Can Social Media Make You Less Social?

Imagine that… social networking sites that were created to bring you closer to your friends and family and enhance your sociability, are actually making users lonely, antisocial and and socially anxious.

These negative side effects of social media are rooted in the idea that the more followers you have on Twitter, likes you get on Instagram and comments on your Facebook post, the more popular you are. We can all relate to checking our most recent Instagram posts to make sure it is bringing in the likes- or else we have to delete it. Studies show that there is a direct link between this desire to be “liked” and the anxiety and paranoia that can lead to social isolation or loneliness. Pair this desire to be “liked” with the beautifully photoshopped photos, that are liked/favorited by millions, of celebrities that cloud many timelines and users can be left to feel inadequate… asking themselves “why can’t I get that many likes? I must not be pretty enough…”.

Even if you are a lucky one who doesn’t care about how many likes/comments/favorites you get, it would be hard to say that you never compare the lives of celebrities on social media to yours and feel a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out). This FOMO only feeds the feelings of inadequacy and social anxiety which lead to depression and loneliness.

There are even studies that show that users can become addicted to Social Media Sites, just as they can drugs or alcohol. This addiction poses a threat to physical and psychological well-being and interferes with performance at school or work, and staying away from Facebook is viewed by users as an act of ‘self-sacrifice’ or a ‘detoxification’.

Next time you find yourself bored, why not read a book, write a letter, or call a friend instead of texting… it may turn out to benefit you in the long run.