Social media is a contradiction, it can both be self-destructive and self-building. Regardless of hating it or loving it, social media has become an essential part of our lives, we can’t live without it, even if we really wanted to. It’s an inconvenient truth: social media is as integral to our lives as coffee is; we need the hit.
We can complain about it, question its ethics, and even briefly imagine a world without it, but we won’t leave it behind. Why? Because it’s no longer just a platform; it’s a digital ecosystem where we eat, shop, learn, and occasionally spiral into existential dread.
But here’s the catch. If the average person spends six hours a day in this space, it must be more than just entertaining; it must be safe, nurturing, and healthy. And right now? It is a toxic, overstimulating rabbit hole that’s shaping not just our routines but also our minds and behaviours.
The social media paradox is connection and inspiration wrapped in a shiny package of anxiety and self-doubt.
These digital platforms are our 21st-century companions, the digital equivalent of a best friend that we can carry in our pockets. It’s how we celebrate milestones, learn new skills, and keep up with people. But it’s also a breeding ground for social comparison theory the psychological itch to measure our lives against the carefully curated, mostly made-up highlight reels of others.
A 2022 survey by Pew Research revealed that 64% of teenagers feel pressured to look good on social media, while 43% feel obligated to post content that earns likes and comments. Adults aren’t immune either. LinkedIn’s polished profiles and Facebook’s slightly unpleasant updates can leave anyone feeling inadequate. It doesn’t stop at mental health. Physically, endless screen time is linked to poor posture (hello, tech neck), disrupted sleep cycles, and even increased risk of obesity due to inactivity. Picture this: slouching on a couch, with our head bent downwards and just scrolling all our ‘worries’ away.
While it has its negatives, negating the good would be an injustice to all the benefits it has brought to our lives.
From free online courses to networking platforms, social media provides access to education and career opportunities that would’ve been unimaginable a decade ago. It’s given us the tools to become better versions of ourselves, whether it be education, career, or just our personal identities. Comparison is the thief of joy; that’s what the saying is, but at times, seeing others thrive often inspires us to set goals, adopt healthier habits, or pursue new skills. Yes, sometimes it’s hard to “keep up”, but motivation is motivation, and ‘a win is a win’. Staying in touch with friends, family, even long-lost acquaintances, is as easy as a touch on a screen. Finding communities that align and accept your principles, your values, has created this connection with people that cannot be underappreciated just because there are disadvantages as well.
At times, social media can be a perfectly curated nightmare, but we have to understand that anything in life will both have the good and the bad; that’s just how it is.
These digital platforms are the same, from airbrushed bodies to idyllic lifestyles, the flood of “perfect” imagery creates an unrealistic standard that chips away at one’s self-esteem. We’re constantly reminded of what we aren’t, instead of celebrating who we are.
A 2021 study by Microsoft revealed that the human attention span has dropped to just 8 seconds, less than a goldfish. We are all walking, talking goldfish. Endless scrolling and snackable content mean we’re losing the ability to focus on anything for longer than the time it takes to double-tap. It’s terrible, but guess what? Content creators know this now, and that’s how content is being generated, trapping us in this rabbit hole.
People on social media share, or rather, overshare everything from daily vlogging to sharing minute-by-minute updates. This oversharing has led viewers to think they know the creators personally, which then leads to online hate and cyberbullying, leaving lasting scars. A Pew Research study highlighted that 59% of teens have experienced some form of online harassment.
Wellness isn’t just about downloading a meditation app or pretending a weekend digital detox will solve everything. It’s a layered, complex state that weaves together mental, physical, financial, emotional, and even spiritual health. So, when we discuss social media’s impact on our wellbeing, we can’t just slap a “mental health” sticker on the conversation and call it a day. That’s like patching up a sinking ship with duct tape; a well-meaning but laughably poor attempt.
Yes, social media has harmed our collective wellness in ways that are glaringly obvious. It’s become a breeding ground for anxiety, self-doubt, and an endless cycle of comparisons. A study by Harvard University on Youth Behaviour and social media released the findings that receiving ‘likes’ triggered similar neural responses as monetary rewards, reinforcing addictive usage patterns, which is in return caused teens who spend more time on social media to be more likely to experience self-esteem issues due to social comparison.
But it has also handed us incredible tools for self-improvement; from guided workouts that trick us into thinking we love exercise to financial advice reels that make us feel momentarily responsible and even self-help apps. The real challenge isn’t about erasing these platforms from our lives but in reclaiming the space and rethinking how we use them.
Completely abandoning social media isn’t exactly realistic either. It’s like deciding to live in a white room without windows and doors, in a world where even refrigerators come with Wi-Fi. But there’s a way to make it healthier, to turn it from a source of stress into something sunny.
It starts with managing your feed, surrounding yourself with voices that inspire and challenge you rather than those that quietly erode your confidence. It means setting boundaries that remind you social media doesn’t own your time, whether that’s app-free dinners or scrolling cut-offs before bed.
There’s also something powerful in pausing before you post, asking yourself if what you’re about to share adds value or is just a subtle or crude cry for validation. And in a world where fake news and algorithmic manipulation are the norm, educating yourself on how content is tailored to you can be a lifesaver.
Ultimately, wellness is about balance. It’s not about perfection but progress—about navigating the messy middle where social media becomes less of a vortex of comparison and more of a tool for connection and growth. It’s about finding peace, not in unplugging entirely but in learning to plug in on your own terms.
Social media isn’t inherently good or bad—it’s a mirror reflecting the best and worst of us. It can drive us to greatness or leave us drowning in toxicity. The responsibility lies not just with platforms to make their spaces healthier but also with us as users to engage more intentionally.
Because in the end, the real question isn’t whether social media is ruining wellness; it’s whether we’re willing to take control of how it shapes our lives, we’re the ones on social media, we are the ones that have made it into this place.