social media seems to have taken over the lives of the people. Experts are concerned whether this technology has a negative impact on the mental and Physical Health of the nowadays generation. According to Medical News Today, people who constantly check their gadgets for emails, texts or notifications are reported to have higher stress levels.
Constant checkers are found to be more disconnected from their family. Some would rather interact with their family through gadgets instead of face to face conversation. In this regard, digital detoxification is now being promoted in the hope of preserving mental health.
The effects of social media in numbers
In a survey conducted by the American Psychology Association, almost half of the adults in the United States felt that they could not survive without a smartphone. It further revealed that only one percent of the same age group does not own an electronic device, that almost 90 percent owns a computer, and more than half has a tablet. It is not a surprise to know that 74 percent are subscribed to a smartphone.
In 2005, there were only around seven percent of adults using social media. However, in 2015, the figure has significantly risen to 65 percent. Almost all young adults, with ages between 18 to 29 years old, are hooked into their social media accounts.
No wonder that Facebook and Instagram have a strong base of two billion people. For teenagers aging 13 to 17 years old, they are more likely to use Snapchat and Instagram.
Major impact of social media on a person's well-being
Studies have shown that people who spend lots of time on social media tend to have a high risk of developing loneliness and depression.
Johan Bollen, an associate professor of Indiana University School of Informatics and Computing, said that people who are active on social networks are not very popular with their friends and are also less happy. The researchers attribute the users’ unhappiness as a result of constantly making a comparison to the happiness of their friends.
The use of social media has also caused people to be socially isolated which greatly affects their mental health. People are inherently social creatures, but, instead of bringing them together, technology has brought isolation at an epidemic level among young adults. Experts are now trying to determine the truth: whether social network has a negative effect on a person’s happiness, or there are simply more unhappy people tuned into social media.
