Personal Experiences with Social Media’s Impact on Mental Health
- molloycommunicatio
- May 30
- 5 min read
Written by: Mauricio Cueva
Social media platforms have become a daily aspect for many, which we utilize to share and connect with others. However, there are concerns about the complex issues that arise with social media growing in popularity. Many individuals have shared their own experiences with how social media has impacted their mental health.
Astrid Andrade, a 21-year-old part-time psychology student, shares that she uses the social media platforms Instagram and TikTok. She mentions that she spends about 5 hours a day checking out both sites. She expresses that she never experienced cyberbullying and that none of the people she knows have experienced cyberbullying. In regards to social media's impact on mental health, she says that it caused her to compare her looks and way of living to other people on social media platforms. Astrid shares that "People only let you see what they want to see. They can highly edit their photos and recordings to create stories of fake vacations and make themselves seem like they're the happiest people alive." She mentions that social media "100 percent" impacts how people interact with each other in society; she says that the youth prefer not to go out and interact because of social anxiety due to a concerning lack of social skills due to their devices; often causing individuals to lack empathy and awareness of others. In regards to steps social media platforms can take to impact the mental health of their users, Astrid says, "Spreading awareness of different ways to get mental health for those struggling with negative thoughts, like encouraging therapy."
Community Member A, a high school student planning to major in pre-med, shares that the social media platforms she uses are Twitter, Snapchat, Discord, YouTube, and Roblox. She mentions that she uses it about 4-5 hours a day. She expresses her experience of cyberbullying, that she was harassed at 13 by a friend who began stalking her and left vulgar comments on her Youtube channel and Roblox private messages. Community Member A emphasizes that it had left a negative impact on her life and that others should be more careful and seriously adhere to the guidelines in place for the protection of the youth, "People should make sure what their kids are navigating, not just social media but the internet carefully and makes sure they are entering their true ages to the account to protect them from creeps." She mentions that social media has set unrealistic expectations for beauty standards and that it has negatively impacted the way people communicate with each other by allowing them to have less accountability for their actions on social media platforms. She expresses that efforts that social media platforms have made often never fulfill their purpose; she explains that parental controls can be completely ignored or even overridden by kids who know how to change settings on social media accounts.
Community Member B, a high school student, shares that she uses the following social media platforms: TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, Roblox, and Discord. She says that she uses about 7 hours a day, sometimes more. She expressed that she had been cyberbullied and experienced sexual harassment in online games. Community Member B shares: "Yeah, social media can have both positive and negative effects on your mental health. It can be used as a means to express yourself and just scroll for entertainment, but also it can make you feel alone." She says that social media contributes to unrealistic standards of beauty and that when she compares herself with others on social media, she is left almost always feeling unattractive. She expresses that social media has caused a lot of online references to make their way into everyday conversations, which she finds funny. Community Member B feels that social media platforms can't do much to leave a lasting positive impact on mental health.
Community Member C, a high school social studies teacher, shares that he uses YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Reddit. He says he uses each social media platform at least once throughout the day, usually spending more time on them at night. He expressed that he never experienced or had anyone close to him experience cyberbullying. He feels social media has negatively impacted the youths, causing shorter attention spans and a means of unnecessary distractions. In regards to whether or not social media has set unrealistic beauty standards, he says that he doesn't feel it has and that if you can't differentiate between what is fake and real, it is a personal problem. He mentions that social media has a draining effect by explaining his habit of scrolling right in his bed before sleeping, causing him to sometimes lose sleep. In regards to whether social media platforms can do anything as it relates to mental health, he says, "No, I don't think there is anything that these platforms can do; the most effective thing to do would be for us all to get offline and personally solve our problems by speaking with friends, families, or even strangers just someone in the real world, so we can build worthwhile experiences in order to grow and mature as individuals, which a video can't provide."
I often use social media, and my time spent on it varies depending on my schedule. Most days, I spent about an hour and 30 minutes scrolling through social media platforms. I never experienced cyberbullying, nor do I know anyone who underwent cyberbullying, excluding the people I interviewed. I think social media has impacted my mental health in the aspect that it's hard to compare your life to others; even though some posts are manufactured, I don't believe most are. However, I know social media can be a good thing in terms of maintaining connection; my grandmother is happy she can see all her children and grandkids through Facebook to see how they are doing due to her kids being sparse out throughout the United States. I do feel social media has set unrealistic expectations of beauty, but then again, I believe beauty is subjective. In regards to whether social media impacts how individuals interact with each other daily, I believe it's true because in every conversation I've been in, whenever the conversation gets awkward or too serious, there is always one person in the room who takes out their phone as a distraction, I am guilty of doing this as well. My opinion regarding what social media can do to help mental health is to spread awareness of issues that some individuals may be facing and encourage methods to combat these issues, such as taking a break from social media platforms for a day or two.
As of February 2025, Smart Insights reported that 62.6% of the world uses social media, with 5.02 billion people active online. Currently, the number of users continues to increase. It's essential to take a step back to acknowledge the impact of social media on mental health and how it varies from person to person.
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