Mental Health | legacy title

Mental Health vs. The Internet

The Internet In Today’s World

It is safe to say that in recent years, society has become dependent on the internet and the devices that connect us to it. The internet can be useful for finding information about anything in the world. Search engines like Google help us save significant amounts of time when searching for information on topics we want to learn more about. In the past, information was located by spending hours on hours reading books, encyclopedias, magazines, and newspaper articles. With the help of the internet, the work that was done to locate information in the past has been reduced to pressing a few keys on a keyboard. We also see the efforts of shopping being reduced by using the internet instead of going to retail stores. Internet-based companies like Amazon and Fashion Nova have not only changed the way that people shop but have also put many of their retail competitors out of business in the process. The internet has also become our primary source of entertainment. We use the internet to stream movies, TV shows, and music through sites like Netflix, Hulu, and Spotify. The most impactful source of entertainment we use the internet for is social media. We use social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to connect and keep up with our family members, friends, and favorite celebrities. Although social media is a great way to connect with others, share major events in our lives, and voice our opinions, it has also been linked to negative effects on our mental health.

How Does My Internet Use Affect My Mental Health?

Distraction and Difficulty Focusing

At times, the internet can distract us when we are trying to work or be productive. Since smartphones and other hand-held devices that can connect us to the internet are common in today’s world, they often pose a distraction when we try to focus on something important. These devices are so easily accessible that we likely have at least one of them in our possession at all times. We are more likely to experience difficulties concentrating when we consistently receive notifications on our smart devices that tell us to check our social media accounts whenever someone interacts with something we post.

Increased Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression

Prolonged internet use has been linked to feelings of depression and anxiety. Social media plays a significant role in these findings. A study conducted in 2017 by researchers from Washington State University found that adolescent males and females of all ethnicities between ages 14 and 17 years old who had accounts on multiple social media platforms (e.g. Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat) were more likely to experience symptoms of anxiety and depression when compared to their peers who only used one social media account. The subjects of the study who used multiple platforms checked their accounts more often and had a higher screen time rate than the subjects who only had accounts on one social media platform. The amount of time the subjects spent on the internet checking their social media accounts along with the number of social media accounts they each had was closely related to the number of anxiety and depression symptoms each subject experienced based on a survey that was completed by the parents of each individual who participated in this study. The study concluded that an increased number of social media accounts along with an increased online presence would result in an increased likelihood for adolescents to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Body Image and Self-Esteem

The use of the internet and social media websites have impacted the ideal body image in today’s society. The celebrities, models, and influencers we often see on social media have caused our idea of the “perfect body” to become unrealistic. In 2017, a study conducted by Jacqueline V. Hogue and Jennifer S. Mills of York University discovered a relationship between social media and the body image of young adult women between 17 and 27 years of age. The participants consisted of 125 females of all ethnicities who were undergraduate students attending York University. Visual analogue scales (VAS) were used to ask participants how dissatisfied they were about their overall appearance and body image. The responses of the scale ranged from none to very much, higher scores on the scale indicated a greater amount of dissatisfaction. Participants were to rate their dissatisfaction with appearance and body image on the VAS scale before and after commenting on an attractive peer’s photos on Facebook and Instagram. Based on each participant’s rating on the VAS scale, the results showed that young adult women who engaged with photos of attractive peers had increased feelings of dissatisfaction with their own appearance and body image after interacting with the photos of their attractive peers. This study concluded that upward social comparison, which is defined as comparing oneself to superior individuals (Festinger, 1954) will increase feelings of dissatisfaction of appearance and body image in women.

How Can I Stop The Internet From Affecting My Mental Health?

Limit Your Internet Usage - Try to decrease the amount of time that you spend being unproductive on the internet. Instead of scrolling up and down your newsfeed or timeline, read a book or magazine, spend time outdoors, exercise, or spend time with friends and family.
Encourage Device-Free Lunch or Dinner - Get your loved ones involved! Have everyone at your table turn-off or silence their devices during lunch or dinner and converse with one another about current events, opinions, sports, etc.
Don’t Compare Your Posts to Others’ Posts on Social Media - With celebrities, public figures, and your peers having a high presence on social media, it may be difficult to avoid being influenced by what you see them post. Just remember that everyone is different, that’s what makes the world the beautiful place that it is. Be comfortable in your own skin and embrace your uniqueness, this will cause you to gain respect from others on these platforms regardless of how many likes and comments you receive on your posts.
Monitor The Amount of Time You Spend Using The Internet - Many smart devices have a feature that allows you to track the amount of time you spend using your device. The feature even allows you to see what apps you use the most and how much time you spend using each one. Use this feature to compare the time spent using your device to the amount of time you spend doing other activities throughout each day. This will help you manage your time and determine the changes you’ll need to make.
Have Fun! - Remember that you don’t need to receive hundreds of likes on your posts. Social media is not meant to be a competition, just have fun with it and your experience will be a positive one!