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social media can be tied to depression, memory loss, and poor academic performance. social media can also affects the users physical health even more directly then there mental health. It can affect the way that others view themselves based on the number of likes and comments they get and the feedback that they receive from their peers

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Here's How Social Media Affects Your Mental Health | McLean Hospital

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Using social media can directly impact emotional wellness, physical, and mental health. Here are the signs that you are affected.

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people publicize something really fun or exciting that they are doing and try to make it seem to their viewers that their life is "perfect". Many people feel pressured to look good or to fit the stereotype that the world has created. Many people would never post a photo that they felt wasn't flattering of them mainly because they don't want any harsh or negative feedback from others. Many people focus on how many comments or likes they receive and if they feel they haven't meant their "goal" of likes and comments they will delete their posts.

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This week, Essena O'Neill, an Australian teenager with more than half a million followers on Instagram, made headlines after announcing that she was quitting the platform because it is "contrived perfection made to get attention".

"I remember I obsessively checked the like count for a full week since uploading it," she wrote of her first-ever post on Instagram, a selfie that now has close to 2,500 likes. "It got 5 likes. This was when I was so hungry for social media validation ... Now marks the day I quit all social media and focus on real life projects."

We wondered: how many young women share O'Neill's experience? So we asked several others about whether they feel pressured to appear a certain way on Instagram, and how the platform affects their self-esteem.

Michelle Linker, 24: 'I absolutely feel insecure'

I get serious Fomo (fear of missing out) with Instagram, and with all social media. People are publicizing usually something really cool or fun that they're doing, or at least they make it appear that way. I absolutely feel insecure.

I'm 24, I'm a young professional in Toronto, but I have had Instagram since I was in university. I do feel a pressure to look particularly good. I would never post a photo that wasn't flattering of me.

I feel anxiety over how many likes I get after I post a picture. If I get two likes, I feel like, what's wrong with me? Some people judge Instagram by deleting photos that don't get enough likes. I wouldn't do that, but I would definitely second-guess my intentions with posting them.

If I get two likes, I feel like, what's wrong with me?

Michelle Linker

Lindsay Correia, 22: 'I like having control'

I use Instagram just to give people a glimpse into my life. And I like that I can show the parts that I want them to see and make them think I have a cooler life than I do. I like having that kind of control.

I do feel pressured to appear a certain way. I would hate for people to think: 'She looks totally different in person.' But I would never edit anything to make it not look like me. I definitely feel that I have to look as good when I go somewhere as I do on Instagram. I feel more pressure in real life.

I take at least 50 shots when I put up a picture, on a day I'm really dressed up, and I'll edit it but make sure I'm true to myself. As much I sometimes want to Photoshop, I don't.

I try not to post too many selfies because I don't want people to think I'm super narcissistic, and I try not to post too many photos with drinks in hand. I do delete pictures that don't get enough likes (140 likes for a selfie, on average) because I think I probably didn't look good enough for my followers.

I delete pictures that don't get enough likes (140 likes for a selfie, on average)

Lindsay Correia

Madeleine Dalkie, 24: 'Without Instagram, I'm free'

I had Instagram for about a week, but that was it. Without Instagram, I don't think that there's a pressure to look a certain way or to be doing the right thing, or going to the right party. I'm more free, doing what I want to do as opposed to what people want to see me do.

I don't use Instagram because I think that it's just a superficial way for people to get validation through likes and followers. It can be a good tool if you need it for marketing or for promoting a business. But in terms of a social context, I much prefer meeting people in person.

A lot of people do things just to put them Instagram instead of actually living in the moment. When I hang out with people, that happens. People are always on their phones at dinner, or have them in front of their faces to take a selfie. It's just not how I want to connect with people.

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Another of Essena O'Neill's edited captions. Photograph: Instagram

Summer Andrews, 18: 'If it doesn't get enough likes, I take it down'

I do feel insecure if I see girls who look prettier than me, or if they post really pretty pictures, and I know I won't look as good in any that I post. I do feel pressure to look good in the photos I put up. I don't feel anxious about not getting enough likes on a photo but if it doesn't get enough likes, I will take it down.

Emily Theis, 24: 'It's not real'

There have been times where I have felt pressured to make a photo or memory of myself look a certain way because I'm presenting it on Instagram. And yes, I have the need for attention - and to show people what I'm doing.

On Instagram it's like I have this graveyard of people's lives I'm paying attention to. It's kind of like half-hearted friend making. You put yourself in a position of knowing a lot about them, but without actually knowing them.

