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Thanks to social networks and messengers, millions of people can communicate with family and friends thousands of miles away every day. This option has gained particular value during quarantine restrictions and closed borders due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Facebook, Instagram and others are a kind of platform where everyone can express themselves and be heard. This is important for marginalized groups who have the opportunity to find like-minded people on social networks and exchange ideas. Social media has also become a platform for publicizing crimes and discrimination.

Effects on sleep and mental health

Dependence on social media leads to the fact that a person spends most of his or her time online, neglecting real contacts with family and friends, attending various events, sometimes sleeping. Researchers from the University of Glasgow have shown that excessive obsession with social networks (more than 5 hours a day) can lead to sleep deprivation, depression, and sometimes memory loss.

Underestimated self-esteem

Social networks distort the perception of appearance. Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat make it possible to apply filters to photos, thanks to which anyone can look different. Researchers at Harvard Medical School McLean say that teens who are active users of social media and at the same time go through puberty and hormonal changes, suffer the most from the “gap” created by filters between reality and the image on the screen. This contributes to the development of depression, which exacerbates impulsive, i.e. rapid and reckless behavior.This is due to the fact that adolescents are underdeveloped frontal lobes of the brain, which are responsible for restraining emotions.

Social life

In a study published in the ‘Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology,’ the authors argue that the use of social networks increases rather than reduces feelings of loneliness. Reducing the amount of time spent in messengers or news feeds helps you feel less lonely and isolated. This improves well-being in general.

Willpower is an exhaustive resource, so at the end of the day, when a person is tired, self-control may weaken. You can turn off data transfer on your smartphone or use programs that help track and control the amount of time spent on social networks.