We live in an increasingly digital world, and we know it’s impacting and influencing our mental health.

Pre-pandemic data from the Canadian Internet Survey reported by Stats Canada suggests social media use negatively affects everything from our sleeping habits to how much physical activity we get and how well we can concentrate on everyday tasks.

According to the report, one in eight or 12-14% of social media users also reported feeling:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Frustration
• Anger
• Envy by comparison (ie., scrolling and seeing other people’s lives on social media creates feelings of envy)

“Many young people report being online with friends, family and others almost constantly . . . but some young people’s online behaviours have had such an effect on their lives that they have been labelled as ‘problematic,’ according to the Government of Canada’s findings from the 2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Study.

If this resonates with you or someone you care about, you’re certainly not alone.

“Social media, in particular, has become a key source of news and information over the past few years,” says Dr. Monica Vermani, Clinical Psychologist and Author of A Deeper Wellness: Conquering Stress, Mood, Anxiety and Trauma.

The trouble is that “social media is a largely unregulated platform, rife with over-stated, unsubstantiated, unreliable, and highly questionable news sites that rely on attention-grabbing, sensationalizing, and fear-mongering tactics that employ pseudoscience, conspiracy theories, and highly manipulative misinformation to generate traffic and ‘clicks’ that monetize their online businesses,” she explains.

“This relentless exposure to negative stimuli fuels negativity, fear, and self-doubt, and hijacks and overwhelms habitual users’ critical thinking abilities,” she adds.

Young Adults Deserve More Than a Side of Anxiety and Depression with their Connections

For young adults, it’s arguable that increased accessibility and acceptability of social media use has worked to increase social connections.

But online connections may not be a suitable or sustainable replacement for real world experiences during this critical life stage. What’s more, they may be contributing to anxiety and depression.

“Young adults are in a state of transitioning into full adulthood, a process that involves distancing somewhat from their family of origin and establishing themselves in intimate-partner relationships, living on their own for the first time, and pursuing careers,” says Dr. Vermani.

“At this stage in life, building strong social networks and relationships with others is crucial to their sense of self and connection to the world,” she adds.

Unfortunately, problematic social media use has been associated with anxiety, depression, and weaker relationships and connections, according to the HBSC study report.

How Social Media Contributes to Feelings of Depression and Anxiety

“What we focus on expands, and this includes exposure to and habitual consumption of the negative messaging that has expanded since the start of the pandemic,” says Dr. Vermani.

How the social media and negative news consumption cycle exists, according to Dr. Vermani:

1. Social media feeds negative thoughts
   Social media feeds negative thoughts or anxiety by reinforcing and perpetuating them. Dr. Vermani says social media-influenced negative thoughts, beliefs, and mindsets can significantly impact consumers’ mental health and exacerbate symptoms of depression or anxiety.
2. Social media fuels negative thoughts
   Social media fuels negative thoughts by adding gas to the fire of dread, worry, fear, stress, anxiety, hopelessness, and depression that lead to catastrophizing worse-case scenarios, panic attacks, or suicidal ideations for those with anxiety and depression.
3. Social media can make existing mental health conditions like anxiety and depression worse
   Dr. Vermani explains that increasing habitual doom scrolling negatively impacts sleep, worsens mood-based symptoms, and leads to lower productivity, decreased mental acuity, and ability to deal with real-life stressors and responsibilities over time.

Healthy Consumption: How Much Media Is Too Much Media?

Too much of a good thing is bad news, and social media is no exception.

Dr. Vermani says that regardless of the quality of media consumption, too much time on media of any kind — including social media — is linked to feelings of depression and low self-esteem.

This happens, she explains, “often as a result of self-judgment, as a result of over-exposure to the unreal and/or unrealistic standards and facades perpetuated on all forms of media and social media.”

She adds that frequent or obsessive use of screens can:

• Exacerbate feelings of disconnection and loneliness (ie., feeling lost).
• Increase physical or mental isolation as screen use is largely a solitary endeavor that drains energy and steals time viewers/users would typically spend connecting with friends and/or family members.
• Lead to social anxiety (fear of scrutiny, judgment, and evaluation) and social unease or awkwardness.

“Exposure to fear-inducing headlines, conspiracy-based content, and apocalyptic forecasting triggers the fight-or-flight response, in particular, which sets off a continual stream of cortisol — the stress hormone,” she explains.

While cortisol is fine in small doses, over time, the brain and body become exhausted by the high levels of this stress hormone, she adds.

“This contributes to a host of medical problems (including immune system function, digestive issues, weight gain, blood sugar levels, and heart disease) as well as mental health issues and cognitive impairment,” says Dr. Vermani.

The University of British Columbia confirms that excess cortisol in the blood can cause a variety of symptoms, “including high blood pressure, weight gain, thinning of the skin, easy bruising, poor wound healing and many others (sometimes referred to as Cushing’s syndrome).” Unmanaged overtime, this can lead to adrenal disorders and deeper health complications.

