mebeing
Life was simple just over a decade ago when MySpace was only getting slightly popular and lying down the foundation that would change the way humans interact online. It was the era when the world was still inclined to interact with each other in person rather than opting to connect online.
Years later, Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook. It turned out to be the single most amazing service ever created on the internet that would attract billions of people all over the world, engage people and with each day passing, it is showing no signs of stopping.
It started as a simple networking tool to stay in touch with your friends and family and now a decade later, it is your virtual assistant. It reminds you of your connections birthday, see their activities, pictures and videos and with the introduction of new services such as jobs, cars marketplace, classified marketplace and now an upcoming cryptocurrency coin called Libra, who knows Facebook may become next Google where people will be hooked to the app searching for everything they are looking for online.
With the increased time spent online on these major social media apps, Facebook-owned in particular (Instagram, WhatsApp), people are beginning to face mental health issues too. Anxiety, depression is already connected with the increased used of smartphone and now social media usage adds in the woes. The expectation of people engaging on your content, liking and commenting and in lieu of not receiving an inbox message from the close connections is causing mental issues, especially among young users. Teens, in particular, are the most affected and the research has identified the reason for their mental health issues.
Here are the primary reasons:
- Over addiction to the usage, mostly unnecessary.
- Over expectation from people, you care about to engage with you.
- Isolation from the real world, especially parents and other family members.
- Lack of physical interaction with the outer world.
- Lack of physical activity. No outdoor games and sports.
- Easy access to predators online. People who are older and faking as young. It’s a common issue on social media networks.
According to a national survey, published by the American Psychological Association, found a rise in the number of young adults, adolescents who reported psychological problems.
The report talks about the kids of 90,s known as iGen or a dotcom generation, experiencing mental issues after 2011, the time when social media burst onto the online scene.
According to a National Survey on Drug Use and Health, these kids are also addicted to excessive use of drugs to make them temporarily comfortable and get relief from mental stress.
Parents, keep an eye on your children. Their time on social media must be limited. There must be a reason why Steve Jobs and Bill Gates raised their kids tech-free and it’s a lesson for everybody.
