Social media impacts all aspects of our life. From the way we view the world to the way we view ourselves, our use of social media shapes our opinions, beliefs, and mental health.
We hold easy access to the entire world in our pockets, but this doesn’t come without serious consequences. Social media is a breeding ground for insecurities and anxieties; it profits off of negative feelings, creating an endlessly addictive cycle that damages mental health and self-esteem. The only way to escape the negative effects of social media is to recognize the harmful methods that social networks use, and to self-regulate the time we spend on social media every day.
To fully understand how to escape the dangerous habits social media creates, it is important to understand how social media can affect our lives so profoundly. Social media works as a digital market, monetizing the amount of time you are looking at the screen. Your attention is the most valuable commodity you own and social media is designed to profit from it. The posts you engage with, the time you spend online, and who you interact with is all data that these platforms collect and sell to advertisers—who then target your interests with personalized content. The business model of social media companies relies completely on keeping viewers engaged and coming back for more, which it ensures with features like push notifications and infinite scroll. Tristan Harris, the Co-Founder and President of the Center for Humane Technology summarized this effect in The Social Dilemma (2020): “Social media isn’t a tool that’s just waiting to be used. It has its own goals, and it has its own means of pursuing them by using your psychology against you.”
Using these methods, social media keeps you hooked and wanting more, even though using social media ultimately degrades your mental health. More and more, we are being conditioned to associate our own self-worth with the amount of social approval.
we receive online, in the form of likes, comments, or responses to a direct message (DM). Additionally, social media creates unrealistic body expectations through the use of beauty filters and photoshop, leading teens to have increased levels of insecurity. Morgan, a fourteen-year-old from St. Louis, Missouri, explains these effects: “I really struggled when I looked in the mirror after joining social media… I overthought every word that I spoke for fear of being unliked by someone.” In general, researchers with the Emotion journal from the American Psychological Association indicate that in nationally representative yearly surveys of American high schoolers, psychological well-being—measured by self-esteem, life satisfaction, and happiness—has suddenly decreased due to social media usage.
Until very recently, there was little call for change, when it came to social media. Now, as more information about the damaging nature of social media comes to light, student activists are taking this issue into the mainstream. Emma Lembke, a sophomore in college and the founder of the LOG OFF movement, testified in Congress in February about the compulsive behavior her social media scrolling induced and how her extensive screen time led to depression, anxiety, and disordered eating: “My story does not exist in isolation—it is a story representative of my generation…As the first digital natives, we have the deepest understanding of the harms of social media through our lived experiences.”
In recent months, there has been overwhelming evidence of students changing their minds about social media—even owning a phone at all. In December of 2022, The New York Times ran a feature on a group of Brooklyn teens who had decided to jettison social media, some going as far as to exchange their smartphones for flip phones. During the pandemic, Murrow High School student Logan Lane started to notice the deleterious effect her phone was having on her sleep, concentration, and anxiety levels. When school was back in session, she founded the first ‘Luddite’ Club for students interested in living life without much technology. Drawing inspiration from the Luddites who fought against the growing industrialization in England during the eighteenth century, the club focuses on developing a community outside of technology. They meet outside in nature, have dynamic conversations, and engage the world with intention and creativity, often reading or sketching. While some members choose to use a flip phone, or forgo having a phone altogether, this is not a requirement. Instead, the group simply aims to forge meaningful connections with themselves and the outside world without the use of technology.
There are several techniques you can use if you want to engage with social media in a healthier and more balanced way. Firstly, take breaks from technology, and social media in particular, whenever possible. Taking even a few hours to step away from your phone can help boost mood, energy levels, and productivity over time. It is also important to take tech out of the bedroom at night. According to the Sleep Foundation, seventy-two percent of high school students don’t get enough sleep, resulting in difficulty concentrating and increased stress. When technology is used late at night, blue light emitted by these devices can disrupt melatonin production, which facilitates sleep. Therefore, limiting the use of technology before bed can help give you a more restful sleep. These concrete steps can help you take some space from your phone.
Secondly, it is important to re-shape your time spent on social media to create a healthier relationship with your phone. Silencing your notifications is a good first step. Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University find that stress levels lower and concentration improves when notifications are silenced, even for just a twenty-four hour period. You can also take communication off socials. Instead of contacting your friends over Instagram or Snapchat, use text messaging or WhatsApp instead, which can help limit the time spent scrolling while waiting for responses.
Lastly, finding ways to engage offline with friends and family can be very helpful. There are many interesting extracurriculars at IHS, as well as communities and resources Ithaca itself has to offer. Finding meaningful and engaging activities to replace time spent scrolling through your phone might help cut down on screen time. If you choose to remain on social media, finding a balanced and happy relationship with it is imperative to protect your mental health.