Digital Nutrition – Impact of Social Media on Mental Health

Jocelyn Brewer, a Sydney-based psychologist, coined the phrase “Digital Nutrition” to characterize the impact of social media habits on our mental health and to provide advice on creating healthy digital habits and increasing our digital wellbeing.

“Digital Nutrition” is a guilt-free ideology that guides the deliberate and intelligent use of digital platforms, as well as the mindful consumption of digital content.

How might social media habits affect mental health?

Studies on the impact of social media use on mental health have yielded conflicting results. While some research has clearly stated that digital platforms may have negative health implications, others have highlighted the positive effects.

The mental health repercussions of social media use are mostly determined by the type of information consumed and the amount of time spent on various social media sites. Cyberbullying or exposure to violent, sexual, and hateful information can undoubtedly have substantial detrimental mental health consequences, particularly among children, teenagers, and young adults. Social and emotional relationships made through internet platforms, on the other hand, have the potential to improve the mental health of minority communities, which frequently face health inequities and chronic health issues.

A growing pool of evidence indicates that people who intend to compare themselves with digitally-enhanced images online, or compare their social media popularity with others are more likely to experience negative mental health consequences, such as anxiety and depression. Similarly, social media use has been found to trigger body image concerns and increase the risk of deadly psychiatric illnesses, such as eating disorders.

In contrast, it has been observed that certain positive social media experiences, such as having an online conversation with someone during lonely hours or making healthy social networks, are associated with happiness, meaning and purpose, physical and mental health, character, close social relationships, and financial stability.

In terms of the influence of social media use, evidence suggests that 1 – 2 hours of online exposure each day may assist children and adolescents. However, negative impacts are more likely when social media use takes precedence over other activities that improve wellbeing, such as physical exercise, sleep, and offline social interactions. Thus, for children and their family members to use social media safely, it is critical to convey clear scientific knowledge about both the positive and negative implications of its use.

Doomscrolling is a relatively new topic of research in mental health that describes an obsessive quest for melancholy and bad information on social media. During the most recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there was a significant increase in doomscrolling among social media users. Because of the pandemic’s unknown nature, people may have sought out any available information about the disease via the internet and social media, which is primarily negative news.

Constant negative news feeding can dramatically increase the risk of worry, fear, tension, and depression. Continuous scrolling can also disturb the sleep cycle and deplete energy. On a physiological level, continual scrolling is related with a constant supply of stress hormones such as cortisol to the brain. High amounts of stress hormones can deplete the brain and body, resulting in physical and mental health issues.

Strategies for a Balanced Digital Life

Understanding the pattern and frequency of digital practice is the first step toward improving digital health. There are numerous screentime apps available that may be used to set a time restriction and track the amount of time spent on various digital platforms. It is critical to limit digital habits to particular and more appropriate times.

It is critical to feel or notice the sensations generated in the body as a result of various digital or social media materials. If a person deliberately pays greater attention to unpleasant news, the body is more likely to transmit signals to persuade him/her to slow down. As a result, while scrolling endlessly, a person should be aware of how a single piece of content affects his or her feelings.

Another digital misbehavior that might have an impact on digital wellbeing is compulsive scrolling. People frequently waste time on social media or other digital platforms without giving it any attention. Thought pausing is a beneficial cognitive-behavioral approach for stopping obsessive or worrisome thoughts. This strategy may be useful for avoiding compulsive scrolling.

If your digital habits are interfering with your mental health, you must disengage from screentime through mindful movement. Breathing exercises and meditation may be beneficial in avoiding digital distractions as well as relaxing and refreshing the mind from unpleasant ideas. Physical activity also helps to raise the level of serotonin in the brain, which is a mood-enhancing neurotransmitter.

Children and adolescents are more susceptible to being swayed by digital and social media content. Parental and teacher guidance on how social media works and how social media activities should be seen could be a useful method for avoiding its detrimental mental health effects on children and adolescents. When it comes to social media use, parents should also establish a safe and compassionate atmosphere for their children.

To maintain a balance between online and offline life, parents should also engage their children in alternate extracurricular activities. Another critical method is to monitor the content to which youngsters are exposed daily. It is critical to encourage educational, inspirational, or humorous information while minimizing bad content for youngsters.

For more information: Satici SA., et al. 2023. Doomscrolling Scale: its Association with Personality Traits, Psychological Distress, Social Media Use, and Wellbeing. Applied Research in Quality of Life. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9580444/

Harvard School of Public Health. 2023. Is social media use bad for young people’s mental health? It’s complicated. Available at: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/is-social-media-use-bad-for-young-peoples-mental-health-its-complicated/