Part one: How social media affects self-esteem by Aveen Pouranpir
Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives. It allows us to connect with people, share our experiences, and express ourselves to a wider audience. However, the impact of social media on our self-esteem, particularly in terms of validation, is a topic of growing concern. In this essay, we will explore the ways in which social media affects self-esteem through validation.
Validation is the feeling of being accepted, valued, and recognized by others. It is a basic human need that contributes to our sense of self-worth and self-esteem. Social media platforms provide an easy and immediate way to seek validation from others. Likes, comments, and shares are some of the ways that social media users can receive validation from their peers.
However, social media validation can also have negative effects on self-esteem. When people rely too heavily on social media for validation, they can become addicted to the attention and feedback they receive. This can lead to feelings of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem when they don't receive the validation they seek. Additionally, social media platforms can create unrealistic standards for beauty, success, and happiness, which can be damaging to self-esteem.
One way that social media affects self-esteem through validation is through the comparison trap. When we see other people's posts and profiles, we tend to compare ourselves to them. This can lead to feelings of inferiority and inadequacy, especially if we perceive others to be more successful, attractive, or popular than us. Social media users may feel pressure to present a perfect image of themselves to gain validation from others, which can lead to feelings of insecurity and low self-esteem.
Another way that social media affects self-esteem through validation is through the feedback loop. Social media platforms use algorithms to show users content that is most likely to receive engagement, such as likes and comments. When a user receives positive feedback, they are more likely to continue posting similar content to receive more validation. This can create a cycle of seeking validation through social media, which can lead to addiction and dependence on social media for self-worth.
Social media can also affect self-esteem through the fear of missing out (FOMO). When users see posts from their peers about social events, activities, and experiences, they may feel left out or excluded. This can lead to feelings of loneliness, social isolation, and low self-esteem. Social media can also create a pressure to participate in certain activities or events to gain validation from others, which can lead to feelings of stress and anxiety. Futhermpre, as Researchgate states “High-intensity social media use has been associated with increased sorrow, poor mental health, and low trait self-esteem.” (ResearchGate). It is important to remember the importance of social media in that aspect. Furthermore, this continuous use of social media will make user stay on the app as “Some people post on social media in order to get reassurance about their insecurities.” (Psychology) This cycle is very unhealthy and why we should remember the relationship we have with social media.
However, social media can also have positive effects on self-esteem through validation. When users receive positive feedback and validation from their peers, it can boost their confidence and self-esteem. Social media platforms can also provide a sense of belonging and connection to others, which can be beneficial for mental health and well-being. Social media can also provide opportunities for self-expression and creativity, which can be empowering and fulfilling for users.
In conclusion, social media affects self-esteem through validation in both positive and negative ways. While seeking validation from others is a natural human need, relying too heavily on social media for validation can lead to addiction, anxiety, and low self-esteem. Social media can create unrealistic standards for beauty, success, and happiness, which can be damaging to self-esteem. However, social media can also provide a sense of belonging, connection, and empowerment for users. It is important for users to be aware of the potential negative effects of social media on self-esteem and to use social media in a balanced and healthy way.
Part two: Social media and its effects on our brains—addiction and attention by Chloe Ford
As we have seen previously, social media can have big impacts on aspects of our mental health like self-esteem where social media is used as a form of validation. Social media can be incredibly addictive and have major effects on our brain.
Being on social media and engaging with it has shown that it activates our reward centers in our brains. This can really make social media addicting. Even more now, as newer technologies have developed algorithms to better suit our interests our feeds can be saturated with extremely fixated on our screens. The award we get is dopamine which is “a hormone in our brain with many functions, notably those of reward and motivation. Companies made Instagram, Snapchat, and even Tinder to give us as much of this natural happiness drug as possible in a short period of time. Every like, follow, or simple notification releases a small burst of euphoria, reinforcing the brain to seek this pleasure.” (Caloia, 2022). This in turn makes us want to use social media all the time, so that we get our fix of dopamine from it. On top of being addicting, the constant use of social media can even affect our attention spans. The way in which social media is formatted has been made to become addictive. Shorter formats like Tiktok and even the newer Instagram reels have been adopted to get people’s attention and keep it there for long periods of time. Some people even go off to use multiple social media at the same time. An article by Alyssa Deitchman from New York University’s OPUS, goes into our brain’s ability to multitask and its relation to social media. They write how studies “proclaim that the rapidly occurring interchanges present in these websites will accustom the brain to operate on these unrealistic timescales.” (Deitchman, OPUS). Furthermore, there are limits to how much stimulation our brains can truly take. This can go on to cause us to not be able to pay attention for long periods of time. Social media itself is not entirely at fault for our decrease in attention, however, it can be correlated to it. Studies have shown that social media “consumes or exhausts attention resources and detracts attention from other more important life activities like work, education, and personal development. Not only are attention spans dwindling, but many users are multitasking while consuming social media, which leads to further decreased attention on each task.” (Baptist Health, 2020) Moreover, this correlation to worsening attention-spans can be strongly linked to social media usage. This impact can affect many areas of our lives whether that be work, school, social life and mental health.
Engaging in social media has increasingly become a part of normal life for many. It is important to understand these impacts and find ways to combat these issues. Some ways one can prevent overstimulation and attention issues are:
Monitoring your screen time. It’s important to know how much time you’re spending on your smartphone, computer, and TV. If it’s too much, limit yourself to 35-40 minutes a day. Find hobbies that don’t involve screens, like board games, walking, or riding your bicycle.
