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This is information coming from a mental health professional

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Impacts social media has on mental health

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This video is adults opinions o how social media affects our mental health

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Study: Social Media May Have Mental Health Impact

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This shows how people spend so much time on taking pictures in real life and how hard they try to make it look perfect.

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This picture shows how people focus way to much time taking photos rather than enjoying the moment.

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This shows how much social media that is out there and each app is a way for someone to develop anxiety and depression

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This is an example of how people spend there time while hanging out rather than enjoying others company they choose to be on social media.

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This shows how social media changes your brain and how it makes you think

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how social media affects our brains - Google Search

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This article shows the basics about how social media effects the way you think

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Health experts love to say that sitting is the new smoking. Given the number of diseases to which sitting is linked, and the number of people it apparently kills every year, sitting is one of the worst things we can do for health. But possibly as concerning is the thing that we often do while we're sitting: Mindlessly scrolling through our social media feeds when we have a few spare minutes (or for some, hours). And as we probably know intuitively, and as the research is confirming, it's not the best habit when it comes to our collective psychology.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has warned about the potential for negative effects of social media in young kids and teens, including cyber-bullying and "Facebook depression." But the same risks may be true for adults, across generations. Here's a quick run-down of the studies that have shown that social media isn't very good for mental well-being, and in some ways, it can be pretty damaging.
It's addictive
Experts have not been in total agreement on whether internet addiction is a real thing, let alone social media addiction, but there's some good evidence that both may exist. A review study from Nottingham Trent University looked back over earlier research on the psychological characteristics, personality and social media use. The authors conclude that "it may be plausible to speak specifically of 'Facebook Addiction Disorder'...because addiction criteria, such as neglect of personal life, mental preoccupation, escapism, mood modifying experiences, tolerance and concealing the addictive behavior, appear to be present in some people who use [social networks] excessively." (They also found that the motivation for people's excessive use of social networks differs depending on certain traits-introverts and extroverts use it for different reasons, as do people with narcissistic traits. But that deserves a piece of its own.)

And studies have confirmed that people tend to undergo a kind of withdrawal: A study a few years ago from Swansea University found that people experienced the psychological symptoms of withdrawal when they stopped using (this went for all internet use, not just social media). Their recent follow-up study found that when people stop using, they also undergo small but measurable physiological effects. Study author Phil Reed said, "We have known for some time that people who are over-dependent on digital devices report feelings of anxiety when they are stopped from using them, but now we can see that these psychological effects are accompanied by actual physiological changes." Whether this is true of social media per se is unclear right now, but anecdotal evidence suggests it may be.
It triggers more sadness, less well-being
The more we use social media, the less happy we seem to be. One study a few years ago found that Facebook use was linked to both less moment-to-moment happiness and less life satisfaction-the more people used Facebook in a day, the more these two variables dropped off. The authors suggest this may have to do with the fact that Facebook conjures up a perception of social isolation, in a way that other solitary activities don't. "On the surface," the authors write, "Facebook provides an invaluable resource for fulfilling such needs by allowing people to instantly connect. Rather than enhancing well-being, as frequent interactions with supportive 'offline' social networks powerfully do, the current findings demonstrate that interacting with Facebook may predict the opposite result for young adults-it may undermine it."

In fact, another study found that social media use is linked to greater feelings of social isolation. The team looked at how much people used 11 social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Vine, Snapchat and Reddit, and correlated this with their "perceived social isolation." Not surprisingly, it turned out that the more time people spent on these sites, the more socially isolated they perceived themselves to be. And perceived social isolation is one of the worst things for us, mentally and physically.
Comparing our lives with others is mentally unhealthy
Part of the reason Facebook makes people feel socially isolated (even though they may not actually be) is the comparison factor. We fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others as we scroll through our feeds, and make judgements about how we measure up. One study looked at how we make comparisons to others posts, in "upward" or "downward" directions-that is, feeling that we're either better or worse off than our friends. It turned out that both types of comparisons made people feel worse, which is surprising, since in real life, only upward comparisons (feeling another person has it better than you) makes people feel bad. But in the social network world, it seems that any kind of comparison is linked to depressive symptoms.
It can lead to jealousy-and a vicious cycle
It's no secret that the comparison factor in social media leads to jealousy-most people will admit that seeing other people's tropical vacations and perfectly behaved kids is envy-inducing. Studies have certainly shown that social media use triggers feelings of jealousy. The authors of one study, looking at jealousy and other negative feelings while using Facebook, wrote that "This magnitude of envy incidents taking place on FB alone is astounding, providing evidence that FB offers a breeding ground for invidious feelings." They add that it can become a vicious cycle: feeling jealous can make a person want to make his or her own life look better, and post jealousy-inducing posts of their own, in an endless circle of one-upping and feeling jealous.

