How Does the Digital World Influence Our Mental Health? 3 Leading Causes + Tips to Limit Exposure
While helpful for work, school, and staying in close contact with family and friends, internet social media platforms have reached the point of overuse—and it is taking a toll on our mental health.
The amount of information available online is unfathomable.
We can:
Follow others’ personal lives, which sometimes includes intimate details
Learn critical information about happenings around the world
Forego waiting rooms and medical bills and self-diagnose symptoms
And much more!
In today’s post, we want to delve into the ways the digital world may be negatively affecting our mental health and how we can be proactive in limiting our exposure.
1. Social Media
Due to its reinforcing nature, social media activates the “reward” center of our brain, causing a release of dopamine—also known as the feel-good chemical. When we do not receive the reinforcement we are seeking, mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety can begin to arise.
According to a study conducted by Pew Research, approximately 69 percent of adults and 81 percent of teenagers in the United States presently engage on social media—putting a large number of people at risk for a decline in their mental health.
Because the rewards by social media use can be so sporadic, people keep coming back thinking that this time they will receive a positive outcome. People are displaying posts in the hopes that it will divulge a positive reaction and create a sense of belonging.
Fear of missing out—otherwise known as FOMO—is another driving force behind the consistent checking of social platforms. If all of your friends and family members are diligently spending time on social media, they may be seeing conversations, jokes, and even invites that you won’t be privy to. Missing out on these experiences can cause depression, anxiety, and loneliness to prevail. (Reference 1)
Online bullying within social media has also become a problem that is sending kids (and even adults) down a treacherous path.
Different from bullying experiences on the playground, here are 3 reasons why cyberbullying stands out:
Difficult to notice: Teachers (or bosses) may not follow your social media accounts, leaving them none the wiser to trouble brewing.
Permanent: If it’s not reported and removed, damaging videos, photos, and even stories are open to the public eye permanently.
Persistent: Giving us the ability to communicate 24/7 makes it difficult for the individual being bullied to find relief.
As of 2019, around 16 percent of school-aged children have alleged to experience some form of cyberbullying. (Reference 2)
Some things to consider:
Choose to only be on the platforms that gives you the most control over your feed
Avoid looking at social media before bed
Try to only interact online with those who will not create unnecessary drama
2. World News and Events
It’s understandable—and even necessary—to want to follow the news.
Once the COVID pandemic hit, it was difficult to shy away from news outlets, as they were keeping us updated on the latest information including tests sites, protocols, and quarantine.
Jacqueline Bullis, PhD., a clinical psychologist from McClean Hospital said, “Right now, there is a degree of uncertainty that is unprecedented for most of us. When uncertainty is high, it drives our brains to seek as much information as possible to feel in control.”
“In the long term, these behaviors are increasing our anxiety by feeding into this belief that if we have enough information, we can control what happens. The more we seek certainty over what will happen in the future, the more anxious we will feel.”
A few tips on how to stay in control of the news you digest:
Determine what type of news is helpful
Limit time engaging with news that doesn’t pertain to you
Remove unhelpful content from your feed
If the news you are receiving is giving you more opinions rather than informative and educational content, it may be designed to create anger, upset, panic, and alarm for ratings. (Reference 3)
3. Work-Life Balance
Since the massive shift of remote work occurred at the beginning of 2020, research shows that these remote employees are working longer hours than they were previously, creating a superstorm for burnout and depression.
Nearly 45 percent say that they are working over 40 hours during the work week and 70 percent of those who transitioned to remote now say they work weekends.
In addition to rising workloads to support client needs, workers are having to keep up with more communication channels and join additional meetings. Fear and uncertainty surrounding the economy and another pandemic also drives this behavior.
Cali Williams Yost, an expert in workplace flexibility says, "Managing the boundaries between work and life is a skill set people need and most didn't have before the pandemic and still don't. Simply handing an employee a laptop and downloading Zoom or some other collaborative software is not enough to help employees manage their work and lives through the pandemic and beyond." (Reference 4)
To create a healthy work-life balance, try these tips:
Understand that not all tasks are equally as important. Start with the highest priority and work your way down.
Set boundaries with both tasks at hand and the time slots you perform them in.
Unplug. Step away from your desk during your break and don’t answer work calls.
Limit Your Screen Time
If you’re one of those people who know and understand that your exposure to the digital world has gotten a bit out of hand, here are 3 ways you can begin to take baby steps in order to control your addiction:
Log off social media: Have you ever opened up an app and started scrolling only to realize you don’t remember tapping the app in the first place? Log out. Force yourself to go through the login process each time you want to mindlessly scroll. The mere inconvenience of it may help you to wean yourself naturally.
Delete the apps: Another way to cause inconvenience for your scrolling is to delete the app and use the browser. A much less user-friendly experience that may cause just enough annoyance to stay away from it.
Schedule your internet breaks: Maybe it is first thing in the morning over coffee, or possibly while dinner is cooking. Limit your exposure to casually browse the internet to only certain times of the day.
The MHT Difference
At MHT, we understand that differentiating between diagnoses can be quite difficult to accomplish.
Moreover, understanding the root cause behind a mental health condition may also be a challenge.
Is your patient’s depression stemming from:
A chemical imbalance?
Bullying?
A barrage of negative feedback?
Overworking?
Our assessments can help.
Contact us today to learn more about how the MHT screening tool works and let us take the burden off your shoulders.
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