Social media is one of the most powerful tools in the world of the internet. It has changed the entire game for everyone. Although many people might think that it could be harmful to you lounging around and looking at a screen continuously for a long time. But nonetheless, social media also serves multiple advantages in practically every sphere of life. One of which is that it can help you in taking care of your mental and physical health.
As a matter of fact, Facebook has been called “emotionally contagious”. Want to know why? Well, this is because the emotions that you show on Facebook actually have a great impact on your mood. It can also affect your mental health. Of course, we are not denying that there is a downside to using social media.
There are a number of health-related problems emerging solely because of the long hours that you spent sitting in one position because you were so invested in using your gadgets. Multiple diseases are connected to not moving for a long period of time. These diseases can even kill people and they do, every year such as obesity1, diabetes2, and such that require you to keep moving.
However, some studies back up the fact that social media can also be used to improve your physical and mental health. There are some possible advantages of it that you might be unaware of. But of course, in order to take advantage of these platforms, you should have a reliable internet connection. If you like us, we would suggest you visit spectrum internet promociones and take a look at one of the best internet plans that you can find in your area.
With that being said, given below are some of the possible effects of social media on your mental health.
Provides Means of Communications
The global pandemic not only hit the entire planet but also hit us hard. It forced us into our homes with no physical way to get in touch with people. There were no hangouts or meetups whatsoever. Such isolation resulted in multiple types of health challenges, whereby mental-health-related issues were quite prominent. Social distancing can make you fall into a pit of depression and all kinds of paranoia.
But thanks to social media, people found a space to share their thoughts, be with their loved ones, and express themselves and their experiences, and that too without having to reveal their identities. Social media is one of the means to express your viewpoints and opinions on various topics without the risk of stigma.
On the whole, social media provides a means of communication for everyone around the world. Because of it, the sense of being isolated minimizes significantly so that you can form connections with people who you can relate with.
Motivates Healthy Lifestyle
One of the things that social media can be used for is as a motivational tool so you can achieve your health goals. Now, we know you might be thinking about how it can be used for such a purpose, especially when people are of the view that mindlessly using social media can end up in you gaining weight. Well, that is just one side of the coin. Allow us to introduce you to the other side where you can get in touch with experts, trainers, and nutritionists so you can change your lifestyle. When you see someone else doing something that has a positive effect on their life, you tend to follow them.
For instance, seeing your favorite celebrity announcing on social media that they have quit smoking or joined a gym, might also influence you into doing the same thing.
In addition to this, if you have set your fitness goal and announced it on social media, there is a pretty good chance that you will keep up with it because, in a way, you are putting yourself accountable to others. This is a positive reinforcement that will help you in staying on top of your game. Also, your online friends or peers can work as your social support system and this is also a great way for you to stay motivated.
Provides Teens a Platform to Express Themselves
Social media provides teens a platform to express themselves. Now, the thing is, on one hand, it could be dangerous (a direct result of cyberbullying), while on the other and brighter side, it is an opportunity for teens to post about things they might be reluctant to talk about with their parents or families in general. This includes topics like sexual orientations3, contraception4, sex education, and many more.
Teens also use this platform as a way to not only express themselves on a personal level but on a creative level as well. They find social media a place where art of all kinds can be accepted and appreciated, unlike the physical world, where you sometimes have to alter your pieces to conform to the expectations of society.
Moreover, when it comes to the intervention of troubled teenagers, social media play a very important pathway for friends, peers, and family to make interventions and help the kids in understanding the dangers of their current situation.
Key Takeaway
You may be aware of the multiple benefits of social media. But it helps your mental health is not really one of the most common topics to talk about. This is why in this article we touched upon all the significant ways through which social networking sites can help you in maintaining your mental health.
- Brewer, Christopher J., and Adam H. Balen. “Focus on obesity.” Reproduction 140.3 (2010): 347-64. ↩︎
- Forouhi, Nita Gandhi, and Nicholas J. Wareham. “Epidemiology of diabetes.” Medicine 38.11 (2010): 602-606. ↩︎
- Garnets, Linda D. “Sexual orientations in perspective.” Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology 8.2 (2002): 115. ↩︎
- Ott, Mary A., et al. “Contraception for adolescents.” Pediatrics 134.4 (2014): e1257-e1281. ↩︎
Last Updated on by NamitaSoren
