India has second largest internet subscribers in numbers. More and more people are using Smartphones and there by consuming social media in one form or the other. We live in a time of almost an app or platform for each of our needs- from entertainment, shopping to banking, education and grooming.

Why social media creates problem for mental health?

Social media is quite addictive. We all users are its victim- whether it is scrolling the Instagram feed or Facebook wall or YouTube shorts or using E-commerce websites. What is started as consumer friendly, easy to use service product for ease of living in case of e-commerce has become such an addiction for all of us. Whether it is Amazon or Myntra or any other platform.

The advent of OTT platforms has resulted in increased time spend on social media and their by increasing over all screen time.

The online gaming apps like pubg or Ludo and the online contesting platform like Dream 11 are quite addictive. Apps giving loans online without much paper work also create an urge and option to live beyond the means.

The pictures and videos of self and family are constantly being posted on one or the other social media platform like Facebook, Instagram or on dating apps like Bumble or Tinder or on marriage match-making apps and websites like Jeevansathi etc. are also affecting the mental health due to constant validation or rejection by virtual world of friends, to be friends and unknowns which has become so essential for us that we keep on seeking that and getting affected by that.

The lure of monetization of channel has enhanced the animal spirits further and it has started to become a craze to earn a living through social media platforms like Instagram. 

So where does mental health appears in the picture?

It appears right from buying the smartphone to reaching the stage of the effect on ability to concentrate, effect on cognitive abilities and sometimes leading to heinous violent crimes. The issue of Mental Health arises in the following cases-

Buying a smartphone- given the glittering and huge market with so many options a person suffers from problem of plenty. Beyond the choices, the pricing and brand value also affects our psyche and mental health due to validation and status symbol attached. For example- a woman in West Bengal sold her child to buy an iPhone.

It has been scientifically proven now that consuming too much social media reduces our attention span, retentive capacity and cognitive ability.

Creation of competition in terms of followers or likes/dislikes or any other issue which may turn into jealousy leading to violence and vengeance. It adversely affects the mental health and morality.

Rising culture of consumerism reaching directly to us through E-commerce website by regular sales and discount messages and pop-ups prompts us to buy something or the other, even if not needed. Those who do not have money take loan from the Chinese loan apps and face the harassment in loan recovery leading to commiting of suicides by borrowers in many cases.

We hear many cases of cheating and fraud through social media. These frauds are of three types-

Using a person to do something for example spying or sharing of sensitive documents by luring through social media by exploiting human vulnerabilities.

Creating deep fakes or morphing the picture and blackmailing a person

financial fraud by taking advantage of financial and digital illiteracy of the person as has been portrayed in Netflix series Jamtara.

In all the cases the person feels cheated the mental health is affected.

 

 

Rumour mongering, hateful comments on the videos/pictures posted by people on their social media accounts, sharing of fake news, doctored videos and photos have led to suicide and violence leading to death of many. Recent incident of killing by RPF constable inside the train is a case in point of its affect on mental health.

Constant competition related feed and sharing of success stories of those who passed affects mental health of those who could not pass the exam even after their best efforts. Many students commit suicide, go into depression or feel anxiety.

In the name of show casing reality, we witness large scale use of foul words, portrayal of gruesome violence and explicit nudity on OTT platforms. It leads to mental sickness by glorifying violence, commodification of women and justifying negative acts and emotions many times. It has indelible imprint of impressionable brains of youngsters. It affects their mental health when the gap between virtual and real becomes too heavy for them to bear.

Therefore, smartphone with social media is a new toy in our hand with which we have to learn how to play effectively in order to be able to live with mental peace. Some of the steps which are easy to adopt in this regard are-

Using time limit feature for apps in our smartphones. This feature is available in all smartphones nowadays.

Using parental locks in our smart TVs and smartphones and other internet enabled gadgets being used by the adolescents and younger ones.

Practicing meditation for at least 15 minutes every day.

Cultivating a hobby- like singing, painting, dancing or even as simple as talking to a child, and giving time to it on regular basis.

Playing an outdoor sports or doing some exercise daily.

Being connected with friends and family in real life, checking-in on them, talking to them and sharing our feelings like daily routines, what we feel, how we feel etc. with them.

Keeping a healthy work-life balance.

Minimizing junk and packaged food and increasing the intake fruits and salads in our diet.

Remembering God, if you are theist or just be grateful for the life and people you have if you are atheist. 

Real necessity and created necessity by advertising and marketing are two different things- learn to differentiate between them and it will help in achieving great mental peace.

Mental health is as necessary as physical health for our optimum productivity and functioning. Hence, by taking some small corrective steps in using and consuming social media, we can achieve the goal of mental peace and enhance our experience of life.

 

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