THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON MENTAL HEALTH: EXPLORING THE CONSEQUENCES AND THE POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS

 THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON MENTAL HEALTH: EXPLORING THE CONSEQUENCES AND THE POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS

By:

Favour, EKEKWE

University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus

ABSTRACT

From time immemorial, social media has become an integral part of modern society, transposing the way we communicate, share information, and connect with others. However, the increasing prevalence of social media platforms has also brought about a host of concerns regarding its impact on mental health. This essay seeks to explore the consequences of excessive social media use on individuals' mental well-being, shedding light on the negative consequences that can arise from constant exposure to curated online content alongside the way forward towards an improved mental, using Nigeria as a case study.

1.0 INTRODUCTION

As a onetime victim of social media, Favour was a brilliant and confident young lady. It was easy to document her life by sharing pictures on her stories, and connecting with her friends. The shift started, when she began comparing herself to the seemingly perfect lives of other women, she saw on social media. Gradually, self-doubt, low self-esteem, anxiety and isolation became her reality. It became a struggle for her, to find joy in the things that used to bring her enormous happiness.

Social media is simply a means of interaction among individuals in which they exchange ideas and information in virtual networks. According to Davis Jennings, social media are interactive internet apps that enable users to create and share content. On the other hand, mental health is basically the emotional, psychological and social wellbeing which reflects and affects a person’s actions, thoughts and feelings. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is a state of wellbeing in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.

Unarguably, social media’s impact on the mental health of individuals cannot be shoved aside nor downplayed. This essay will be an eye opener to the general effects of social media to persons, especially those who lack the capacity to navigate through the cons of it.

2.0 SOCIAL MEDIA vs. MENTAL HEALTH: THE NIGERIAN CASE STUDY

According to Data Reportal’s statistics, detailed analysis by the team at Kepors shows that there were 5.07 billion social media users around the world at the beginning of April, 2024 equating to 62.6 percent of the total world population. More so, according to statistics, there were about an estimation of 103 million internet users in Nigeria at the beginning of the year, 2024. Out of the above, Nigeria was said to have about 36.75 million social media users as of the start of 2024, equating it to 16.2 percent of the total population. It is worth noting that there is rapid growth in the use of social media in Nigeria, and the majority of the users are young persons estimated between the ages of 17 to 35. 

A study published by the African Journal of Information and Communication Technology (AJICT) discovered that the use of social media was linked with high level of stress and likely, depression, among university students in Nigeria. In the world today, particularly in Nigeria, social media has at one point created new possibilities for connection and at another point created deep cracks in our society. Social media has without a doubt become a very significant part of daily lives of individuals mostly in Nigeria.  As platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp have become rampant and ubiquitous in the Nigerian life, they also have the challenges they present for mental health.

Essentially, since social media has grown rapidly and has made communication and connections easier, it has also led to a complex set of challenges for mental health in Nigeria. Alas, social media has severe consequences on mental health

3.0 CONSEQUENCES OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON MENTAL HEALTH

Social media has diverse impacts and consequences on mental health and these effects ranges from minimal to serious consequences, which depends on an individual’s usage patterns and predilection. In as much as social media has caused more harm than good to the mental health of its users, we can’t fail to dispute that it have positive effects to the mental health too.

Some of the positive effects of social media to the mental health are:

Social media has brought about self-consciousness and awareness in the sense that it has allowed people explore and navigate through interesting interests.

Also, social media to most people is a means of relaxation and comfort in difficult times.

Social media provides means for individuals to properly express themselves through writing, art etc. 

Some of the negative effects of social media on the individual’s mental health are:

Social media creates a ground for delusional comparisons, leading to the feeling of low self-esteem.

Social media tend to bombard users with different activities and informations and trying to keep up with these can lead to stress and tiredness and at worse, anxiety.

Unarguably, social media is a major source of distraction, laziness and procrastination. When individuals are always on social media, wiling away time hence leading to less productivity or no productivity at all.

A lot of users abuse social media to the extent that they forget to sleep or get less hours of sleep, thus, leading to tiredness and decreased mental health.

Again, due to the presence of social media, there is less physical interaction and attention among families and friends. This can lead to broken emotional bonds.

However, the most recurring and prominent disadvantage of social media on people’s mental health is cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is the use of the internet to cause threat, stalking or harassment to someone. Cyber bullying has several consequences on mental health ranging from depression, anxiety, suicide thoughts, post-traumatic stress disorder known as PTSD and many more. Although, section 24 of the Cybercrime Act passed a strong warning to cyber bullies, cyber bullying has continually become an everyday thing, especially in Nigeria.

There are also different societal and cultural factors specific to Nigeria that can exacerbate the negative consequences of social media on mental health and they are: Religious and ethnicity unrest, Political instability, Gender inequality and patriarchy etc. these consequences of social media have left its victims to the mercy of a deteriorating mental health.

4.0 TOWARDS AN IMPROVED MENTAL HEALTH: THE WAY FORWARD 

It is now a standing fact that social media has ruined a lot of individuals psychologically, but, the good news is that there are measures which can help curb the harmful effect of social media on mental health as recommended below: 

Every social media user should have a schedule and set a limit on the period of time to spend on social media to avoid abuse.

Every social media user who is mindful of their mental health should be sure to engage in activities on social media that promotes positivity and good mental wellbeing.

Individuals who use social media should take a break sometimes especially when it gets really overwhelming and starts bringing negativity.

It is advised that social media victims should seek help and support from friends, family or even therapy.

Education is also a means of curbing the negative effects of social media on mental health as individuals especially young persons can be enlightened on the responsible way to use social media, how to identify cyber bullying, how to navigate social media in a positive way and how to seek help if they feel depressed or negativity in their mental health.

Additionally, there are some legal frameworks in Nigerian that could help address the negative impact of social media on mental health and they are: The Digital Rights and Freedom Act, and The Mental Health Act and many more. Section 15 (1) of the Mental Health Act, gives a person with mental health condition the right to appropriate, affordable and accessible physical and mental care services, counseling, rehabilitation and after care support. In the case of A.G of the Federation v Ayan Olubunmi, the Federal High Court in Ado- Ekiti, Ekiti State sentenced Ayan Olubunmi to two years imprisonment and a fine of five hundred thousand naira for posting the nude photos of his ex-lover Arare Monica. The court found Ayan guilty for violating the Cyber Crime Act. These are some of the legal frameworks established to curb and prevent the negative effects of social media on mental health.

5.0 CONCLUSION 

Conclusively, the connection between social media and mental health is broad and complex. While social media can create opportunities to empowerment and better life navigation, it can also lead to anxiety, stress and depression. In all, we all should have empathy, kindness and respect for one another in order to promote a healthier and positive online space. 

Michelle Obama once said – “your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Take time to check in with yourself and prioritize self-care”.