Social media has revolutionized the way we communicate with others and stay on top of life events and news. Many have come to rely on social media for these benefits, and it has become an integral part of their lives. However, although there are benefits, social media can also have negative effects. This article explores some of these negative effects of social media.
Many understand that social media includes online platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, but it is also much more. The formal definition of social media is the way individuals interact with one another and create, share, and exchange information on online platforms. This includes any online platform. Social media also includes platforms such as:
These online platforms can be accessed through any technology, such as phones, laptops, and tablets.
Social media has made it easier for individuals to communicate with each other. Unfortunately, this includes individuals with negative or hurtful things to say. This increases the chances of being cyberbullied online. Additionally, since social media is online and not in person, it can encourage individuals to comment and use words they would not generally use to someone's face. This may happen because it can remove the personal nature of communication, and individuals may forget that behind the post or profile is a person.
Dopamine is a feel-good hormone that the reward center of your brain releases. Many factors influence the release of this hormone, but social media can also trigger it. As you use social media and connect and talk to family and friends, dopamine is released.
This release is natural, as dopamine is released during human connection. It helps to ensure that you continue to connect with others around you and can improve your mood and motivation.
However, the use of social media, especially social media apps, has increased the amount of communication and connection you can receive. This results in an increase in the amount of dopamine your brain produces. Additionally, using algorithms on social media exposes you to advertising and products that may interest and excite you, resulting in a further release of dopamine. Over time, your body can get used to this dopamine release, and as you get used to it, your body will start to look for ways to receive that dopamine boost. This could be by spending longer on social media and feeling unable to reduce your time spent on it.
While connecting with others through social media can be great, it allows you to glimpse others' lives. This can cause you to compare yourself to other individuals. This comparison is not always equal, as many social media posts are staged and unreal. Social media can also encourage people to share a sanitized "highlight reel" of life rather than sharing honest feelings and situations. This can increase pressure on yourself to be more "perfect" and "happy," the way others only appear to be, resulting in feelings of not being good enough and depression.
One of the lesser-known negative effects of social media is fatigue. Here, two types of fatigue can occur: social media and adrenal fatigue.
Every day, your brain takes in information, processes it, and stores it. While your brain can do this, there are limitations to it. When exposed to social media for a long time, this constant processing can overwhelm your brain and exceed its limitations. This can cause social media fatigue, which is the overload of information due to the extensive use of social media (1). Due to the addictive nature of social media, many individuals are at risk of developing social media fatigue. There are many different symptoms of this type of fatigue, including (2):
Another potential side effect of social media fatigue is that it may deter your fitness progress. A recent study focused on using social media before a resistance workout and found that the group exposed to social media before the workout used a lower load. The reason for the reduction in load was found to be mental more than physical. If this were to continue on a long-term basis, this would affect the individual's performance (3).
Adrenal fatigue is another form of fatigue that can develop when using social media. Cortisol is a stress hormone that your adrenal glands produce in response to stress to help your body respond to the stressor. Once the stress disappears, the cortisol production in your body reduces. Your body also uses the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response System to manage stress.
Social media can influence this production of cortisol in many ways. The first way is that social media provides constant messages and notifications. While you can change your profile to "away" or "do not disturb," social media has created a culture of "always on" expectations. This pressure to respond and constant message notifications can activate your fight-and-flight system, increasing the release of cortisol. The addictive nature of social media can also affect your sleep and result in less sleep due to social media browsing. This lack of sleep is another stress to your body and stimulates your adrenal glands to release cortisol. Additionally, social media algorithms can expose you to distressing information. This can also activate your stress response system and increase cortisol.
Indirectly, social media can also increase procrastination and reduce work effectiveness. This can pressure you to meet deadlines, resulting in your body releasing cortisol.
Over time, this constant release of cortisol can deplete your adrenal glands and cause imbalances within the NEM system. This can result in Adrenal Fatigue(AF). This is the non-Addison's form of adrenal dysfunction, where the body's stress response cannot keep up with life's chronic stressors.
One circuit that can become imbalanced in Adrenal Fatigue is the Bioenergetics circuit. This circuit helps to convert carbohydrates, proteins, and fats into energy that can help to combat stress. The pancreas, thyroid, and liver are responsible for this conversion. An imbalance within this circuit can affect your body's ability to produce energy and reduce your ability to handle stress. Symptoms that can occur when this circuit is imbalanced include:
Several strategies can help relieve these symptoms, but it is essential to address the root cause, such as excessive social media use.
While the negative effects of social media can affect your life in many different ways, there are ways to limit it. These include:
Set up times when there are no phones or social media.Whilst social media can provide a place to connect with others, there are some negative effects to be mindful of. Placing boundaries on social media can help limit these effects.
If you are experiencing symptoms similar to adrenal fatigue, a recovery program such as Dr. Lam's Nutritional Adrenal Fatigue Recovery Program can help. This program can help regulate your nervous system and shift it back to the "rest and digest" response. It can also help to regulate your sleep and support your body with optimal nutrition as you recover. If you want more information on this program, call us at +1 (626) 571-1234 for a free initial call.
Sunil, Shweta, et al. "Social Media Fatigue: Causes and Concerns." International Journal of Social Psychiatry, vol. 68, no. 3, Feb. 2022, pp. 686–92. https://www.doi.org/10.1177/00207640221074800.
Zhang, Shiyi, et al. "The Development and Validation of a Social Media Fatigue Scale: From a Cognitive-Behavioral-Emotional Perspective." PloS One, vol. 16, no. 1, Jan. 2021, p. e0245464. https://www.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0245464.
Gantois, Petrus, et al. "Mental Fatigue from Smartphone Use Reduces Volume-Load in Resistance Training: A Randomized, Single-Blinded Cross-Over Study." Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 128, no. 4, May 2021, pp. 1640–59. https://www.doi.org/10.1177/00315125211016233.
Whilst the negative effects of social media can be experienced long term, there are ways in which to reduce them. One of the most effective ways is creating boundaries with social media and becoming aware of the effect it may have on you.
