How Social Media Affects Mental Health & Tips for Setting Boundaries With it

It is no secret that social media is a driving factor in today’s society. It is easy to find yourself aimlessly scrolling without even realizing and comparing all aspects of your life to people you may or may not know while swiping and scrolling. Social media can have a profound impact on our mental health in ways you may realize and ways you may not.

Today, we want to share some ways social media affects your mental health, as well as some solutions and boundaries you can set for yourself to help!

 Ways Social Media Affects Mental Health:

• Addictive

• Social media is designed to be addictive. The spontaneous outcome of scrolling to see what is next actually releases dopamine in your brain, leaving a reaction similar to when someone is using a slot machine at a casino.

• Comparison

• When using social media, it is common to compare your life and appearance to others. Social media is a highlight reel of what people want you to see, and many people lose sight of reality while scrolling.

• Isolating

• The University of Pennsylvania conducted a study in which they found that those who reduce their usage of social media actually feel less lonely than those with excessive or heavy usage of social media.

• Depression

  • Heavy use of social media has been linked to depression, anxiety, loneliness, and even self-harm or suicidal thoughts.

Tips for Setting Social Media Boundaries:

• Give yourself a set amount of time each day to scroll

• By monitoring the amount of time you spend on social media, you can prevent yourself from some of the negative feelings that come with it. Try downloading an app that controls how much time you spend on each app or turn on ‘Do Not Disturb’ so you’re not constantly receiving notifications!

• Leave your phone to charge in your bathroom at night

• Charging your phone in your bathroom instead of next to your bed allows for you to go to sleep without the temptation of social media before bed. Those who don’t scroll on their phone right before sleeping or right when they wake up have an easier time with morning/night routines, which helps set your day up for success.

• Unfollow or mute accounts that don't promote well-being

• If it doesn’t make you feel good about yourself or your life, you do not need to follow them. In fact, it's healthier for you not to! Try to think of social media as a place for positivity and community and curate it with only accounts that make you feel good.

• Mute your notifications

• By muting your social media notifications you will be less tempted to view it throughout your day. iPhones have a ‘Do Not Disturb’ feature that you can turn on whenever you’re working, sleeping, or just need a screen break.

We hope you can find some of these tips to be useful in your journey towards protecting your mental health!