Relaxing your mind. Try meditation or breathing exercises to help you relax and increase your focus and attention span. If you’re working, try putting on some soothing music at a low volume, which can also keep you relaxed and focused.
Making your bedroom a stimulus-free zone. If you’re looking at your phone or tablet before going to sleep, you can actually disrupt your sleep, which causes fatigue. Instead, try reading a book or listening to relaxing music.
Learning delayed gratification. Delayed gratification is a life skill that will help you persevere and stay focused on goals for which the returns aren’t immediately experienced. It’s a great way to help you identify short- and long-term goals, which will help you gain success in your life. Track time: Logging work hours and other activities can help identify distraction patterns. If you struggle with a short attention span, time tracking is a great tactic to add to your daily routine.
(Baptist Health, 2020)
If you try any of these they may help prevent the issues. Continue to be aware of yourself and your relationship with social media. Moderation is important to keep in mind as your brain health can be impacted.
Part three: How to use social media in a healthy manner to benefit mental health by Christina Dinh
Social media proves to be of dual nature. While social media at times is beneficial to help social connections, it can also lead to more isolation and even mental ailments such as depression and anxiety. However, there is no need to go cold turkey with social media! In fact, social media can be used in a healthy manner to benefit mental health.
Here are some tips on how to go about using social media in a healthy way (based on information from ConeHealth.org and Discoverymood.com):
Be mindful when scrolling and using social media
Rather than scrolling on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok without consciously thinking about it and as a form of multitasking, it is necessary to slow down and reflect, to fully absorb what you are seeing, reading, and also what you are feeling in that present moment.
Limit your screen time
It is necessary to limit screen time when attempting to be mindful as well. Too much screen time has been proven to lead to less happy moods and feelings (Harris, 2022). You can limit your screen time by going to your “Settings” in your phone and into the “Screen time” section of your phone to limit your phone. In addition, you can also use the “Do Not Disturb” feature so that you do not feel the need to reply to messages right away when you receive them. It is necessary to protect your energy and you can do that by limiting your screen time and spending more time decompressing.
Engage with those who have enjoyable content
If you see any unenjoyable content on your feed or among your following, please feel free to block, mark it as content you do not like, and unfollow.
Avoid social media before bed
Blue light can impact your sleep and mood, leading you to have more problems falling asleep and a worse mood. Try getting off your phone at least 30 minutes before you plan to sleep. If you would like, try doing it in small increments. If you sleep at 12 A.M., try Monday stopping screen time at 11:55 P.M., Tuesday, 11:50 P.M., and so forth.
Be Present!
At times, it is easy to be on your phone when outside with friends or family. However, make sure to be present. One way to do this is putting your phone away in your bag or pocket, turning off the notifications so that you do not feel inclined to check it. Sometimes when we are waiting for the bus, walking from class to class, etc. we feel the need to check your phone but it is necessary to put it away to enjoy life as it is. Even when alone, it is necessary to be present and to enjoy the moment even if there is no one to talk to besides the waiter or waitress for example. Something I find helpful is bringing a book while I am waiting for food alone.
Do not be afraid to take a pause!
If social media is making you feel anxious, please feel free to disconnect and take a pause. Even a few days to recharge your life battery. Delete your social media if you’d like and reset it once you are ready to come back. Delete apps if you would like too!
7. Support and uplift others
Social media and the world in general can be so negative. There is no need for negativity and keeping comments to yourself is necessary. Hate solves nothing, but being kind solves so much of life’s awful situations. So, if you are to leave a comment, make sure it is a compliment as hate solves absolutely nothing. Feel free to like someone’s post and give them a positive comment.
8. Follow positive accounts
In connection with the above tip, following positive mental health centered accounts and blogs are great.
Here are some Instagram accounts:
@makedaisychains
@selfcareisforeveryone
@chibirdart
@mh.advocates
@selfcareisajourney
@yung_pueblo
@selfloverainbow
@uciwisepac (of course!)
9. Be kind and patient with yourself
Learning to use social media in a healthy manner takes time. As individuals who have been exposed to social media and technology since the dawn of time, it is hard to decompress. However, take it one day at a time. Nothing in life is permanent and neither are feelings, this too will pass, as it always does.
References
Baptist Health. (2020). How social media affects attention span. https://www.baptisthealth.com/blog/family-health/how-social-media-affects-attention-span
Caloia, D. Queen’s Journal. (2022). Social media is shortening our attention spans.
https://www.queensjournal.ca/story/2022-09-01/opinions/social-media-is-shortening-our- attention- spans/#:~:text=Social%20media%20has%20taken%20over,are%20ways%20to%20combat%20Ot.
Deitchman, A. (n.d.) WAIT, WHAT? ON SOCIAL NETWORK USE AND ATTENTION.
https://wp.nyu.edu/steinhardt-appsych_opus/wait-what-on-social-network-use-and- attention/
Discovery Mood. Ways teens can positively use social media to promote mental health.
https://discoverymood.com/blog/ways-social-media-promote-mental-health/
Harris, S. M. (2022). 7 healthy habits for social media.
https://www.conehealth.com/services/behavioral-health/7-healthy-habits-of-social-media/
Researchgate (n.d.) (PDF) effects of social media validation
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/357606313_Effects_of_Social_Media_Validation
Sussex Publishers. (Using social media for reassurance and validation.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/liberate-yourself/202111/using-social-media- reassurance-and-validation
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