Today we live surrounded by media and social networks that bombard us with information at all hours. In fact, the use of technological devices, such as portable phones, notebooks and tablets, has become very important to carry out both social and work activities.
Although this may represent an improvement compared to previous years, the truth is that the excessive use of virtual platforms can affect people's mental health. For this reason, it is important to learn about this problem that crosses ages and borders. In this Psychology-Online, we will tell you How do social media affect people's mental health?.
How do social networks influence psychology? Social media can have unfavorable consequences for people's lives because there is a tendency to spend a large part of the daily time in different social networks. Next, we will explain the main negative effects of social networks on mental health:
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Low self-esteem: People spend an important part of their lives on social networks. If other users provide an opinion about someone's image, this can trigger severe episodes of depression and/or anxiety. In addition, the virtual world can be confused with the real world.
- Suicidal ideas: the opinion of others can have a detrimental effect on some people. Although this only happens in some specific cases, it is important to take into account the attitudes that a person manifests regarding the management of social networks. In this sense, we invite you to discover how does internet advertising affect.
- sleep disturbances: Excessive use of social networks causes difficulties in falling asleep. Rest is affected given the high frequency of use of electronic devices.
Given the presence of some of these negative effects of social networks on mental health, it is essential consult with a mental health professional to assess the severity of the situation and provide treatment appropriate. If you want to know more, we recommend you consult this article on the addiction to social networks: causes, consequences and solutions.
The influence of social networks on mental health can also be positive. In fact, these social media can generate emotions and thoughts that are very favorable for life in society. In the following items we will develop the most common positive effects of social networks on mental health:
- identity development: The different virtual platforms provide a place of personal expression that can be shared with other people. Furthermore, sharing ideas can lead to the formation of communities that share tastes and customs.
- Formation of an emotional support network: In line with the previous point, social networks make it possible to establish social ties with individuals from different parts of the world. In this way, an approach is produced that generates emotional support.
- Construction of new social relationships: Whether in the workplace, student and social, social networks are a link that keeps people connected. For this reason, one of the positive effects of social networks is that they allow you to expand your network of personal contacts. For example, in this article you will find tips on how to find a partner online.
In general, the impact of social networks on mental health can be positive or negative depending on how each person handles it. For the purpose of raise awareness, then we will give you some tips to use social networks in a healthy way:
- Appropriate selection of information: It is better not to show everything that is done on social networks, since there may be other users who try to use the data in a malicious way. For this reason, it is pertinent to select and share information that does not endanger you.
- Report suspicious information: scams from anonymous users often occur on virtual platforms. Despite the fact that many people fall into these traps, it is advisable that you report the ads and/or announcements that are confusing to avoid further problems.
- Restrict unknown contacts: jay people who create fake profiles to get information on the internet. If an unknown contact appears without a reliable source, it is advisable that you do not connect with him to protect your identity.
- Create strong passwords: the keys of each user is personal and private. For this reason, you should not share them with other people. One way to prevent other people from accessing your personal data is to have a password that contains numbers, uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and symbols, as it will be more secure.
- Delete credit card data: If you buy an item through a social network, it is important that you do not save your credit card information, since it can be used illegally. So, it is better to delete these data to avoid cyber hacks.
- Go to reliable sources: There are many internet pages that redirect users of social networks to dangerous places. Due to this circumstance, it is necessary to go to reliable sources that are verified by digital platforms.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
