Social media has gained an important place in our lives with the development of technology. The fact that access can be provided anytime, anywhere, with devices such as tablets and phones has enabled people to spend more time on social media. So, can something so accessible have harm as well as benefits for people? Of course, while the use of social media provides many easiness to our lives, it has brought physical health problems along psychological problems such as social media addiction, asociality, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders.
First of all, fake lives created on social media are assumed to be real, creating a feeling of jealousy in most people. The fact that those who do not have a luxurious and magnificient life are unhappy by watching them, believing that they will be happy only if they have such a life, and believing that other people are happier cause them to become depressed. In addition, bad comments that go up to insults under the posts, that is, cyberbullying, also cause depression because it affects individuals who use social media.
Another negative point is that while individuals think that they are socializing on the internet and social media, they actually become asocialized. Even though people are not aware of it, they spend more time on the internet nowadays. Instead of spending time on activities such as going to the movies, shopping, walking outdoors, etc. with their friends, they prefer to spend time with their phones at home and even keep in touch there. Apart from sociability with friends, social media also provides an asocial environment within the family. Instead of chatting at home as before, everyone now spends time in their own room. As a result of these, apart from asociality, communication breakdown also emerges.
On the other hand, besides psychological problems, it also causes physical health problems. For example, when spending time for long hours occurs inactivity, obesity, musculoskeletal system diseases and being exposed to the screen for a long time cause various eye disorders.
In conclusion, although it is not possible for us to give up on social media as it has become a part of our lives, we can ensure that both our psychological and physical health are less affected by these negative effects by planning its use.