Drowning in digital media
Unplugging from technology
Healthy habits to empower your mental health
Photo credit: Helena Lopes via Unsplash.
Drowning in digital media
Technology has come a long way since the 20th century. It’s actually quite remarkable that, as human beings, we have access to such a wide range of information at the tips of our fingers in just a matter of seconds. But with such great advancements in technology, many of us are also well aware of the harmful effects that technology, specifically social media, has on our everyday lives.
From being obsessed with likes and comments you may receive on Facebook and Instagram to comparing yourself to edited photos of celebrities and even your friends, social media plays a large role in many of our lives and how we perceive the world.
According to Forbes Advisor, over 4.9 billion people across the globe used social media in 2023 — that’s over half of the world’s population (Wong & Bottorff, 2023).
Most people start their journey on social media for a common reason: To connect with people.
Our ability to connect to other people through social media is almost phenomenal. We can connect with people across the world in a whole other country, people of different cultures and histories, learn new languages, and receive updates on the latest news stories and trends. So why does it feel as though social media is drowning us, and, most importantly, why are we so addicted?
While we can admit that there are some benefits to social media — leading back to that core motivation of connecting with others, — like building social networks with people who have similar hobbies or experiences, like LGBTQ+ individuals, BIPOC, or other marginalized groups, and learning new things, its negative impacts on mental health cannot be ignored.
Social media has quite a list of negative effects on our mental health, and while teens and young adults are known for using it the most, it’s far past time we recognize its impact on people of all ages. Social media may:
Cause sleep problems
Cause you to “doom-scroll” — endlessly viewing negative content, especially before bedtime
Serve as a distraction from homework, work, or family time
Spread misinformation and disinformation about prominent news events, topics, or people
Spread rumors or serve as a mode for cyberbullying, especially for youth, which further increases the risk for anxiety and depression
Urge people to compare themselves to unrealistic beauty standards, especially with filters and photoshopping apps
Urge people to compare themselves to unrealistic financial expectations and lifestyles
Expose people to predators, drug dealers, human trafficking, etc.
Increase the risk of mental illness, like anxiety and depression, due to a constant stream of negative news stories, and more.
A McLean Hospital psychologist, Jacqueline Sperling (PhD), provides insight on why we are so willing to endure these risks — like the increased chances of experiencing anxiety and depression — despite their detrimental effects. Sperling explains that the temptation of a potential reward, such as a ‘like’ or another type of engagement, keeps us hooked to social media, like Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. Despite the uncertainty of how many ‘likes’ or comments we may receive on our posts, or who will engage with our content, the possibility of a favorable outcome drives us to continually seek validation and connection in our online interactions. This anticipation for approval, paired with the potential of a future reward, fuels our addiction and results in us constantly checking social media (Sperling, 2024).
Unplugging from technology
Many studies have shown the benefits of how unplugging from social media can boost your mental health, including:
Decreasing social media usage may result in significant advancements in depression and loneliness (Hunt et al., 2018).
In a study by ExpressVPN (2021), 62% of respondents between the ages of 16-24 reported that the “Hide Likes” feature on Facebook and Instagram lowered their anxiety around posting.
Students who voluntarily reduced or limited their social media use reported experiencing positive changes in their mood, reduced anxiety, and improved sleep patterns (El-Khoury et al., 2021).
Undergraduate students who participated in a study of limiting their social media use demonstrated significant improvements in their mental well-being, while negative effects, such as anxiety, depression, loneliness, and fear of missing out, decreased (Faulhaber et al., 2023).
Healthy habits to empower your mental health
There are a few different strategies you can try to rejuvenate your mental well-being, from limiting your time on social media to deleting the platforms altogether.
Limit your time on social media. Smartphones, like Apple and Samsung, have features in their settings that allow you to limit your screen time for specific apps or multiple apps at a time and gradually decrease the time you spend on social media. You might also opt for using an app, like Bark or Freedom, to limit how much time you or your child spends on social media.
Turn off your notifications. You may consider turning off specific in-app notifications for social media platforms or get in the habit of turning your phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’ during family time, work or homework to avoid getting distracted. Apple, for instance, allows you to have multiple ‘Do Not Disturb’ modes, so you can still receive messages from certain contacts or apps. In this case, you might create a ‘Work’ or ‘School’ mode, only selecting your colleagues’ or emergency contacts while silencing all other notifications.
If you’re at a restaurant with friends or family members, you may try placing everyone’s phones in the middle, and whoever checks their phone first has to pick up the bill for everyone. Of course, this only really works if you’re all financially well enough, but there are ways you can personalize this method to make it work for your group.
Consider taking a break from social media for 1 week. You should inform your close friends or family members if they might worry about your absence from online platforms.
Delete your social media apps or accounts from your phone. Try deleting one or more social media apps from your phone. You can choose to deactivate your account or keep it activated. This might be where you opt to only view social media during a certain time of day, using a certain device only, like your iPad or laptop.
Unfollow accounts that are detrimental to your mental health. If an account’s posts make you feel negative thoughts about your body image, encourage you to make fun of and judge others, or make you feel depressed, this is a sign that you’re consuming negative content.
Similarly, consider limiting how many news organizations you follow on social media. While it’s good to be aware of prominent news events, there are other ways to stay up to date with recent events. Consider subscribing to a newsletter via email or checking the news during a dedicated window each day, like the morning or afternoon.
Now, what to do with all this time?
Get some fresh air and take a walk or run
Go camping
Read a book
Try an art project
Bake a new recipe
Organize a get-together with friends, like a brunch or shopping trip
Visit a local museum
Learn something new, like an instrument or a new language
Remember: Many activities you can do alone, you can also do with others! You can still have valuable, human connections outside of social media.
Sources & further reading
El-Khoury, J., Haidar, R., Kanj, R. R., Ali, L. B., & Majari, G. (2021). Characteristics of social media ‘detoxification’ in university students. Libyan Journal of Medicine, 16(1). https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ljm/article/view/215652.
ExpressVPN. (2021). ExpressVPN survey reveals the extent of Gen Z’s social media fixation. https://www.expressvpn.com/blog/gen-z-social-media-survey/#key.
Faulhaber, M. E., Lee, J. E., & Gentile, D. A. (2023). The effect of self-monitoring limited social media use on psychological well-being. Special Collection: Behavioral Addiction to Technology, 4(2). DOI: 10.1037/tmb0000111.
Hunt, M.G., Marx., R., Lipson, C., & Young, J. (2018). No more FOMO: Limiting social media decreases loneliness and depression. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 37(10). https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2018.37.10.751.
Mass General McLean Hospital. (2024). The social dilemma: Social media and your mental health. https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/it-or-not-social-medias-affecting-your-mental-health.
Pew Research Center. (2023). News platform fact sheet.. https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/fact-sheet/news-platform-fact-sheet/.
Wong, C., & Bottorff, C. (2023). Top social media statistics and trends of 2024. Forbes Advisory. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/social-media-statistics/.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a mental health professional or other qualified provider with any questions you may have regarding your medical condition. If you think you may be experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911.
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