messes with our natural sleep cycle. You can plan to watch a video or play on your phone for one second, but next thing you know an hour has gone by.
Looking at a screen for too long could even make it harder to fall asleep or stay asleep. That is why it is important to recognize and know about all these potential harms, and learn to manage your time on social media wisely. Yes, social media offers a lot of benefits, like communication, entertainment, and education, but it is important to be mindful of the amount of time you are consuming. Because even with all the benefits it has it still could have a huge impact on your mental health and productivity.
I think everyone should set boundaries on the amount of social media they obtain, and prioritize real-life interactions and all their responsibilities they have. I believe that people can enjoy social media without letting it take up most of their day. Some ways you could do that is to set a screen time, or put your phone on Do Not Disturb while trying to do something. You really just need to find out what works best for you and your mental wellness. In my opinion, being able to balance online and offline activities is a big part of having a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle and relationships.