It's natural to compare yourself and look at someone else's outfit or body or life. But I've actually been thinking a lot lately - like, there's a good group of people who are trying not to do that. We all know that people are presenting and curating it in a certain way. You just have to know that it isn't real, that people are standing on their chair to make sure their table looks good.

You just have to know that it isn't real, that people are standing on their chair to make sure their table looks good

Emily Theis

Jordan Miller, 22: 'It can be depressing'

Sometimes when I post a photo of myself, I end up taking 20 different pictures and choosing the best one. It can get depressing at times, but I have to remind myself that I put myself in that scenario.

In the grand scheme of things, the 300 or so people I follow on Instagram, it's not a lot of people. But because I constantly check it, it feels overwhelming. I've gone through who I follow, and weed things out, and try to remember that it's not everyone in the world doing it.

I definitely am careful about what I post. I always said I wouldn't post more than two times a day and if I'm on vacation I would post three times a day. Now I stick to that, but it's not conscious.

Taylor Swift is the most followed person on Instagram.

Kerry Donnelly, 23: 'I don't generally feel insecure'

I feel pressure to look good or appear a certain way - to a certain extent. I wouldn't post a picture where I don't feel good about myself. But I also wouldn't avoid posting a photo that I want to share just because I didn't look my best.

If I post a picture (particularly of myself) and, let's say the guy I had a crush on 'liked' it, of course that would affect my self-esteem in a great way. The same way it would affect my self-esteem negatively if I posted a picture of a new haircut, for example, and only received seven likes. When I see little sisters of my friends (in their late high school or early college years) posting over-filtered selfies that get 200-plus likes, I realize how silly social media really is.

I follow a lot of celebrities, and I know I can't compete with their looks

Saeeda Tremaine

Saeeda Tremaine, 23: 'I don't post pictures to prove anything'

I post a lot of food pictures because I love visiting new restaurants and going out to eat with friends, and I post a good amount of quotes that I find inspiring or that raise an important issue, but I don't post pictures to prove anything to anyone.

I follow a lot of celebrities, and I know I can't compete with their looks. When I look at pictures that friends post, I don't feel insecure. But I do think it affects how often I will post pictures of myself. I want to make sure that my pictures look as good, if not better than the pictures that my friends post.

I don't think Instagram affects my self-esteem. If I'm having a bad hair day or a breakout, I obviously won't take a selfie, but if I'm having a good day, looking good and feeling good, I'll show that through my Instagram photos. Also, my friends are usually very supportive of my selfies and they'll post comments that reassure me that my picture looks good.

Topics

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Young women on Instagram and self-esteem: 'I absolutely feel insecure'

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This week, Essena O'Neill, an Australian teenager with more than half a million followers on Instagram, made headlines after announcing that she was quitting the platform because it is "contrived perfection made to get attention".

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people may feel that they cannot face a social situation because they may be too nervous or agitated to do it, going out may be something they frequently avoid. When in social situations your anxiety can be high and may fear being judged by others. people start to avoid social situations and isolate themselves. Even after people have to be in social situations they may spend time after these situations analyzing their behavior and flaws and criticizing what they think they have done wrong

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Social situations may arouse strong emotions for some of you. You have sweaty palms and a sore throat when you must give a speech in front of 100 people. You might feel that you cannot face a social situation because you are too nervous and agitated to do it. Going out to clubs or crowded places is something you frequently avoid.

All people feel uncomfortable in some social situations, yet people with social anxiety experience such a high level of stress that they cannot control it.

Social anxiety is a mental health disorder that can cause disruptions in a person's lifestyle and it has become more and more common in everyday society. There is a wide range of therapies that help people with social anxiety, yet one must ask for help.

What Is Social Anxiety?

While social anxiety typically appears in the early to mid-teens, it can also form in young adults.

Social anxiety has effects on your body and your mind. In a social situation when your anxiety level is high, you feel your heart beating fast. Sweating, trembling and blushing are also common symptoms. You can even feel that your stomach is upset or that you are having nausea.

Because people with social anxiety are aware of the signs their body is sending, they fear they may be judged by others. Socially anxious individuals fear that the signs of their anxiety are obvious and worry they will be placed in humiliating situations. And so, they begin to avoid situations that arouse these kinds of negative emotions.

People with social anxiety can begin to avoid situations where they are the center of attention or that involve speaking with strangers. They will often spend time after such events analyzing their behavior and identifying their flaws.

