Thursday, 28th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search
Breaking News:

Six Ways Social Media Will Kill You

By Zubair Abdulahi
03 September 2018   |   11:00 am
Social media is very important in our lives today. It makes connecting with friends, clients, partners and strangers easy. It is also a great tool for accessing information while serving as a market for businesses to find customers. About three billion people across the globe are on one or more social media networks. This represents…

Social media is very important in our lives today. It makes connecting with friends, clients, partners and strangers easy. It is also a great tool for accessing information while serving as a market for businesses to find customers.

About three billion people across the globe are on one or more social media networks. This represents about 40% of the world’s total populace.

On average, we spend between two to sixteen hours online every day, with teens spending more hours online than older people. With the “always online” feature of most social media networks, many of us are only a notification away.

However, social media usage may predispose us to great risks to our mental and physical health. These side effects are related to our mental health and wellbeing, and also include great risks to our physical health. Some side effects of social media on our health include

Depression

Drowning in social media. Photo: The Insiter

A link between social media use and depression has been identified. This suggests that people previously battling low moods could be tipped into clinical depression due to the quality of interaction on social media, cyberbullying and engaging in arguments on these platforms.

Addiction

Researchers have found that social media addiction could be as serious as nicotine addiction. Also, people addicted to social media exhibited physical withdrawal signs and symptoms when access to social media was revoked.

Loneliness and envy

Envy from following the activities of other users on social media may lead to comparisons between one’s finances, body image, and successes to that of other users. This may lead to low self-esteem and feelings of extreme loneliness.

Sleep disorders

Most social media users are active the most at bedtime. Due to its addictive nature, their activities often spill into their allotted sleep time. This affects one’s health as sleep is essential for good health, and a lack of it leads to a variety of complications. Persistent disruptions in sleep patterns may lead to sleep disorders.

Sedentary lifestyle

young cell phone addict man in bed using a smartphone

With social media sites accessible on mobile devices and computers, many users are often stuck to their seats or beds while using these platforms. This leads to long hours of inactivity and a lack of exercise.

Eye problems

Using the internet. Photo: California State University

Having eye problems is a complication that may result from constant exposure to screens when using social media.

0 Comments