"Social Media Depression" - An Honors Project
Social Media Depression
An Honors Project by SoulfullyAButterfly
Introduction
Social Media no doubt affects our mental health, and research has proved that overtime, as social media usage has increased, so has depression and other mood disorders.
A UK study carried out by the Royal Society for Public Health tested the psychological impact of social media use on 1,500 adolescents and concluded that,
Almost every major social media platform had a negative impact on the subjects psychological wellbeing, ranging from anxiety to self-esteem.
What is happening as a result of the wave of social media usage, can be coined as Social Media Depression
How does it work?
🕹️ Rewards as Triggers: Every like, comment, notification, or view we get on social media acts like a reward, a trigger which acts to release dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for pleasure and satisfactory feelings.
🕹️ Manipulation of Emotional States: Emotionally charged posts can easily transfer and modify our own emotional states. (Ferrara and Yang, 2015)
How do these Causes lead to Social Media Depression?
🏷️ With reward triggers, emotional contagion, and other factors such as targeted advertising as a result of powerful social media algorithms, Social Media Depression is likely to occur when individuals feel the need to not only engage more on social media but engage with a more interesting or appealing manner.
🏷️ Thus, Social Media Depression refers to decorating the truth in order to gain more online appeal. This new term reflects the difference between what is portrayed online and what the situation is in reality – a difference which is important in the face of general mental health and well-being.
Symptoms of Social Media Depression
🗝️ As Social Media Depression refers to decorating reality, all usage of any tools, filters, or other methods which alter the perception of the actual situation fall culprit under this label.
🗝️The general addiction to keep on presenting a better lifestyle than reality is also a highlighted symptom.
🗝️ FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out can lead to individuals posting fake-portraits of their lives.
Impact Based on Different Social Media Sites
The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) and Young Health Movement (YMH) in a 2017 report #StatusOfMind state,
The five most popular platforms were given a net average score which were used to establish the league table rankings:
(1) YouTube (most positive)
(2) Twitter
(3) Facebook
(4) Snapchat
(5) Instagram (most negative)
The rankings were established after a scoring system based upon common 14 goals regarding mental health well-being, including the consideration of awareness and understanding of mental health issues.
How Can Social Media Depression be Combatted?
The #StatusOfMind report (2017) recommends:
💡 Introduction of a pop-up heavy usage warning on social media – seven in 10 (71%) young people surveyed by RSPH support this recommendation.
💡 Social media platforms to identify users who could be suffering from mental health problems by their posts, and discretely signpost to support – four in five (80%) young people support.
💡 Social media platforms to highlight when photos of people have been digitally manipulated – more than two-thirds (68%) of young people support.
An Enlightening Video Portraying Social Media Depression
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EFHbruKEmw
Conclusion
Social Media Depression is a condition which overtime, can affect mental health. In order to combat this state, awareness and other warnings can be placed – action is required by both social media users, as well as social media agencies.
Resources
▪️ https://psychcentral.com/blog/does-social-media-cause-depression/
▪️ https://www.rsph.org.uk/about-us/news/instagram-ranked-worst-for-young-people-s-mental-health.html
▪️ https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/10/social-media-is-redefining-depression/280818/
Discussion Questions
(1) Have you ever faced Social Media Depression?
(2) Do you limit your daily social media usage, or keep track of it? How does this help you?
(3) Should we believe everything we see online and on social media? Why or why not?
@SoulfullyAButterfly Hi Butterfly! Thanks so much for sharing your honors project with us. It was a delightful read. I especially liked the rankings you included; I had no idea Instagram would be the least positive.
(1) Have you ever faced Social Media Depression?
Hmm... I definitely think so. I think I experience it quite often on Facebook. I sometimes feel low whenever I see people
share their accomplishments; it reminds me that I am not where I want to be in life.
(2) Do you limit your daily social media usage, or keep track of it? How does this help you?
No... I ought to monitor myself more. X)
(3) Should we believe everything we see online and on social media? Why or why not?
Absolutely not! Many people don't do proper research and/or do not present enough evidence to back up their information.
@lovelyWhisper66
I am very glad that you have found this enlightening!
👍 Good job acknowledging that you also face Social Media Depression sometimes - how can we all prevent any low-posts affecting us?