Another study looked at the connection between envy and depression in Facebook use and, interestingly, discovered that envy mediates the Facebook-depression link. That is, when envy is controlled for, Facebook isn't so depressing. So it may be the envy that's largely to blame in the depression-Facebook connection.
We get caught in the delusion of thinking it will help
Part of the unhealthy cycle is that we keep coming back to social media, even though it doesn't make us feel very good. This is probably because of what's known as a forecasting error: Like a drug, we think getting a fix will help, but it actually makes us feel worse, which comes down to an error in our ability to predict our own response. One study looked at how people feel after using Facebook and how they think they'll feel going in. Like other studies suggested, the participants in this one almost always felt worse after using it, compared to people engaging in other activities. But a follow-up experiment showed that people generally believed that they'd feel better after using, not worse. Which of course turns out not to be the case at all, and sounds a lot like the pattern in other types of addiction.
More friends on social doesn't mean you're more social
A couple of years ago, a study found that more friends on social media doesn't necessarily mean you have a better social life-there seems to be a cap on the number of friends a person's brain can handle, and it takes actual social interaction (not virtual) to keep up these friendships. So feeling like you're being social by being on Facebook doesn't work. Since loneliness is linked to myriad health and mental health problems (including early death), getting real social support is important. Virtual friend time doesn't have the therapeutic effect as time with real friends.

* * *

All of this is not to say that there's no benefit to social media-obviously it keeps us connected across great distances, and helps us find people we'd lost touch with years ago. But getting on social when you have some time to kill, or, worse, need an emotional lift, is very likely a bad idea. And studies have found that taking a break from Facebook helps boost psychological well-being. If you're feeling brave, try taking a little break, and see how it goes. And if you're going to keep "using," then at least try to use in moderation.

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6 Ways Social Media Affects Our Mental Health

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Health experts love to say that sitting is the new smoking. Given the number of diseases to which sitting is linked, and the number of people it apparently kills every year, sitting is one of the worst things we can do for health.

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I picked this article because it has some factual reasons that social media is good for your mental health

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Kevin Naruse

December 21, 2022

It turns out that emotions expressed on Facebook can affect your mood. It can even provoke instances of elation or depression. Exposure to Facebook has been called " emotionally contagious" and can even affect your mental health. And now there's research data to back it up.

Much research has been devoted to studying the downside of social media. Many of these studies are, in fact, legitimate. For example, addiction to social media is an epidemic among our nation's teens, and this seems to be the case everywhere.
[Related: Your Brain On Social Media: What Makes It So addictive? ]
Yet nearly half of the sources I reviewed also suggested possible benefits.

What the negative findings seem to overlook are the many positive effects social media has on its users.

"Concerns about the negative impacts of social media have dominated public debate. However, recent studies show there are clear health benefits to being online and connected."

- Joanna Egan, Women's Health

Here are several frequently-overlooked positive effects that social media can have on mental health:

Actively interacting with people - especially sharing messages, posts, and comments with close friends and reminiscing about past interactions - is linked to improvements in well-being.

From " Facebook: We know we're bad for your mental health, here's how to fix

Relieve social isolation and loneliness by opening up new communication pathways

The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed its share of additional mental health challenges, not the least of which is social isolation, which itself is related to a host of health problems - both physical and mental. That is the downside of social distancing. Although the pandemic is over (for now at least) the aftereffects remain. Our collective mental health has taken a hit.

According to Mesfin Bekalu, who conducted a study at the Harvard School of Public Health :

"Routine social media use may compensate for diminishing face-to-face social interactions in people's busy lives. Social media may provide individuals with a platform that overcomes barriers of distance and time, allowing them to connect and reconnect with others and thereby expand and strengthen their in-person networks and interactions."

