Summary of Issue
- Addictive Nature: Social media can be highly addictive, leading to excessive use that impacts real-life interactions.
- Comparison Trap: Constant exposure to others’ highlight reels can lead to feelings of inadequacy and loneliness.
- Decreased Face-to-Face Interaction: Time spent on social media often reduces the time available for in-person interactions.
Introduction
Social media platforms have transformed the way we communicate, offering instant connectivity and a window into the lives of others. Social media can be an excellent tool for fostering social connections, though it also has the ability to cause harm. Excessive use can contribute to social isolation, disconnection, and loneliness. Understanding why this happens and exploring solutions can help mitigate its negative impact on our social lives.
Why this Barrier Exists
Social media, with its constant stream of updates, notifications, and interactions, can lead to addictive behaviors and negatively impact social connections and social health for several reasons:
Several factors contribute to this barrier:
- Addictive Nature: Social media platforms are designed to be engaging and habit-forming, leading users to spend more time online. This drive to overuse drives the business models of these platforms and daily efforts are being made to increase usage of the platforms.
- Comparison Trap: Viewing curated and idealized versions of others’ lives can lead to negative self-comparisons and feelings of inadequacy.
- Decreased Face-to-Face Interaction: Excessive time spent on social media can replace in-person interactions, reducing opportunities for meaningful connections.
- Cyberbullying and Negative Interactions: Negative interactions online can lead to stress, anxiety, and social withdrawal.
Expert Insight
The Canadian Alliance for Social Connection and Health recommends “that individuals use technology actively to facilitate social connection while carefully monitoring for how their use makes them feel. When technology use displaces social interaction, distracts, or causes emotional distress, users should avoid continued use of that technology.” (Lail et al., 2024)
Recommended Solutions
To reduce the negative impact of social media consumption on your social health, consider these strategies:
- Set Time Limits: Use app settings to monitor and limit the amount of time spent on social media each day.
- Make time to connect with others face-to-face: Allocate more time to activities that foster social connections, such as talking to strangers, engaging in hobbies, sports, or community events.
- Curate Your Feed: Follow accounts that promote positivity and unfollow those that lead to negative feelings or stress.
- Take Social Media Breaks: Regularly disconnect from social media to engage fully in real-life interactions and activities.
- Mindfulness Practices: Practice mindfulness to become more aware of social media usage and its impact on well-being.
By increasing consciousness of our social media consumption habits, we can reduce the negative impacts on our social lives and foster stronger, more meaningful connections and social health with those around us.
Community Resources / Solutions
To help manage the impact of social media consumption, various organizations and groups across Canada provide support and opportunities for improved social connection and social health.
- GenWell
- Description: Is Canada’s Human Connection Movement and is working to educate, empower and catalyze Canadians around the importance of their social health.
- How it Helps: They provide tips, tools, resources and campaigns that can inspire social connection for all Canadians
- Contact Information: Visit website at www.GenWell.ca for more information.
- 211 Canada
- Description: A free, confidential service that connects people to local community and social services across Canada.
- How it Helps: Provides information on community programs and services that can help individuals stay connected and supported.
- Contact Information: Phone or Text: 2-1-1
- Volunteer Canada
- Description: Connects individuals with volunteer opportunities across Canada, fostering community engagement.
- How it Helps: Provides opportunities to meet new people and build social connections through volunteering.
- Contact Information: Email: info@volunteer.ca
- Meetup
- Description: A platform for finding and building local communities, connecting people with similar interests.
- How it Helps: Encourages participation in local social groups and events, reducing isolation.
- Kids Help Phone
- Description: Provides confidential support to youth across Canada through phone and text services.
- How it Helps: Offers counseling and mental health support, including but not limited to issues related to social media use and cyberbullying.
- Contact Information: Phone: 1-800-668-6868, Text: CONNECT to 686868
Further Reading
- Verywell Mind: Discussion of how to identify negative social media usage patterns.
- Dove Medical Press: examining problematic social media use and its correlates to mental health in post-secondary students.
- Mental Health Commission of Canada: Expert discussion on factors affecting mental health.