By: Madison Hanraads December 10, 2024
madisonhanraads@gmail.com
SAN MARCOS- As seasonal depression knocks on many college students’ doors, social media may be what’s letting it in. How are students impacted by their online presence, and how can they maintain a healthy relationship with it?
The majority of college students in America have at least some presence online, many even making it their choice of career and finding great success. Still others carry heavier burdens from their time spent on social media.
Time spent on social networks like Instagram or Facebook isn’t inherently bad, but what many need to know is how to have balanced online habits.
The first step is understanding why it may be a problem. FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out, is a term coined by a generation that spends more time on its phones than any other. According to a study done by Baylor University professors, James A. Roberts Ph.D. and Meredith David Ph.d., approximately 75% of young adults struggle with FOMO.
The Center for Sociological Influence brings forward three unmet social needs that put people at a greater risk of experiencing FOMO. They are:
- Personal independence
- Competence to participate in the world
- Feeling of social connectedness
Rates of depression and anxiety have also been seeing increases in recent years as new apps, such as TikTok, have been introduced to American teens and college students.
It’s true that social media has had rippling effects in various aspects of users’ lives, contributing to heavily to struggling mental health and even extending into body image issues.
Lauren Chaffin, a certified dietitian and nutrition counselor, has been working with young women facing eating disorders since 2018. She walks her clients through identifying the source of their self-image and then through how they can take daily steps closer to a healthy mindset.
Chaffin says that social media usage has had weighty effects on self-esteem and comparison, and she connects them with deeper systemic issues.
“When society tells us that the primary worth we have is our bodies and the outside, social media can be a driver of comparison and can really cause negative mental health outcomes.” She said.
Chaffin recommends being conscious of the time that’s spent on media sites and what’s being viewed.
“Really look at those kinds of things with the critical eye and really pay attention to how you’re feeling as a result of scrolling for, say, half an hour.” She said.
Some advice she gives is this, “Ask yourself, what is the state of your mental health? Are you in a vulnerable place? Are you comparing yourself to the people on the screen? […] Use that critical eye.”
Kayla Bell, a student at Texas State University, spends a lot of time on social apps like TikTok and Instagram. Eight hours a day to be exact. She says this has had varied effects on her life.
“If someone says something, like, towards you, and they know they’re just trying to get at you, it can really get to you and affect your mental health, for sure.” She said.
Bell also spoke on how social media had been a good thing for her socially, even opening unique opportunities for her.
“Finding modeling gigs and stuff like that and having a broad expectation to find other people and opportunities throughout college is something social media opens the door to.”
In fact, many people, not just Bell, are finding their careers working in social media with clients of all types.
Texas State offers advanced social media courses to students who want to learn to leverage their online presence, work with clients to develop brand and learn marketing principles for social platforms. Through classes like these, students can learn how to use Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and more as tools to reach their professional goals, which is one great way to capitalize on the good and avoid reaping the worse parts of social media.
Now that December has come into full swing, college students should look out for the ways they may be comparing themselves to the festive couples posts and holiday shopping hauls they may be seeing online. Apps like Instagram can be a tool for connection and career exploration, but they can also be harmful to many students mental health, which may also be subject to seasonal depression. At the end of the day, the goal is to have healthy habits and mindful social media usage.