The anonymity afforded by social media offers a safe space for people to express themselves and reveal their personal experiences with mental illness. In other words, it allows self-expression without the danger of stigma.

"It forms connections in a different way, watching strangers talking openly about their lives. Indeed, that openness and authenticity has become one of the key hallmarks of social media in the Covid-19 era.

According to NCBI,
5 Ways to Use Social Media for Connection During Times of Social Distancing

"Self-disclosure can be an important therapeutic ingredient and is linked to improved physical and psychological well-being (in which) Individuals may choose to withhold their actual identities allowing themselves to engage in more candid self-disclosure than is possible in offline settings."

Inspire healthy lifestyle changes

We're kidding, right? Actually no.

Social media can be used as a motivational tool to achieve healthy lifestyle goals such as quitting smoking or attending the gym on a regular basis.

Announcing a goal via social media and regularly posting about it promotes accountability to others, creating positive reinforcement from friends and stimulating an online "social support system" which may lead the aspirant to form or join other communities dedicated to similar pursuits. This is a classic case of " positive emotional contagion."

Research has shown that sharing a goal publicly not only promotes accountability but helps one stay focused, and dramatically increases one's chance of success, whether it be weight loss or sobriety for recovering addicts/alcoholics.

TikTok has become a platform for thousands of healthcare professionals, including psychiatrists, therapists, and mental health advocates. They use the app's widespread reach to talk to audiences about everything from depression to ADHD.

Aid medical research for mental health professionals

Social media can benefit therapists and psychiatrists by extending their reach. Mental health professionals are increasingly using social networking tools such as Facebook, Tumblr, and Pinterest to collect data that can be used in research, and to connect with other professionals in the online community.

Furthermore, social media can be geared towards maximizing the reach of county-level or regional behavioral health initiatives to eliminate the stigma and discrimination associated with mental health challenges and prevent death by suicide.

Make social support and interventions possible

Twenty-four-hour suicide prevention hotlines aren't the only sources of intervention.

An increasing number of websites are now offering support through social media channels. These sites often provide anonymous forums for people to connect and share personal experiences.

Facebook Groups

Facebook offers a wealth of support groups for people living with depression, anxiety, and loneliness.

Build community by Joining Local Meetups

Did you know that is a social media channel? Although one of the most popular and widely used, Meetup isn't the only place to connect with local organizations, groups, and clubs, or to network with people having similar interests. Twitter has a feature called Tweetups, which are face-to-face meetups that are organized online involving people with similar interests. These may range from people who share a love of playing bridge to groups of recovering addicts. New relationships resulting from tweetups are ubiquitous nowadays, and we have Twitter to thank for that.

Facebook events are another example of how social media can build new connections.

Strengthen existing relationships

Social media can also help manage relationships, especially with those who live far away from each other, thus breaking down geographical barriers. It can also be helpful at maintaining relationships for those with disabilities, such as elderly individuals and people with physical handicaps which limit their mobility and prevent travel outside the home.

Far from increasing isolation, social media can provide alternative means of finding support, even helping to lift depression, and as Meetups have shown, provide a healthy excuse to go outside rather than stay cooped up indoors or hunched over a computer.
Young People Hit Hardest By Loneliness And Depression During Covid-19
Provide teens with opportunities to develop technical and other skills needed to function in society.

A common dilemma among people with mental illness (including depression) is the reluctance to talk to people closest to them about their problems. More and more young people are turning to the internet for health advice, including topics such as contraception, acne treatments, etc.

Far from being a singularly destructive force in their development, social media can in fact do quite the opposite. Many teens will post online what they are reluctant to share with their parents. For troubled youth, this makes early intervention by concerned friends and peers more possible.

For others, it provides a rich opportunity to experiment with different modes of creative self-expression, which is in itself therapeutic. While it is impossible to deny the dangers of social media, parents may choose to focus on the positive uses of online media in order to promote better online habits in their children.

The ultimate takeaway:

Social media isn't harmful or beneficial in itself, but its manner of use is the determining factor.

Back to the Harvard study,
Make Social Media Work For (Rather Than Against) Your Mental Health

"The findings suggest that as long as we are mindful users, routine use may not in itself be a problem. Indeed, it could be beneficial."

