Social Media has been an indispensible part of our lives now. Sitting without social media platforms gives a sense of emptiness to a majority of millennial population. We get information of all kinds from social media and also content which keeps us engrossed in it. Social media platforms like twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Whatsapp, YouTube etc. have become a way to socialise and know about different aspects and trends going on.
Soon it is seen that one of these platforms or multiple platforms become an addiction. This has a definite negative effect on our mental health. Likes, comment, shares, etc become so important sometimes that is decides the state we are in. Today, let us know what negative impact does these comments and likes have on our mental health.
Negative Impact of Likes And Comments On Mental Health
1. Addiction and Dopamine Effect
Social media is very addictive and once you start getting attention, you try to seek more response through comments and likes on that platform. Algorithm of these platforms is such that it gives you a dopamine effect. When you receive positive response it increases dopamine levels in your body and gives you a rewarding feeling. But on the other side, if there are negative comments on your post then that addiction can affect your mental health and result stress which reduces the dopamine.
2. Depression and Negativity
Reading negative comments can make you feel unwanted and depressed. Once you start taking comment section seriously every comment affects your personality. Negative comments impact your daily routine and the person tries to find negativity in everything around him. If this continues for long, then a person may feel unworthy and go into depression.
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3. Anxiety
Reduction in amount of likes and comments also affects the mental health of person who is addicted to social media. Finding life in social media can have a drastic effect if the likeliness of that person decreases. Anxiety can hit hard at these levels, reduction in number of likes and negativity in comments can demoralise you and you may feel anxious about getting positive response again. This may result in anxiety disorder and mental health issues.
4. Attention Span
Taking negativity from social media platforms can also affect your attentive capabilities. Spending too much time on social media, reading comments and reactions to a post can reduce your creativity and capability to give attention at one subject. This can be reversed if you engross yourself more towards your hobbies and constructive habits.
5. Self Esteem
This is a very serious issue and happens with many teenagers and young adults due to social media. They portray themselves publicly for people to give their opinions. This affects the mental health of the person if he receives negativity in return. Negativity results to self-doubt and loss of self-esteem gradually. One who has lost his self-esteem will try to do things which public wants and forget his actual identity.
6. Body Image
Your body structure can be taken for granted on a social media platform. Those who do not have ideal body structure receive negative comments on the post. People body shame them for not looking ideally ‘fit’. This brings along distorted thoughts in the person mind about himself; it can affect his eating pattern and result in mental health issues. This practise is very common and body shaming is evident on most social media platforms.
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Ways To Cope Up With Negative Influence on Mental Health
Avoid Reading Negative Comments- The best way to stop negativity is to stop indulging in a thing which has the ability to affect you. Avoiding negative comments and keeping a calm mindset can help you cope up with the issue.
Choose Platforms Wisely- Different social media platforms have different set of audience. If you choose the correct platform then chances of losing your mental health decreases.
Have Strong self-belief- Do not blindly believe in what people write about you or way they react. Having confidence and self belief is most important to keep yourself sane and mentally stable.
Limit Screen Time- Apart from avoiding comments, another way to cope is to reduce your screen time on social media. Indulge in more healthy content if possible. Also apart from negativity, excessive screen time as such affects your mental health.
Find Other Hobbies- Try new things and keep yourself engaged in activities which you love doing. Read some novels, watch movies, play some sport or paint something.
Focus on Connection- This is an important point, because social media was originally designed to bring people together and connect with each other. So find your friends or interesting people and make positive use of social media.
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