Instagram is the worst social media network for mental health and wellbeing, according to a recent survey of almost 1,500 teens and young adults. To be honest, I am the type of person who check my Instagram every five minute and super active on Instagram. I use it to keep myself update with new trends and celebrities.
However, I can totally see why Instagram can have a bad effect on your mental health for many reasons.Instagram is the worst social media network for mental health and wellbeing, according to a recent survey of almost 1,500 teens and young adults.
To be honest, I am the type of person who check my Instagram every five minute and super active on Instagram. I use it to keep myself update with new trends and celebrities. However, I can totally see why Instagram can have a bad effect on your mental health for many reasons.
Firstly, social media can have a bad effect on one’s self-esteem. Nowadays, Instagram is full of photos of beautiful skinny girls. I do not mean to say this is a bad thing. However, no matter how much people try not to compare themselves to others, they still do. And as a result, this could affect self-esteem in a bad way.
Everything is perfect on social media, which makes people forget that in real life, nobody is perfect. Secondly, Instagram can make an easy access for your followers to know details about your life. That’s why you always have to be careful when using any kinds of social media platform.
Be careful with whatever information or photos you post on your social media if you do not want your peers, your coworkers, your boss or even your future employers to see those.One thing that makes social media bad for mental health is the number of your followers. People will compare the number of their followers to others. To some people, the more followers you have, the more popular you are. People are looking out for something not real.
They think their popularity and their life are based on the number of people following them on social media. Another thing I find Instagram unhealthy is that it is very addictive. At least, this is super relatable to me. I feel like I spend lots of my time on social media, which is not a good thing at all.
I find myself on my phone more and more. I even procrastinate my work because of this.Instagram can even give you some unnecessary self doubts, especially when somebody unfollows you. It happens to me too when one of my old friends unfollow me on Instagram. I was totally bugging about that, which I should not.
Therefore, I find social media is somehow really bad for my mental health. Or even when you request to follow someone, their not accepting your follow request can give you concern and anxiety.Well, I am not saying this in order to encourage people not to use Instagram.
However, realizing that social media is just a small part of your life is really important. Don’t take it too seriously. Life is so much more than that. Go outside. Call your friends. Hang out with them. Live a happy life. That’s all you have to focus on.
Email Hilly Nguyen at fuse@cardinalpointsonline.com