Kevin Naruse is the Communications Director at Painted Brain and the chief editor of Painted Brain News.
Negative Neutral Positive
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Painted Brain | 7 WAYS SOCIAL MEDIA CAN BENEFIT MENTAL HEALTH

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Kevin Naruse December 21, 2022 It turns out that emotions expressed on Facebook can affect your mood. It can even provoke instances of elation or depression. Exposure to Facebook has been called " emotionally contagious" and can even affect your mental health. And now there's research data to back it up.

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This article shows the good and bad things about how social media affects your mental health in a non biased way

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Friday, September 28, 2018 8:22 AM

Social media is constantly running in the background of life. We can share, snap, tweet, like and reblog at all hours of the day. According to a British Psychological Society, approximately 90 percent of teenagers are on social media. Constantly seeing what their peers are doing on a day-to-day basis can be damaging to their mental health.

Lara Jakobsons, PhD, Psychologist at NorthShore, discusses the effects that social media can have on teenagers' mental health:

Increased time, increased risk. The more time adolescents are engaged with social media outlets, the higher the risk there is for poor sleep, low self-esteem, and increases in depression or anxiety. The more emotionally invested they are in one site in particular, the more pressure and anxiety they may experience to be available and up-to-date at all times.

Poorly advised. It's nothing new; teens have always been wary of asking parents or other adults for advice. With hundreds of friends on social media in the palm of their hands, teenagers often turn to social networks to seek advice that is often misguided.

Instigated fights. Cyberbullying has become a concern for parents of adolescents. Strangers, even friends, are able to hide behind the screen and say things they often wouldn't be able to face-to-face. Teens often encounter fights on Facebook, subtweeting on Twitter and hurtful comments on Instagram - tactics often used just for the purpose of putting down others.

Skewed perceptions and social comparison. It is common for teens, especially girls, to experience pressure to appear "perfect" online. The need to appear to have perfect hair, to look skinny or fit, to have the perfect group of friends or the need to get the right amount of likes can consume teens. Not meeting these invisible standards can cause self-loathing and self-doubt. Social comparison, loneliness and jealousy can result when friends on social media "appear" more popular and attractive or on a glamorous vacation, which can trigger depressive feelings.

With social media a simple click away, how can parents help their teens? Dr. Jakobsons suggests:

Education. It is beneficial for parents to understand what social media is being used for by their teen and how. Being educated in how they use it will help parents understand the risks involved.

Communication. Parents should have frequent conversations with their teens about the safety of social media, how much personal information should and shouldn't be shared and about cyberbullying. Studies show that teenagers who had their parents talk to them often, engaged in less risky behaviors.

Monitor time. Enforce rules to limit excessive use of social media. Examples of limiting time may include no phones at the table, no phone in car rides during errands or turning off WiFi at bedtime.

Healthy attitudes. To minimize social comparison and envy, parents and teens should talk about the distorted views of friends' lives that are presented on social media. Teens should feel confident, not more depressed, after viewing social media. Encourage using social media not only to post about our best moments but our quieter ones.

While social media can be harmful, there are benefits that can come from it. Social media offers a safe environment and support for teenagers, which they may lack in traditional friendships. Marginalized adolescents - such as lesbian, bi, gay and transgendered teens or teenagers with disabilities - often benefit from this the most. Finding an online support group or friends who are experiencing the same thing can give them a safe channel to ask questions, express their feelings, etc.

How often do you talk to your teens about social media? Do you keep an eye on your teen's online behavior?

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How Social Media Effects Teenagers' Mental Health | NorthShore

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Friday, September 28, 2018 8:22 AM Social media is constantly running in the background of life. We can share, snap, tweet, like and reblog at all hours of the day. According to a British Psychological Society, approximately 90 percent of teenagers are on social media.

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This shows how social media shapes a teenager/childrens minds

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I picked this article because it shows how bad social media can really be for you mentally

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The rise of social media has meant that people are more connected than we have ever been in the history of time. But our reliance on social media can have a detrimental effect on our mental health, with the average Brit checking their phone as much as 28 times a day.

While social media platforms can have their benefits, using them too frequently can make you feel increasingly unhappy and isolated in the long run.

The constant barrage of perfectly filtered photos that appear on Instagram are bound to knock many people's self-esteem, while obsessively checking your Twitter feed just before bed could be contributing towards poor quality of sleep.

