3 Painful Ways Social Media Can Impact Women
Social media is an integral part of our lives. It has become so popular that it’s nearly impossible to go a day without checking in on social media feeds.
While social media comes with a lot of benefits, it is important to be aware of the consequences women face when using social media. In this blog post, we will go through three ways social media impacts women and how to think about social media use in our daily life.
1. Social media can impact women’s self-esteem and mental health.
Women’s self-esteem and body image may be negatively affected by social media. There is a fine line between social media being used as an educational tool, and it becoming toxic for your mental health.
A Harvard study found that young girls who spent more than two hours on social networks experienced feelings of depression or anxiety by the time they reached the age of 14. But this also goes for women of all ages.
When scrolling through photos on Instagram, it’s easy to get caught up in the lives of others and compare yourself to these idealized versions of our peers.
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2. Social media can be a source of judgmental comments and bullying.
Another negative effect of social media on women is that it may be a place for judgmental remarks and bullying. The more likes, follows, shares, and comments you receive, the more popular your account will become.
This can be seen as a source of validation for women to achieve their social media goals, like having an impressive number of followers or getting tons of likes on each photo. But what happens when they don’t?
The consequences are usually hurt feelings, exclusion from groups, bullying, and more. Women also are opened up to more forms of harassment. If you feel like someone is bullying or judging you through social media, the best response is to unfollow them or block them.
3. Social media can cause feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Women are more likely to feel lonely and isolated following the use of social media. When scrolling through social media, it’s easy to compare yourself to others who are spending time with their loved ones or having fun at the beach on a beautiful day.
It becomes all too easy to feel alone when you don’t have these things in your life. It’s important to keep in mind that the “highlight reels” of our peers are not always as perfect as they seem.
Social media is a double-edged sword. It can be used to connect us with loved ones or it can rob us of time, privacy and mental health.
The point isn’t that social media is bad for women in every way but rather that there are many factors at play when considering the impact on an individual’s life.
If you think you would benefit from additional support for your mental health, schedule an alignment call today.