We all are social creatures, so we always seek for the companionship of others to thrive in life. Psychologists say that the strength and quality of our connections have a huge impact on our emotional well-being.
Multiple studies show that being socially connected to others has a big number of benefits. It relieves stress, reduces anxiety, eases depression, and boosts self-worth. What’s more, social interactions are an effective remedy against loneliness. On the other hand, the lack of communication may pose serious risks to mental health.
Probably, all those things mentioned above are the reason why students started spending much more time on social media since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the quarantine, Internet communication is extremely important as it’s the only way to keep in touch with others. Social media apps are a great solution to avoid complete isolation.
However, some students have become so absorbed with the virtual world that they don’t pay much attention to their studies. They spend all day long on the web, forgetting to write school essays. But the problem is that they still need to complete required assignments and the more difficult the task is, the more time they need to finish it.
In particular, it’s quite time-consuming to deal with custom research papers, so it would be better to ask academic professionals for help. Luckily, there are a lot of custom writing services available on the web. You can find an online company and place an order for your paper, so it will be done by specialists due to the deadline date.
Despite all the positive effects of social interaction, excessive use of social media networks may have a negative impact on students’ mental health. Let’s consider it in more detail.
We all face the fear of missing out from time to time. It can be triggered by almost anything, from conversations with friends to college events. However, some of the biggest triggers are platforms like Facebook and Instagram. They seem to exacerbate feelings that other students are having more fun or living better lives than you are.
Interestingly, the belief that you are missing out something great may compel you to compulsively respond to all the social media alerts. What’s more, so-called FOMO can lead to a wide range of mental health issues, including anxiety and low self-esteem.
Social media often makes us perceive our life or appearance inadequately. Even if you realize that all the photos posted on the web are edited, they can still affect your perception. While checking profiles of other students on Facebook or Instagram, you may feel insecure about how you look or what you have achieved in your life.
Even though we know that other people share just the highlights of their lives and hide the low points, envy and dissatisfaction still arise while scrolling the feed. Comparison is not really a good thing when it doesn’t help you feel better. Unfortunately, in most cases, it discourages and causes negative thoughts.
The aim of social media is to connect people. But in reality, it often makes us isolated. Instead of going out with friends and having live conversations, students tend to spend time at home being totally absorbed by their smartphones.
According to the study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania, excessive usage of Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram significantly increase the feeling of loneliness. As you see, these platforms have a reverse effect on users. On the other hand, scientists have revealed that reduced social media usage can make you feel less lonely. So, the less time you spend on the web, the less isolated you feel.
It’s a well-known fact that all human beings need personal interaction to maintain their mental health. A face-to-face contact with someone who cares about you is believed to reduce stress and boost your mood faster than anything. Conversely, if you prioritize social media usage over in-person relationships, you put yourself at risk of developing mood disorders. The statistics show that depression and anxiety are more common among active web users.
According to some surveys, about 10% of young people are being bullied on social media, while a much higher percentage of adolescents are subjected to offensive comments. Websites like Twitter and Instagram are hotspots for abuse, spreading hurtful rumors and lies that leave lasting emotional scars. Cyberbullying on social media platforms is a huge problem for mental health nowadays.
Final thoughts
Social media may promote negative experiences among students, such as the fear of missing out, depression, isolation, and anxiety. To avoid them, one should be very careful with the virtual world. Anyway, it’s still possible to enjoy the incredible benefits of modern tech solutions without causing harm to yourself.