👍 It seems that you would like to track your social media usage in order to benefit more from a social media experience. How can you do that?
👍 It is great that you consider the facts and evidence before accepting anything you read online!
@SoulfullyAButterfly Well, I guess it helps to reflect how much such posts really mean to us, like how much does it really impact me and my life? I find it also useful to look at things from a different perspective. Instead of just feeling sorry for myself, I can instead see the posts more positively and feel happy for the other person, maybe even inspired by them.
As for tracking, keeping a journal can help.
@lovelyWhisper66
👍 Reflection and different perspectives certainly are positive outlooks and that is great that they can also lead to inspiration!
👍 Tracking by journalling is a good idea, there are also some great apps available to do it too.
@SoufullyAButterfly thanks for sharing your Honours Project on an aspect of the effects of Social Media I hadn't thought of.
I know, and have seen, the fallout from bullying through social media. What you've portrayed here shows the slow destructive aspect to our psyche by the fantasy posted by others, while making them feel good for a short time by the likes they receive, breaking down their sense of self when reality hits. Also causing those whose lives appear boring in comparison to be further depressed.
@caringPanda45
Thank you for reading!
👍 You show great understanding and acknowledgement for the subject matter! I really like how you describe it as damaging our psyche and perception!
👍 Bullying is perhaps a counter-part to Social Media Depression, and whilst combating one, it is time we also realise the importance of stopping the other too.
@SoulfullyAButterfly thanks for sharing this insightful thread on social media. I knew there was something happening here but you spelled it out and connected the dots. I really appreciate it.
@soulsings
👍 I am very glad that you have found this enlightening. Thank you for reading!
@SoulfullyAButterfly - What a great and insightful post! It's lovely to read something that you clearly put a lot of effort and thought into.
To answer your questions...
(1) Have you ever faced Social Media Depression?
Absolutely, especially on Instagram which is kind of funny considering some of the information you provided.
(2) Do you limit your daily social media usage, or keep track of it? How does this help you?
I don't limit my daily social media usage, but I have found that over the years I've started to unfollow more 'toxic' accounts, or people who make me feel bad about my life/appearance/etc.
(3) Should we believe everything we see online and on social media? Why or why not?
No. There is often so much more going on in someone's life on social media than the posts we see. Even looking at my own social media presence, it doesn't tell a full story. This extends to what we see online, too, and I think it's always good to be curious about things.
@BeckyisHere - Thank you so much for appreciating and reading!
👍 Oh wow, the fact that the statistics highlight some of your experience proves that we need to be more careful using some particular sites!
👍 Unfollowing toxic accounts is surely a positive, unique way to somehow track that your social media experience is not negative! That is a great point, filtering your experience online.
👍 Curioisity and seeing deeper into posts, or reflecting the behind-the-scenes story certainly helps both social media and online experiences.
@SoulfullyAButterfly
1) Have you ever faced Social Media Depression?
I really think I have faced this type of depression on top of my Major Depression. I really feel that when I get on Facebook.
(2) Do you limit your daily social media usage, or keep track of it? How does this help you?
I don't really like to get on Facebook much because there is too much negativity on it.
(3) Should we believe everything we see online and on social media? Why or why not? No, because some of the things are brought on by negative people to upset them.
@FaithfulPrune9638
👍 I think that acknowledgement is the first step to take action and it is positive that you can identify Facebook as being the cause of some of your Social Media Depression.
👍 The fact that you limit Facebook use is great as an action to eradicating Social Media Depression. I think you will find this thread's discussion helpful on how filtering your experience might still allow you to use social media whilst also combating negativity!
👍 This is a great point, that negative people tend to try upsetting people online, and we need to think twice before soaking up that negativity! Thank you for sharing that.
@SoulfullyAButterfly
Thank you for sharing your honors project with us! It was insightful, organized, and percise. Also, your questions are simple but very well thought out. Great job!
(1) Have you ever faced Social Media Depression?
I would say that I definitely have. I've actually been trying to change how I view Twitter by using the Social Sodier's aspect of 7Cups due to how negatively I would use it before. Instagram has very much so been a negative aspect of my life, though a contributing factor is the reason that I use it. It's not necessarily the reactions, or lack thereof at times, that causes it to increase my depression. I'm more drawn to using my account when I'm either manic or in a depressive episode, which I feel my account feeds into.
