In this day and age, most of us spend many hours a day on social media. While there are many benefits to social media, including increased information sharing and maintaining connection with more friends and family, it can have a variety of detrimental impacts on our minds and bodies. 

Some Negative Impacts of Social Media and Technology Usage

• Sleep disruption

• Increased anxiety, depression, inattention, and emotional dysregulation 

• Unrealistic expectations & reduced satisfaction with life 

• Body image distortions 

Possible Causes of These Negative Impacts 

Doomscrolling is the term for excessively consuming negative news through social media sites. Many of us have engaged in doomscrolling as an anxiety avoidance technique. However, doomscrolling often negatively impacts our mental health; it impacts our sleep, our perception of reality, and exacerbates stress.

• Sleep: Computer and phone screens emit blue light which interfere with our brain’s production of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone associated with our sleep/wake cycle. Sleep cycles can be compromised when we’re staring at screens all day, especially late at night just before going to sleep. Poor sleep is associated with an exacerbation of anxiety, depression, inattention, and emotional dysregulation. 

• Reality Perception: Our brains also remain alert for messages and notifications from various social media sites. This constant state of high alert releases the stress hormone cortisol, our fight or flight response hormone. When this hormone is consistently elevated over time it leads to chronic stress which can lead to feeling overwhelmed and anxious. 

• Stress Exacerbation: Social media sites allow users to browse and post a selection of photos/reels of small snippets of life, which can skew perception of what life is really like. It creates constant content of unrealistic expectations. As a result, many who frequently engage with social media sites note decreased satisfaction with life and report a contorted self-perception and display a shift in logic and reasoning. The ability to post posed and edited photos can impact body image and play into harmful beauty standards. 

Habits To Reduce Negative Impacts of Social Media and Technology Usage

1. Limit when and how long you look at social media. Staring at a screen prior to bed, regardless of what is on the screen, could impact your melatonin production and lead to disrupted sleep patterns. Try not engaging with your phone (or other screens) for at least 1 hour prior to sleep. Create a wind-down ritual that includes sleep-inducing activities like lighting a lavender scented candle, reading a physical book, turning on a white noise machine, or drinking sleepy time tea to signal to your brain that the day’s activities of paying attention are done.

2. Additionally, social media sites are engineered to suck us in and keep us engaged. To avoid getting sucked in this black hole, pick a time during your day and set a time limit that you can keep. For example, give yourself permission to scroll for the last 15 minutes of your lunch break because you’ll have to go back to work after, or for your commute after work. If you have trouble holding yourself accountable to time, or get easily carried away in the posts, try setting a timer and have something to do after your scroll to help your brain shift and move on.

3. Evaluate what accounts you are following. Filters, photoshop, and knowing what angles to take the most flattering photos from can all make a subject mesmerizing. But constantly looking at altered images ingrains a false sense of reality in our minds. The more ‘altered’ accounts we view, the less in touch with reality we become. Unfollow or mute these accounts to control when you’re looking at them and remind yourself they are not always as they appear. Additionally, intentionally following a diverse range of accounts can help create a more realistic experience on social media sites.

4. Turn off notifications. Riding the high of getting alerts fuels our stress hormones. Our bodies and minds cannot sustain this high level constantly without future damage. Additionally, we begin to associate ‘likes’ with self worth, tying our value to external validation. After you post, turn off the notifications and set a time to check your phone later and with a time cap. 

If managing social media use and its negative impact feels like too much to handle on your own, there’s no reason to feel shame. The world of social media is designed to keep us addicted, and that addiction can rewire the rewards centers in our brains. Asking for help is a sign of strength.

Anytime we can identify that something is too much for us to handle by ourselves is a great time to start therapy. Match with one of our great therapists here at the New York City Psychotherapy Collective today who can offer support in understanding the impact social media has on your mental health and how to engage in healthy coping mechanisms to reduce these negative impacts. 

Follow the steps below to get started:

• Click here to share some information about you so that we can match you with the perfect therapist for your needs.

• Have a low-pressure, 20-minute call with your therapist to make sure they are the right fit.

• Schedule your first session and start on your journey to feeling better right away.

We offer specialized services for related issues like Anxiety, Depression, LGBTQ Affirming Therapy, and Therapy Specifically for Young Adults. We can help you feel less overwhelmed, more relaxed, and more like the self you want to be.

Contact us here to get started today!