For the most part, the development of social media has provided a lot of benefits for the almost 2 billion people who make use of it. It has made the communication easier, cultures closer and the world smaller.
Nevertheless, there are some downsides to using social media. Often, people feel stressed, agitated and anxious upon viewing their feed. In fact, social media platforms like Facebook trigger negative effects enough to for people to develop depression and anxiety disorders because of.
According to a recent published research conducted by David Baker and Dr. Guillermo Perez Algorta from Lancaster University as reported by Science Daily, there is a strong relationship between online social media use and the development of depression.
The study examined literature surrounding social media and depression from 14 different countries and 35000 participants, aged 15 - 88. Their research showed that people are more likely to develop a mental illness from comparing themselves to other people on Facebook than when they make social comparisons in real life.
The study suggests that people are more predisposed to develop depression since social media allows for over thinking or rumination. Moreover, Algorta and Baker discovered that frequent posting on social media sites like Facebook makes it more likely for a person to develop a psychological illness.
Thankfully, there are ways you can avoid stress as a result of being in social media. According to a report by Huffington Post, choosing your friends wisely can lower stress levels and social anxiety. Only add people you know in real life. If you can, go through your list once in a while and unfollow those that make you feel uneasy.
Huffington Post also suggests taking time away from Facebook and other social media outlets. If your feed is stressing you out, you can always walk away.