Technology is an irrefutable phenomenon that no one can ignore in the current world. Our life is based on it, and each of us has different opinions about technology when it comes to its usage. The latest development of technology after the internet is “social media”. We, especially the young generation, love to spend our time on social media, chatting with our friends, posting stories, liking each other’s posts… etc. However, we have questions in our minds: Is it safe to spend lots of time on social media? How does social media affect our mental health?
Firstly, we all should know that a balanced usage of technology and social media has neither harm nor bad costs for people. A healthy person who can manage their time on the screen may be perfectly normal, thus have no mental health issues. On the contrary, they’ll be happy to be able to connect with their friends quickly and easily, to make great bonds with people, and to have fun. Social media is a great place to spend your leisure time, and young people who are aware of the consequences of excessive social media usage will be safe on the internet and in their social media.
However, in some cases, social media might be a horrific place for the youth and their mental health. Having access to everything on social media might lead to uncensored, appalling images or videos, which is especially harmful for little children. Peer bullying is also a thing on social media, and even though people just advise the youth to “turn the screen off”, bullying, which directly affects the child’s mental health, is beyond the screen, and will affect young people upsettingly. People without time management skills can’t be able to stomach the effects of social media because of getting exposed to it excessively.
There’s also one more situation that affects young people deeply: feeling left out. Most people get impressed by what their peers post on their social media accounts, and believe that their friends have a better life than themselves. Sunny photos, vacation posts, videos with friends… Lots of children complain about how dull their lives are compared to the embellished posts of their friends. The young generation spends a lot of time on their phones that they get stuck in them, and believe whatever they witness on social media. We must know that most of the things we see on the screen are fake.
As a result of the social media conflict, societies must be aware of the outcomes of the overuse of social media and teach their children well about the results. Individuals, however, must have self-awareness and be able to understand what is right or wrong to do on the screen. We’re the ones to protect ourselves from the world, and to protect our health: mentally or physically, each matters a lot for us individually.