Signs It’s Time to Seek Support

Warning signs that social media consumption is becoming problematic include:

• Increased procrastination around life tasks and responsibilities
• Relentless need for stimulation (with anxiety, agitation, and boredom when away from screens)
• Obsession with negative cycling through current events even when performing or engaging in other tasks or social situations
• Mindless consumption of media
• Obsessive preoccupation with creating and sharing online content
• Guilt and shame of ‘time-wasting’ when on social media for over two hours per day
• Conflict with a partner, parents, friends, and/or an employer
• Diminished self-esteem due to a failure to measure up to the unrealistic lifestyle, financial and beauty standards portrayed on social media
• Increased fear of missing out (FOMO)
• Neglect around self-care, exercise, relationships, and hobbies due to time spent on social media

Tips for Building Emotional Resilience Against Negative Effects of Social Media

 “It’s important that individuals in this age group take steps to build resilience to the negative impacts of over-exposure to doom-and-gloom social media and traditional media,” Dr. Vermani recommends.

This requires first recognizing when you’re engaging in catastrophizing, and working to challenge the likelihood or actuality of worst-case-scenarios taking place, and then examining and reframing negative thoughts.

Here’s what this looks like in more detail.

• Build awareness around the number of hours per day you spend on screens, media, and social media
• Tune-in to how a sensationalized article makes you feel
• Admit when technology use has become problematic
• Commit to change by limiting message checking and screen time
• Take a break from social media to help restore balance and perspective
• Start a buddy system to help with accountability
• Practice thought-stopping (a cognitive-behavioral technique used for ending obsessive or anxious thoughts).
  • Try this: The next time you have difficulty turning off a negative thought, simply imagine a red stop sign. The power of engaging your imagination works to help curb negative thinking and rumination, says Dr. Vermani.
• Create mindful moments by briefly disengaging from screens to reconnect with themselves through breath or movement.
• Limit engagement in social media to when daily life tasks, responsibilities, and goals are complete
• Stay focused on the here and now. Making sure the here and now involves spending time doing things that bring us joy will keep us grounded in the world around us, and actively engaged in life, adds Dr. Vermani.
• Use positive affirmations, mantras, life-affirming sayings, and slogans that act as touchstones and reminders of the good in the world, other people, and ourselves
• Seek help to gain control of problematic habits and negative impacts related to over-exposure to screens and media when they cannot do so alone.

Dr. Vermani says when mood, anxiety, and self-esteem are negatively impacted by social media exposure, a primary care physician or family doctor is a great first step to accessing treatment options.

 “People with mood, anxiety, and attention disorders often rely on self-soothing by scrolling on devices to alleviate symptoms of anxiety or distract from uncomfortable feelings. A mental health professional can help address the underlying cause of such problematic behaviors,” she says.

When You Need More Support: The My Path Young Adults Program at Ravensview

When social media or negative news consumption feels like it’s become all but too much or you’re not seeing results when changing behaviours, please bear in mind there are other options for support.

The My Path inpatient treatment program was designed with evidence-based programming, including group programming with other clients who are working on similar issues, so you can access real-world, in-person connections to others in your age group and professionals trained to understand behavioural compulsions, obsessions, and addictions.

We See Your Story as Unique

Our multi-pronged approach to fostering and establishing healthy connections and mental wellness in young adulthood means you’ll access treatment that acknowledges your uniqueness and supports you long-term.

You Should Know…

You don’t have to get sucked into the social media cycle of negative thoughts, anxiety, depression, or worse. You can learn how to cope with negative news and social media comparisons, navigate online relationships,and how to unplug for your overall mental and physical well being.

The My Path program is specifically and strategically designed for adults aged 19-25 years from all cultural and social backgrounds.

Our dedicated team of multidisciplinary professionals recognizes excessive or problematic social media use as another behavioural addiction similar to gaming and gambling. We also understand that you may be engaging in these types of behaviours as a means of coping.

We treat problematic use of technology as a symptom and we help you get to the cause of why you’re engaging in these behaviours in the first place.

While everyone’s story is unique, connecting with others in these in-patient community-based groups offers opportunities for developing the life-changing connections social media just can’t replicate or compete with.

Our expert staff are also equipped to support you with life stage challenges at the same time including, but not confined to, transitioning to adulthood, and questions around sexuality, identity, self-esteem, and social dynamics.

To learn more about what the My Path program can provide, please go to: https://ravensview.com/programs/young-adults/

Resources

• Stats Canada. Canadians’ Assessments of Social Media in Their Lives.
• Monica Vermani, clinical psychologist and author of A Deeper Wellness: Conquering Stress, Mood, Anxiety and Traumas. Personal interview. December 2022.
• University of British Columbia. Adrenal Disorders.