Why Does Excessive Social Media Breed Depression?
I have been trying to take a step back from social media for the most part over the last couple of months. I have gotten rid of almost every phone application like Snapchat or Instagram and I am slowly getting off Facebook. There are definite negative effects of social media, especially for teens and young people, many of which I can honestly say I have encountered. I want to talk about why I believe social media is toxic in many ways and really needs to be consumed in small doses.
I got Facebook around the 8th grade, possibly high school and overall I would say the experience was negative. For someone like me, who spent much of his time alone on weekends or with a small group of introverted friends, social media makes you feel like you are missing out on some grand experience. People only put their best selves on social media which leaves many to believe that is how their life is all the time.
For impressionable young teens, who already usually struggle with other issues regarding social issues, social media can act like a catalyst for depression. Many people have ultimately moved towards isolationist lifestyles and try to live vicariously through the people they follow without living their own lives. The problem wasnt nearly as bad as it is today when you can just flip open a computer and see what “great” things everyone else is doing.
I see a lot of self pity and depression in younger people when they talk about how they either were born unlucky or disadvantaged just because their parents cant afford to buy them a Porsche. This problem has only escalated with the phenomenon of rich instagram and Youtube kids who are spoiled by their parents. People desperately want to get famous by any means just so they can live like that, but the payoff is hardly ever worth it. The problem is you never see the dark side of people online.
Everyone goes through periods of sadness or depression, but those who are unlikely to acknowledge it or show it on their social media make others feel like everyone else is perfect. In reality most people are flawed just like you. Social media seems to be creating false ideologies among young adults and really hurting them in more ways than it is helping them. I think that the old way of having relationships and friendships was a lot more social than what we have now become. For me personally, I dont think I want to have my future stuck online watching others.
-Calaber24p
Perhaps a generation has come for which social inequality is unacceptable and the realities of life make it impossible at least to improve one's life. change it for the better. In fact, this is a serious problem.
deeply hit.....woowww
This is totally true and I can't agree more with you. On the other hand you are in this platform which for some reason help people create and value what others won't value. There isn't much of the fake posts of people living perfect lives and most of the articles and posts are related to education, real life and projects. You can also find very interesting people and communities of like minded people. Personally I quit every other way of social media and ended up joining Steemit. I try to keep most of my personal information secure and low profile to not attract the wrong kind of followers. Thanks for this great post!
@calaber24p I ditched social media like FB a while back after discovering Steemit. I think society puts images in kids heads that they have to look a certain way. And with instagram, you see all the "pretty girls" and wish you looked like them and envy them. It's not a healthy lifestyle by any means. It would be great if these things did not exist, like when I was growing up, in the age when the internet was pretty much non-existent and you had to go to the library to do actual research, cell phones were non-existent, unless you were Zack from Saved By The Bell. Kids today need better role models and you proved your point well. They should get out more and discover what the world has in store for them and see the beauty in it, then maybe they can see the beauty within themselves.
@calaber24p you were flagged by a worthless gang of trolls, so, I gave you an upvote to counteract it! Enjoy!!
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STOPThank's for your good post. I follow you, please follow me, sir. I'm totally new to Steemit. Hope you will follow me and help me get filled up by Upvoting. Thank you so much.