WACO, Texas — Social media has been gaining popularity over the last decade. Reports released from "Statista" estimate there were just under 1 billion users in 2010. That number was up to 4.2 billion in 2020.
A study by the Child Mind Institute shows that 66% of teenagers and young adults who spent at least three hours on social media every day reported depression. That's compared to just 13% of those who don't use it every day.
"We know social media just paints an extremely unrealistic picture of life," Dr. Liz Jodoin with Mantra Health told 25 News. "We tend to post idealistic pictures and a lot of it might not even be true, it's just to promote an image that we want. Then of course there's this huge push to keep up."
Filters, alterations, and carefully staged photos make it nearly impossible for real life to match social media.
"A lot of times adolescents and teens that don't know that or fully understand that, think if their lives don't look like that they think something is wrong with them or they are not good enough and that eats away at their self-confidence and self-esteem," Child Therapist with the Heart of Texas Behavioral Network Katie Chadwell said.
"You don't realize how almost toxic it can be," Dr. Jodoin added. "This is hard, but how do you not internalize it? How do you view it more as content or dare I say entertainment than the truth?"
Spending too much time on social media can not only impact young people's mental health but also reduce their social skills.
"Instead of having these real-life connections, they very much are basing their popularity we can call it on their followings or how many likes and comments they get," Chadwell said. "They're starting to find these people they call their best friends online instead of real-life connections."
The impact of social media goes beyond just teenagers. Adults can also feel the added pressure to keep up with their colleagues.
Experts recommend people of all ages limit their time online.
"I don't want anyone to think I'm saying no social media or it's all bad, there's good parts to it too," Chadwell said. "Just like anything else, it's all about moderation and not letting it be your whole world. There's other people in your world who care about you and it's important to connect with them as well."
