Many adults laugh at the idea of “social-media depression”. Many adults over 40 years old will deny that it exists and say the idea comes from the foolishness of young people who over-invest in the fun boxes in their pockets.
Even adults under 40 will sneer at it. They will act like they have never believed a word that was said to them by anyone else. As if all their knowledge came from pure, empirical willpower, they did not learn anything, thought nothing and did nothing because of something they heard outside of themselves. This is obviously not true.
We will discuss social media depression today. We will also discuss why and how it manifests itself in adults.
This is all done to help you understand the struggles of young people without judging them.
What is Social Media Depression (SMD)?
Let’s begin with a very simple question: what is social media depression, exactly? What makes it different from the normal depression that a teenager may experience?
It is best to begin by thinking about normal depression. Depression is caused by a number of hormones, but they all combine to produce a person who has a negative attitude. Healthy minds can overcome obstacles while focusing on the things they can control. A human mind that is depressed can’t focus on this.
Depression is more than a negative reaction to the environment. A person’s surroundings can cause a negative response. Depression can also be a reflection of how a person perceives themselves in the face of negativity.
A person may be justified in being angry about, for example, getting bad grades. As soon as a person gets angry at themselves for getting bad grades, it can worsen their mental health.
Social Media and This
It’s possible that you already have the pieces in place, but let us explore them further. Information technology is social media. It is used to communicate not only on an interpersonal level but also at a societal level. The majority of people get their news from social media.
Social media are used by many, both young and old to get to better know one another. People can use it to create a picture of themselves. This opportunity can sometimes feel like an obligation, especially for young people.
The sense of self is less firmly established in younger people than it is for older people. Since they have spent their entire lives depending on adults, they will value any messages that are broadcast by adults via social media.
Social media can be antagonistic towards a teenager. This will cause them to lose their grip on the unformed person they are. Teenagers will react if social media tells them that they’re entitled, spoiled and foolish. In the best case scenario, they’ll have to expend emotional energy trying to figure out why this message is wrong.
The worst case scenario is for the teenager to come to view themselves in the same negative light as the negativity directed towards them on social media.
Why don’t teenagers just ignore social media?
The million-dollar Question Why not just turn off social media?
Answer this question by asking another. Should a teenager stay in if the world outside is dangerous? Should a teenager not attend school if it is difficult? Basepoint Academy’s studies show that solutions to problems that begin with “just” or simply are oversimplified.
Ignoring social media can be as bad as ignoring schoolwork or peers. If teenagers do this, they become isolated.
They don’t take part in the same conversation as everyone else. Social media participation has a diminishing return. One can survive without engaging in a conversation which makes them depressed. Social media is not always so antagonistic that simply turning it off solves the problem.
Truth to Tell Lies on Social Media
If Kim Kardashian says to a teenager they’re not working hard, the teenager may feel as if they are running from conflict by responding that they don’t care what Kim Kardashian has to say. Adults will recognize that Kim Kardashian is not trustworthy, her rhetoric is self-serving and she doesn’t care if she’s right or wrong.
It is rare that a teenager can deal with such nuance in their own. The question of whether they work hard enough or not is not only new and fair but also comes from Kim Kardashian, or Abraham Lincoln.
Social media is abusive to young people in this way. Sometimes they don’t know how to leave without losing things that are irreplaceable. This “something” could be your self-esteem, the opportunity to communicate with friends or form an opinion about something new and exciting.
The conclusion of the article is:
Social media can help or hurt teenagers in their quest to discover themselves. It hurts more now than it helps. However, a teenager will only be able to give up social media if they are armed with a tool, method or space that allows them to do so.
Be careful before you judge someone who is distressed by social media.
