They have been an integral part of our lives in recent years but, undoubtedly, social media have managed to influence our psychology to a significant degree, causing many insecurities, obsessions, stress and sadness.
Users are increasingly experiencing symptoms of addiction, according to scientific researches conducted, as 6 out of 10 (63%) Americans connect daily to Facebook and 4 in 10, more than once during the day. At the same time, the interaction options available to each user (likes, comments, posts, etc.) “create” the need for repetition and expand his dependence on social media, due to his desire for acceptance and self-promotion.
It is not uncommon for the user to get to the point of comparing his life with the versions that others present on social media, which are often fictitious and do not correspond to reality. This has a profound effect on his psychology, creating a number of problems, according to the psychologist. More than half of media users in the UK – 53% in particular – pushed themselves to adapt to social media “standards” and 51% began to feel sad because of the unequal comparison with fictitious socially acceptable users profiles.
As it is understood, this “vicious circle” of comparison that leads to changes in the way of reaction and behavior turns out to be extremely psychedelic for everyone, as it makes him feel “naked” without the use of social media on a daily basis and “incompetent”, if he fails to adapt himself to the standards of other users.
In a recent study, the University of Michigan confirmed the above after it was found that those who used social media on a daily basis, felt more sad and unhappy than those who did not engage in social networking systematically. Most of the users in the survey showed symptoms of depression and were afraid of “losing” activities or anything new that came up on the respective social network.
In a more unfavorable position, of course, are the minor users of social media, as, due to their young age, they have not yet managed to “shield” themselves from negative influences. Adolescent social media users between the ages of 12 and 17 seem to accept the normal use of substances such as cannabis, as well as smoking and alcohol consumption.
In particular, 40% of adolescents surveyed admitted that in many of their photos they appear under the influence of substances – in other words, it is found that young people are not only addicted to substances harmful to their physical and mental health, but do not hesitate to make it public in order to gain the acceptance of the rest. In addition, there has been a large increase in cyberbullying among teens through social media, with 95% of young people admitting to being aware of cyberbullying and 33% being victims themselves.
This data make us all think about the limits of the utilization and abuse of technology that is offered to us and it is extremely necessary to open new avenues for research, prevention and treatment to combat such unpleasant phenomena.
SOURCE: https://www.semifind.gr/news/view/Nea/5098/pos-ta-social-media-epireazoyn-tin-psyhologia-mas