This type of thinking facilitates the appearance of negative emotions. And while negative emotions help us adapt, the intensity can be so high that people stop feeling the positive emotions.

They start to avoid social situations and end up isolating themselves. Social anxiety can affect your relationships, friendships, and even family bonds.

How Common Is Social Anxiety?

Anxiety and depression are among the most common mental health disorders in the US. Yet, anxiety disorders are more common than depression, although they can often appear together. Anxiety disorders affect 18.1% of the population in the US every year. This means that approximately 40 million adults aged 18 and older have one form of anxiety disorder. Globally, anxiety affects about 300 million people.

Social anxiety disorder is the most common subtype of anxiety disorders, affecting 15 million adults in the US every year. Although the symptoms are often unbearable and hard to handle, 36% of the people with social anxiety said that they sought help after 10 years of living with social anxiety. People often delay seeking professional help and only 36.9% of people with any type of anxiety disorder are receiving treatment.

Psychologists have begun to ask if anxiety disorders are more common in our society than before. Recent research shows that in 2018 the prevalence of anxiety rose 5 percent, compared to 2017. Studies have shown that it is an increase in mental health disorders in the West, being associated with high-income countries. Millennials are among the most anxious generation.

But what triggers the rise of social anxiety cases?

Causes of Social Anxiety

It is important to note that people are different; they have different feelings and thoughts. Human beings have their own versions of the world and they experience emotions in their own way. This is why it is hard to give a general answer. There are a lot of factors that can lead to the appearance of social anxiety.

Parenting Style

It turns out that the parenting style is very important. Parents with an unhealthy parenting style raise socially anxious children. These parents are quick to criticize their children and are overcontrolling. They care most about what other people say and do not show signs of affection for their children.

Their children often grow up with trust issues and a high level of anxiety. They fear criticism and their levels of self-esteem and self-confidence are low.

Bullying

Bullying has become in recent years one of the leading reasons teens and young adults resort to suicide. Children and adolescents feel the pressure to impress or please their peers in order to avoid being bullied. It appears that 58% of children are victims of cyberbullying and 56% have engaged in online bullying activity.

Often when people have been bullied during childhood and adolescence, they grow up with fears of social situations. They learn from past experiences that social activities often lead to bullying, humiliation, and teasing. Their self-worth and self-confidence are impinged by negative interactions with others.

Social Media

When social media became something indispensable, many negative effects noticed. For example, the rise of cyberbullying among children and teens is enormous. But social media also encourages sharing only the most positive experiences. If you scroll your feed, you will see pictures from the most amazing places of people that are living the best that life can offer.

Also, the social reward system has changed. The number of likes you get on social media after you post a photo can be huge. But social media is not a copy of the real world.

Instead, it increases the levels of expectations for a glamorous lifestyle. It also makes you more sensitive to lifestyle differences and can lead you to set unrealistic standards for yourself. When you do not meet those standards, feelings of guilt, shame and fear can develop.

Of course, other events can foster the appearance of social anxiety. Among them are physical or emotional abuse, family conflicts or death of a loved one.

Conclusion

Social anxiety is a disorder that is more and more common nowadays. Many people avoid social situations, fearing they may be humiliated or embarrassed.

Social anxiety can have multiple causes. It usually forms in childhood but may not be fully apparent until young adulthood. A negative style of parenting can foster the appearance of social anxiety, as children learn that the opinions of others are very important and strongly influence self-worth.

Bullying and more especially cyberbullying are among the common causes of social anxiety. At least 50% of children report having been victims of cyberbullying. The same goes for social media.

It is important to seek professional help if the problem becomes more than you can handle. There are therapies that can help people with social anxiety gain trust and be more comfortable in social situations.

If you or someone you know experiences mental health issues, it is important to seek help from a qualified professional. Our Resource Specialist can help you find expert mental health resources to recover in your community. Contact us now for more information on this free service to our users.

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About the Author: Tobias Foster is a journalist and editor with more than 5 years' work experience at an essay writing service uk. Philosophy, psychology, and sociology are his passion, and he has a wealth of knowledge in those fields. He is a master of his craft and helps teenagers overcome their fears and anxieties

The opinions and views expressed in this guest blog do not necessarily reflect those of www.rtor.org or its sponsor, Laurel House, Inc. The author and www.rtor.org have no affiliations with any products or services mentioned in this article or linked to herein.

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Social situations may arouse strong emotions for some of you. You have sweaty palms and a sore throat when you must give a speech in front of 100 people. You might feel that you cannot face a social situation because you are too nervous and agitated to do it.