Social Media has become a blessing for us in this era of technology, but do we know that this blessing comes with a high price? Everyone knows the negative effects of using social media too much or being in front of screens a lot, but we cannot do anything about it; partly due to the technology-led world, and partly due to our dependence. Social Media and internet comes with a lot of positive notes, it has made our lives easier in many ways. We can stay connected to our loved ways, no matter the time and place; we can access any information anytime, from anywhere, everything has reduced to the tips of our fingers. Even the technology holds most of our economy and professional life, that even after knowing the negative effects, we carry a huge burden on our fingertips.
Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which people understand their abilities, solve everyday life problems, work well, and make a significant contribution to the lives of their communities. Human beings being social creatures, social networking becomes a crucial element in protecting our mental health. Social media has become such a predominant part of our lives that we’re in denial about how much time we spending on it. Social Media addiction is a serious issue, and its enjoyable benefits lead to many mental health problems; mainly depression and anxiety.
There was a study conducted by neuroscientists on social media and its effects on the brain, it showed that positive interaction (like someone liking your post) triggers a chemical reaction in our reward center of the brain, releasing a feel-good chemical known as dopamine. Dopamine is also associated with food, sex, love, exercise, gambling, and drugs. This dopamine-triggering behavior for instant reward becomes a habit leading to addiction. Even if this is a reward system, comparing lifestyles on social media leads to a feeling of low self-esteem and thus increases cases of mental health issues.
Social media is a coin with two faces; where the more advantages it has, the higher the price we pay for it. We must realize this reality to systemize our ways forwell-being.