Deleting social media improves mental health
4 min read
Deleting social media can allow you to divert time into more useful activities. | Brett Jordan / Unsplash
DEVON MACHANDE
Staff Writer
I deleted all social media from my phone back in May 2021. Prior to doing so, my average screen time was about six to seven hours a day, and I was constantly on my phone. I came across a Ted Talk called “Live in the Moment: Delete Social Media” and ironically fell down a rabbit hole of people who quit social media and were talking about how life-changing it was. I was initially just going to take a week’s break from it, but I felt so much better mentally and physically that I decided to keep going. The benefits of deleting social media are far greater than any you can gain from keeping it. Therefore, you should delete social media from your phone.
We have become a society that values online connection as much as an in-person connection. A Wall Street Journal article said that “22 million U.S. teens use Instagram each day, and more than 40 percent of Instagram’s users are 22 years old and younger.”
Our self-worth and happiness are affected by how many likes we can get on a picture we upload. For example, Etactics explains that when we see positive feedback on a post, our brain releases dopamine, which leads to social media addiction. Additionally, an article by Forbes presented a study that found when the subject was shown a photo with more likes, the brain’s reward center was activated. This illustrates that our brains are heavily influenced by social media not just on a superficial level, but on a chemical level.
Although social media can increase dopamine and activate the brain’s reward center, multiple studies have proven that social media can be linked to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and more. The results of a study covered by Forbes concluded that “[those who] reduced their social media presence were less lonely and depressed compared to the control group.”
UMW students agree that social media can be detrimental.
“I think that social media is generally more harmful for younger kids,” said Emily Koberlein, a sophomore English major. “Online bullying and isolation within friend groups can become easier behind a screen, and the younger the individuals are, the more difficult it can be to address and understand those situations in real life.”
Many people internally compare themselves to people they see online, which is dangerous for younger users who are constantly being shown images of what their bodies should look like or how their lives should be.
“I think with all the new platforms it’s easier to affect a child’s self-esteem and views on body image,” said Miranda Colbert, a junior creative writing major. “It’s like anyone can just hop online and share their views no matter what they are.”
According to an article from Medium, “social media has a negative effect on our attention span, and … the span is narrowing, due to the growing amount of information we are exposed to every day.”
This is demonstrated by the app TikTok, which provides an abundance of stimulation in a short amount of time. With these unlimited distractions at our fingertips, we put a pause on productivity, therefore negatively affecting our lives.
Colbert shared that she struggles with being distracted on her phone.
“I have to set my phone on the other side of the room if I need to do something important,” she said.
If social media is so detrimental, why do people still use it? Effectiviology has two possible answers: “[users are] simply unaware of its harmful influence” or “in some cases, people are aware of the harmful influence that social media has on them, but they don’t care enough about these dangers to want to change their behavior.”
After deleting my social media accounts, I noticed that I became detached from people I wasn’t very close with. This highlighted who my real friends were since they were the ones who remained in contact with me beyond social media. One aspect of not having social media is that you have to come to terms with being out of the loop, whether that means missing out on pop culture jokes or celebrity drama. This is not necessarily bad, though; I found my productivity in both my school and personal life increase.
Everyone would benefit from deleting their personal social media accounts. Waking up from the haze of being so focused on how you are perceived in an online space and becoming more engaged with the world around you is so important. You will find yourself enthralled in other hobbies and activities. I no longer get distracted from what I was doing and find myself scrolling endlessly on social media.