(2) Do you limit your daily social media usage, or keep track of it? How does this help you?
I didn't limit my social media usage until recently, but I did begin add up how much often I was on a while ago. Recently, limiting how often I'm on has been helping with fatigue as well as irritability.
(3) Should we believe everything we see online and on social media? Why or why not?
I don't feel as though we should believe everything that we see online and on social media. There are a lot of opinion pieces posted online that are presented as factual without proper research or sources behind them. At times, even if there are sources, they can still be biased or "cherry picked". I think it's important to do in depth research of our own to fact check, in a sense, what is posted online, in order to separate what is accurate and what isn't. It can take a significant amount of time for some things and prioritizing is important so that the entire day isn't consumed by looking into every single thing that is posted.
@InternalAcceptance - I am very glad to hear that you found it interesting, and it is great that you think that this discussion is important!
👍 The fact that 7 Cups' Social Soldiers campaign has helped you combat Social Media Depression is amazing! Good job, you! You acknowledging that which sites or how you use social media affects you is very positive as well. Wanting to change what your account feeds into is also greatly determining a better experience!
👍 As they sometimes say, better late than never! I am so glad to know that tracking and limiting social media use has helped you fight fatigue as well as irritability.
👍 Fact-checking is a great way to accept only 'real' things online and on social media, and it is great that you share this method! We often feel resources cited mean that the piece is more-real but as you mention, the citings can also be misleading. Time is certainly also a compromise, but trying to filter what is true and not online and on social media is probably worth some of it!
A plenty things to consider for me. Really interesting research
@richardanderson
👍 I am very glad that this is useful and interesting, thank you for reading!
It's a shame that I missed this post :O This is such a great topic to be talked about so we can also raise awareness regarding this matter.
(1) Have you ever faced Social Media Depression?
I'd like to believe that I have because honestly there was a time that I felt the need to deactivate all my social media (but couldn't because of some reasons) because of my insecurities and the toxicity it's brought to my life.
(2) Do you limit your daily social media usage, or keep track of it? How does this help you?
I actually have lessened the time I use social media because of 7cups. It's not like being addicted to 7cups is any better, tho. So I try to look for other things that could urge me to stay away from my gadgets in general and try be physically active, at least.
(3) Should we believe everything we see online and on social media? Why or why not?
No because not everything posted online is accurate and reliable. We should always be aware of fake news and false info being published and are able to distinguish them so we can avoid being deceived and fooled.
@Erato No worries, the dicussion is always open and I am very glad you have decided to share your experience as well!
👍 It is great that you can pin-point or track if you are experiencing Social Media Depression. Even if you couldn't right away take some action about it, the acknowledgement matters.
👍 7 cups can be more positive than other social media, but it is great that you try keep away from all gadgets at times, as physical activity is also important!
👍 That is very true. Distinguishing false and true news/facts is very important for a positive experience.
I QUIT INSTAGRAM AND WILL NEVER GO BACK, HERE IS WHY:
It just came over me, I felt the need to quit Instagram. Its been a while now since I deactivated my personal Instagram account and I have zero regrets. My behavior and my attitudes around the app felt compulsive. I used to check the app several times a day until I did not even know what I was doing anymore, probably just scrolling and scrolling and scrolling. With every passing day after I quit Instagram, I feel lighter in my step.
Here is why I quit Instagram and why I will not go back:
1. Time spent on the app and wasted energy related to Instagram.
It happened too often that I sat on the couch scrolling through my Instagram feed and suddenly twenty minutes had passed. Those twenty minutes are gone forever, and I gained nothing from them. Sometimes my fiancé and I do it at the same time until we realize what is happening. Embarrassed we then put the phones down and apologize to each other.
I decided to track my on-screen cell phone usage. There is a simple setting on the iPhone that shows what apps drain your battery and how much time you spend on each app. It turns out that I spent over two and a half hours a week on Instagram. Seeing my results made me feel exposed. On top of that Instagram is designed to get you hooked. It is the owners (Facebook) goal to have the consumer (you) spend as much time as possible on the app so that you can consume as many ads as possible.
