Social Media: A Benefit or a Detriment to Your Mental Health?

By: Kate MacDonald

If you want to connect with family, friends, or long-lost classmates, you have your pick of social media platforms. From Facebook, to Instagram, to Threads, and everything in between, there are ways to not only maintain connections, but also make new ones, and stay up to date with current events while getting into arguments with strangers.

However, it’s important to pay attention to the toll social media takes on our daily lives. We increasingly find ourselves addicted to our cell phones, checking them from the moment we wake up to pre-set alarms, to the moment we fall asleep while scrolling mindlessly on TikTok. And if many of us are turning our heads to the sound of X notifications during the workday to see what politicians are up to, or stopping in the middle of a workout because our smartwatch buzzed due to a friend having posted a new Instagram story, what does this mean for the hold these platforms have on our lives?

More importantly, what is the unseen cost to our mental health? If we are beholden to social media and letting it affect our home and work lives, what toll can this take on the average person’s health, and how can it be fixed?

While social media does benefit many individuals, giving people the ability to connect, it can also give some serious anxiety, while leading to a fear of missing out, undue self-criticism, stress, and even depression. As social media users are constantly looking at other individuals, whether it is people they know or public figures, they are often comparing themselves to others. After all, people will not post negative images of themselves — they only show the good things: a fun vacation, a new pet, a positive relationship. And this can lead to envy, self-doubt, and, ultimately, poor mental health.

A recent study published in the journal JAMA Network Open found that individuals who stay off social media platforms for nearly any amount of time can see positive results to their mental health. For instance, among the nearly 300 volunteers between age 18-24 who were surveyed, it was found that a daily reduction of 30 minutes to two hours translated to lower levels of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and problematic online behaviors.

The biggest improvement reported was in severe depression, symptoms of which dropped by 24.8 percent. The report also noted mental health benefits via avoiding addictive use and negative comparison behaviors, as opposed to decreasing screen time.

However, it should be noted that study participants did not report any change in loneliness. The authors surmised that this may be due to social media platforms’ role as a bridge between people.

This is in line with the analysis of other psychologists, who urge caution when reading this report. They believe that what people do online matters more than how much time they spend.

Leading mental health experts suggest conducting an inventory; that is, reflecting on why you use social media, what you hope to gain from it, and doing intermittent detoxes if it is not serving you in the best manner. For instance, if you intend to use Facebook to stay in touch with family who live across the country, but you find yourself stressed out trying to keep up with friends’ Instagram posts, take a break and see if you feel better. Consider boosting offline relationships and filling up your in-person social calendar.

Also, maybe consider signing up for newsletters from your favorite influencers or other sources to stay current, rather than scrolling to become an active consumer. Or even delete your apps; they can always be redownloaded – you do not have to get rid of your account altogether, but getting rid of the temptation might help. You may consider downloading app timers that will lock social platforms (accessible with a password) after a specific time, or disabling notifications, so you are only alerted to goings-on when you sign in.

At the end of the day, social media likely is not going anywhere. In the decades since its emergence, its use has only grown and evolved. As such, health plan providers must mitigate any negative impact and keep participants safe, which is particularly significant for minors. For health plan sponsors, it is prudent to ensure there are robust mental health benefits offered in parity with medical and surgical benefits, as per mental health parity regulations. For instance, not only should participants be able to see their PCP if they are physically hurt, but they should also be able to see a therapist to talk about their concerns if they are feeling anxious, depressed, or insecure while engaged in a very online-centric lifestyle.

If participants are backed not only by knowledge, but by the services afforded to them in their health care plan, they will have a strong means to effectively navigate the technological world in which we live.