The impact social media has on mental health

By Kathia Noriega Sports editor

As college students grow and adapt to the real world, social media has either evolved into a great tool to maintain a healthy social life or possibly become a huge distraction. Today, social media has grown to be such an integral part of people’s lives that keeping it from taking over our mental health and productivity is not easy.

Ariel Campos is a 20-year-old cosmetology student who uses social media as a way to inspire herself in her creative field of study. She recognizes trends in fashion and makeup on the internet and how they influence people in her community.

“I feel like [social media] has affected our generation in different ways,” Campos says. “It can be like fashion. I think TikTok has a lot to do with it, everybody really goes on that platform and gets a lot of ideas and inspiration.”

However, she knows that social media can also negative- ly affect her mental health. At times, she struggles weighing the pros and cons of her screen time.

“It has affected my mental health good and bad,” Campos says. “Because on social media there’s gonna be a lot of things that trigger something in a bad way, and it might bring me back to a certain memory or past.”

Psychological service counselors, like Perry Chen at Skyline College, agree with Ariel, believing that mental health is a critical issue that can be exacerbated by the standards that social media holds people to and showcases people as. Everyone is constantly presenting the highlight of their lives, which can have a strong influence on others within a community who may be struggling with their insecurities.

“I have definitely encountered students in my work where social media has not been good for their mental health,” Chen says. “Where they make comparisons, ‘I’m not x enough’. They just don’t feel like they measure up. Even though they know that intellectually, emotionally some people can still feel inadequate.”

Social media can make us fall into a trap of subconsciously comparing ourselves and feeling like we are missing out on different experiences. Whether that’s a trip to Europe or not eating healthy enough, we are constantly noticing what others have and more importantly, what we don’t. 22-year-old student Kathleen Vides can relate to the struggles of being an avid social media consumer. She knows how easy it can be to not only lose track of time, but also your sense of self in the comparisons.

“You could keep scrolling and compare yourself to others,” Vides says.

This never-ending cycle of scrolling to see what people are up to and subsequently comparing your life to what someone else is projecting theirs as on the internet can be draining for young adults.

Communications Professor Jessica Hurless also emphasized this concept of individual competitive comparison. As a communications professor who works with college students, she notices the different experience that comes with being a daily social media user.

“Social comparison is tied to self esteem and our perception of ourself,” Hurless says. “If you’re constantly comparing yourself to someone and feeling like you’re falling short, you’re probably gonna have more negative self esteem and then that’s gonna have an impact on how you value your worth. I think that can lead to mental health issues.”

Looking for social validation on various platforms is what a lot of users find themselves dealing with on a daily basis.

However, Vides explains her perspective on how social media can also be a powerful tool. As a student pursuing cosmetology,