Next, I realized that I also waste a lot of time and energy related to Instagram. Sometimes I spent a whole day thinking of a perfect caption for my next post. Or I would take thirteen shots of the same thing from slightly different angles only to then manipulate the ‘perfect shot with Photoshop or filters. Looking at my behavior made me feel like a layabout. It was time to quit Instagram.
2. Insta-Fomo consumed my life.
Suddenly I noticed that I have Insta- Fomo. Insta-Fomo is when you are more focused on getting that perfect shot for your next upload than your actual surroundings. I travel often, and on every trip, I focused more on getting a good shot for Instagram rather than enjoying my time there.
I used to explore new places and ‘think through a lens. Rather than appreciating the beauty of what I was seeing, I wondered if it is upload-worthy. Every time I saw something funny, I wanted to film it to share it on social media immediately. I cant stand how my relationship to Instagram corrupted my thinking and consumed my life.
Realizing how ridiculous Insta-Fomo is made it easy to quit Instagram. It is time to reclaim photography as the hobby it is to me: Taking pictures for my enjoyment, rather than putting my life on display.
3. The constant comparison to others fuels self-doubt
Somehow, like most of us, I equated image and popularity with success. Personally, I would catch myself clicking on random peoples profiles and compare my life to theirs. I knew this would trigger bad feelings, but I kept running into the open knife. The only way to end this form of self-sabotage was to quit Instagram.
Consciously, you know that people use social media to display only highlights of their lives with manipulated and handpicked images. Subconsciously, it can make you think that everyone has their sh*t together except you. At least that is what happened to me. Tragic.
I was left with an unaccomplished feeling every day after my daily dose of Instagram. When in truth my life is very much in order, and I have no reason whatsoever to feel unaccomplished. I am proud of where I am in life and the wealth of my experiences. My life is extraordinary, and I dont need ‘likes and followers to prove that to myself. Instead of valuing what I do have, I got trapped agonizing about all the things I dont have. And I have so much to be grateful for: My family is healthy, I am healthy. I live safely in a beautiful home, and I am marrying the love of my life. A lot of people would give everything to have that.
One day I sat on the couch scrolling through my pictures and wondering what to upload, already projecting how many people would like the post when it struck me: for whom do I actually post this?! At that moment I quit Instagram.
4. Instagram is just another emotional addiction
It is evident that my behavior with and around Instagram was a bad habit. A bad addiction.
Just by looking at my attitude this became crystal clear. For example, seeing anything and thinking about filming it merely because it would be funny on my social media controlled how I perceived the world. The time and energy, as well as the attempts at monitoring my Instagram time, blew out of proportion. All this was shockingly familiar:
The constant compulsion around Instagram coupled with my seeking of outside validation to feel whole became harmful to my mental health. Its an emotional addiction and a distraction from what is happening within. Somehow, it is just another way to pursue false acceptance from the people around you.
Maybe my reaching for the phone several times a day is similar to opening the fridge ten times without actually eating anything. Perhaps it is the same as drinking alcohol at a party: To numb what we really feel and to give us a false sense of validation.
I dont regret that I quit Instagram
Its unfortunate how much I let Instagram influence my life. The second I deactivated my private account I felt a giant weight lift off my shoulders. In the first few days, the impulse to check on the app came over me, but that faded pretty quickly. Now I dont miss Instagram at all.
I do believe that Instagram can be a great source of inspiration to many, which is why I have kept Jezmeraldas account to share snippets of my writing. However, my personal account had to go. I got too obsessed with the idea of being accepted and liked that I forgot to lead with value first. Personally, I dislike the way Instagram fed my desire for more. More things, more junk, more followers, more attention. Getting caught in this craze is not only emotionally exhausting, but it is also a pitiful first world problem. After having lived in a developing country for half my life, I should be more humble than that. My life is extremely colorful and I am thankful for that.
Now I spend my extra two and a half hours a week on more worthwhile things in life, such as reading or writing this blog. Writing makes me happy, and sharing my writing and reading books gives me much better feeling than the infectious side effects that Instagram had on my life.
@SoulfullyAButterfly wow this is great, thanks for sharing it here!
