The incidence of mental healthcrisis in students has been on the rise in the last 10 years and there is increasing evidence that social media can serve as a considerable factor. Connection platforms have become spaces of unceasing comparison, data fire, and online stress. In the case of numerous students, the outcome is the increase in anxiety levels, low self-worth, and unhealthy reliance on online approval.
Comparison culture is one of the key driving forces. They make the students exposed to what other people mention to be highlights of their lives as perfect grades, perfect bodies, perfect achievements and they create a skewed vision of the world. This never-ending comparison brings out a sense of incompetence, failure and self-doubt, particularly in an as yet not established identity among adolescents.
Dopamine-generated behavior is also perpetuated by social media. All likes, sharing, or commenting are micro-rewards, as a result, students have to look at their phone over the course of the day. This overtime develops some form of digital addiction whereby the attention, motivation and mood depends on online interactions. Anxiety and irritability tend to take the place of these anticipated (rewards) when they do not manifest.
The mental health issue is also becoming apparent as there is increasing incidence of:
- Generalized anxiety
- Social phobia and fear of missing out (FOMO).
- Insomnia as the result of night-time scrolling.
- Lack of concentration and educational exhaustion.
- Online criticism and comparison of self-worth.
Students make the feeling of connection online, but not everyone has effective real-life assistance. Stressful media, cyberbullying, school stress, and content suggested by algorithms will all lead to a higher degree of stress, and young minds cannot cope with it.
The most effective but smallest strategies that could help the students to mitigate the psychological impact would include the limitation of screen time, no-phone hours before sleep, unfollowing provoking accounts, prioritizing in-life communication, and learning digital mindfulness. Schools, parents, and colleges have a major role to play in promoting healthy technology habits as well as providing the system of mental health support.
MBH/PS