Social Media and Mental Health

In a world where many people hold in their pocket or wear on their wrists handheld computers that keep them aware of what’s happening at every second of everyday, where can we draw the line with our relationship with social media? More and more information is coming out regarding the impacts of social media on mental health. Whether it is how much to use it, when to put it down or strategies to create healthy distances from social media, we live in a world where social media is a way to keep connected with one’s community and the world around - but at what cost?

According to McLean Hospital, “Social media has a reinforcing nature. Using it activates the brain’s reward center by releasing dopamine, a ‘feel-good chemical’ linked to pleasurable activities such as sex, food and social interaction. The platforms are designed to be addictive and are associated with anxiety, depression and even physical ailments.” As a fellow user of social media, I have a lived experience of how these resources can improve mood while at the same time perpetuate the fear of missing out (FOMO) - and thus unwanted mood symptoms. Below are a few suggestions that have helped me and I have suggested to my clients when it comes to relating to social media for a season in life or longer term until reassessed by your therapist and/or supports.

Review your social media apps/websites and determine which ones serve you and which ones cause distress. Take time to see what sites and apps you’re using. As you’re reviewing them, assess why you keep them, if they improve your mood more often than not and either delete/hide/block any that cause increased distress more often than less. Sometimes making apps/websites inconvenient to access can make one’s relationship to social media more intentional.

Consider using a timer for the sites/apps you keep. Some clients I have suggested this to over the years have benefited from using their phone to set up timers on how long a website/app can be used once per day. Once that timer is exceeded, usually an hour/day, that social media is inaccessible from the device until the next day.

Put your device to bed at night. I acquired a charging pad for my device and I realized once I put my device “to bed” my relationship to sleep improved significantly which helped me realize that late night usage of my technology wasn’t serving me. 

Consider the use of internet filter software. Although some resources are more effective than others, some clients and friends I know use internet filters to block websites in general for a season. This requires having an ally who can hold passwords to make sure the sites being blocked don’t get unblocked. This can be done through your device with a built-in filter or buying software that can be downloaded to your device.

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Lou Lim, LMHC, REAT is a licensed mental health counselor and registered expressive arts therapist (REAT) with a master's degree in Expressive Therapy and Mental Health Counseling from Lesley University. He is a member of the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association and on the committee for REAT credentialing. He has 13 years of experience in counseling and expressive therapy working with children, adolescents, teenagers, adults, and retirees.

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