Here are six ways that social media could be negatively affecting your mental health without you even realising.

We all have our fair share of insecurities, some that we speak about openly and others that we prefer to keep to ourselves.

However, comparing yourself to others on social media by stalking their aesthetically perfect Instagram photos or staying up to date with their relationship status on Facebook could do little to assuage your feelings of self-doubt.

A study conducted by the University of Copenhagen found that many people suffer from " Facebook envy ", with those who abstained from using the popular site reporting that they felt more satisfied with their lives.

"When we derive a sense of worth based on how we are doing relative to others, we place our happiness in a variable that is completely beyond our control," Dr Tim Bono, author of When Likes Aren't Enough explained in Healthista.

Becoming more conscious of the amount of time you spend scrolling through other people's online profiles could help you focus more on yourself and boost your self-confidence.

As human beings, it's so important for us to be able to communicate and forge personal connections with one another.

However, it can be hard to do so when we're glued to rectangular screens, becoming more acquainted with our friends' digital facades than their real-life personas.

Stina Sanders, a former model who has 107,000 followers on Instagram, explained how social media sometimes makes her feel like she's being left out.

"I know from my experience I can get FOMO when I see my friend's photos of a party I didn't go to, and this, in turn, can make me feel quite lonely and anxious," she told The Independent.

A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology that assessed 5,208 subjects found that overall, regular use of Facebook had a negative impact on an individual's wellbeing.

Social media can be great for looking back fondly on memories and recounting how past events occurred.

However, it can also distort the way in which you remember certain tidbits from your life.

Many of us are guilty of spending far too much time trying to take the perfect photo of a visual marvel, all the while not actually absorbing the firsthand experience of witnessing it with your own two eyes.

"If we direct all of our attention toward capturing the best shots for our social media followers to admire, less will be available to enjoy other aspects of the experience in real time," said Dr Bono.

"Spending too much time on our phones will detract from those other aspects of the experience, undermining the happiness we could be gleaning from them."

Having enough sleep is of paramount importance.

However, many of us use our phones too soon before choosing the hit the hay, making it harder to doze off.

"Getting worked up with anxiety or envy from what we see on social media keeps the brain on high alert, preventing us from falling asleep," explained Dr Bono.

"Plus, the light from our mobile device just inches from our face can suppress the release of melatonin, a hormone that helps us feel tired."

Try setting yourself a strict rule of not going on your phone for at least 40 minutes to an hour before going to bed, and see if that makes a difference to the quality of your sleep.

It's not just your subconscious brain that you need to worry about, but also the extent to which your brain is able to fully concentrate when you're awake.

While it's incredible to consider the amount of information readily available at our fingertips thanks to social media, it also means that people have become far more easily distracted.

"Social media has provided a means of constantly giving into the temptation of instant, easy-access entertainment," said Dr Bono.

If you're unable to not check your phone for at least a few minutes, then you'd do well to practise exercising your willpower on occasion.

Not only has social media been proven to cause unhappiness, but it can also lead to the development of mental health issues such as anxiety or depression when used too much or without caution.

In March 2018, it was reported that more than a third of Generation Z from a survey of 1,000 individuals stated that they were quitting social media for good as 41 per cent stated that social media platforms make them feel anxious, sad or depressed.

Ben Jacobs, a DJ who has more than 5,000 followers on Twitter, decided to go on a hiatus from the platform in January 2016 and has found the break really beneficial.

"Twitter did indeed make me feel anxious from time to time as it slowly dawned on me I was concerning myself with the feelings of the thousands of strangers I followed, while they didn't necessarily know who I was," he said.

"Since my Twitter hiatus, I have had a clearer head with plenty of time to devote to other things such as waking up in a cold sweat at 3am and reading a book instead."

While you don't necessarily have to quit social media for good, if you feel like it's beginning to bog you down, why not consider allocating social media-free time slots during your daily routine? The slight change could do you a whole lot of good. [This article was originally published in October 2020]
If you are in need of mental health support, you can contact the free Samaritans helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or visit www.samaritans.org to find details of your nearest branch.

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Six ways social media negatively affects your mental health without you even knowing

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The rise of social media has meant that people are more connected than we have ever been in the history of time. But our reliance on social media can have a detrimental effect on our mental health, with the average Brit checking their phone as much as 28 times a day.