Social media has become an essential part of our lives and lets you connect with other people and share happiness. We can share our selfies and how we spend our day with others and get instant impressions from other people. Instagram is one of the most popular social media sites on the internet. The thing which separates Instagram from other types of social media platforms is its method of sharing information and connecting with people. Unlike many different platforms which use texts and images, Instagram relies heavily on the image and videos as a primary source of information.
Instagram is a great way to see how your friends and relatives are doing. Approximately 37% of US adults use Instagram, and 6 in 7 adults have Instagram accounts. Most of the celebrities are on Instagram sharing part of their lives which makes it easier for you to know and connect with your favorite stars. Instagram also lets you connect with pages and brands so you be up to date with the latest fashion and trends.
While everything about Instagram may sound very grand, but it isn’t. Everything has its downsides when we do that excessively and Instagram is no different. While it can be a great tool to connect with your family and friends, it is also one of the big reasons for internet depression.
According to a research, which consisted of 1,500 teens and young adults, Instagram received the most negative rating for social media platforms for mental health and wellbeing. Apart from this, Instagram was also associated with a high level of anxiety and depression. Many people crave for online attention and validation on Instagram. In fact, many people buy Instagram likes for it.
Why is Instagram depressing?
Many of the reasons for anxiety and depressions from social media can be due to our high expectations from the outside world. We expect people to hit a lot of likes on our post and want to be the most popular among friends. Somehow, if we get fewer likes from our posts we often get frustrated and doubt out capabilities. It may be true that you are less popular than some person you know, but that doesn’t make you less capable than them. Being successful and popular are two different things and you can be successful without being popular.
It is common for millennials to get addicted to social media when they frequently use it. Addiction plays a big role in anxiety and depression. Additionally, spending too much time on social media can have a significant impact on our health. We may end up continuously scrolling through the limitless feed, which may disrupt our sleep cycle and we may end up getting less sleep. According to Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung –
“Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol, morphine, or idealism.”
Apart from serving as a source of depression, Instagram, like many other social media platforms, plays its role as a distraction. Spending too much time on Instagram or Facebook might divert you from your more important goals. Being not able to complete your work on time might also lead to anxiety and depression. You might want to cut off time on social media if you want to be more successful in real life.
We live in a society that is full of competition and everyone wants to do better than others in terms of comfort, earning, and lifestyle. Instagram is full of people who want to show off their lavish lifestyles and great cars, and it’s natural for people to compare our life with others. When we find our experience not as good as others on social media feed, we end up feeling depressed and dissatisfied.
What should you do about it?
Let these reasons not disappoint you to move forward, you can do great when you are determined and dedicated to your work. Popular influencers on Instagram spend a lot of money to buy instagram followers to appear more successful and prosperous than they really are. These pics are generally heavily filtered to make it look better on social media. Whatever we see on Instagram is a final product that is edited to look better than it actually is.
Social media is a great tool to connect with other people, but the main problem arises when we are obsessing too much about it. We are anxious about how many likes on the post we get; it can have a significant impact on our mental health. Its time to rethink our habits when a hobby turns into obsession. Do what makes you feel better: listen to your favorite music, go out for a walk, spend some time with people who care for you.
When you are comparing yourself with others, you are wasting your time thinking about how you can be someone else. Every one of us has limited time, and thinking and comparing yourself to others will only make you feel more depressed. The only person you should compare yourself to is you. Think about how you can achieve your desired goals, make a schedule, love what you do, and be consistent. Success will follow you when you are dedicated and determined to achieve your goals. French author and Nobel Prize winner Andre Paul said it best –
“The only person you should try to be better than is who you were yesterday.”
Conclusion
In the contemporary world, social media is one of the most significant factors which contribute to depression. It can lead to a bad self-image and harms our mental health in many ways. When we talk to our friends and our family through social media it makes us feel better. Even after having a lot of advantages, social media can make us feel anxious and depressed when we compare ourselves to others.
For some people, it might be challenging to overcome the addiction to social media and focus on their primary goals. Sometimes we waste a lot of time on social media without realizing it. To overcome its addiction one should try to make a schedule and set a limited amount of time to Instagram and try to stick to it. Dedicate more time to your hobbies, which will help you to stay away from social media. It will help millennials to focus on the bigger objectives which are more relevant and become more successful in life.
