We can sit here all day and claim that social media is harmful. However, it may be impossible to prove this claim without the facts. For this reason, we've compiled some of the most concerning statistics about the harmful effects of social media.
Higher Risk of Mental Health Problems
A study has revealed that kids who spend more than 3 hours on social media have a higher risk of developing mental health problems. To put things into perspective, internet users all over the world spend an average of 2.45 hours a day on social media, according to a new report. This means that every single day, your child is 30 minutes away from developing mental health problems if they use social media the average number of hours as other users across the world.
Another study found that 13% of kids aged between 12 and 17 suffered from depression, and at least 32% of the population suffered from anxiety caused by heavy social media usage.
Increased Risk of Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying has become so common lately that it's even been normalized. Gone are the days when people used social media to interact with friends and family and establish genuine relationships in the virtual world.
Nowadays, cyberbullying is the new norm. A recent survey revealed that 42% of cyberbullying incidents occur on Instagram, one of the largest social media platforms in the world.
Higher Risk of Suicide
Multiple studies have linked social media with increased suicide rates, especially among individuals between 13 and 34.
A 10-year study was conducted to analyze the risk of suicide among teenagers. The study found that the risk of suicide among individuals in that particular age group was directly proportional to their social media usage.
In other words, the study discovered that the more people used social media, the higher their chances of committing suicide. The research also concluded that the risk of suicide was higher among females than males.
The Risk of Addiction
What's the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? For most people, checking social media is the first thing they do when they wake up. If you or your loved one is constantly on social media, it could be a sign of addiction.
Social media addiction can affect your productivity at work and even harm the people around you. For example, distracted driving is one of the most common causes of car accidents across the United States. But did you know that most of these accidents occur because some drivers are always browsing social media while driving? This is a sign of social media addiction, which is harmful to your mental health and overall well-being.
Addiction to social media can also affect your concentration. When your mind is always on social media, chances are you'll have a shorter attention span when it comes to things that matter.
Have you ever wondered why most people tend to fall asleep just a few hours into studying but can go hours browsing social media late into the night? This is because their brains are conditioned to zone out of things that matter and focus primarily on social media.
Lower Self-Esteem
This is probably the most common dangerous effect of social media addiction. Frequent use of social media will make you jealous of other people's lives and achievements. In addition, you'll begin to doubt yourself and undervalue your own achievements.
Here's how it happens:
Let's say you're a teenager. You've probably come across many teenagers making good money on social media. The worst part is that almost everyone on social media wants to motivate and inspire.
This could only mean one thing; the need for inspiration and motivation wouldn't exist had there been no market for such content. In other words, the current generation is depressed and uninspired more than ever. Addiction to social media is partly to blame for the feeling of hopelessness.
As people begin to doubt their own progress and undervalue their achievements, they begin looking for validation on social media. But social media isn't usually the best place to seek validation or comfort.
More Cases of Defamation
Social media has replaced traditional newspapers. Most people believe the content they read on social media more than in traditional newspapers and magazines. As a result of the increasing popularity of social media and the influence these platforms have in spreading information, the problem of defamation isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Defamation is when one party intentionally spreads false or misleading information about another party for the purposes of achieving a particular result. Since defamation on social media mostly occurs in writing, it is legally considered libel.
In other words, libel is a term used to describe intentionally publishing false information about another party to damage their reputation.
Libel, especially on social media, can be dangerous. Many innocent individuals have lost the trust of their loved ones due to these malicious actions. On the other hand, many business owners and professionals have suffered serious consequences of libel.