As the time is passing by, the number of people using social Media is increasing drastically and according to a research (stats of January 2019), over 3.3 billion people are on social Media. Particularly, the use of social Media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
But the main question is does it affect our wellbeing & mental health? Many parents squall at their children saying "mobile phones & social media will affect their wellbeing" but the truth is, it depends on how the person consumes the content available on these platforms etc. if a person is using a social media to consume any kind of information, knowledge or sharing creative content or for seeking out entertainment then it won’t affect him/her in a bad way.
Contrary to that, according to a research, if a social media is used for the sake of passing time, then it might covert into social comparison and FOMO (fear of missing out), which might disturb the person’s mental health.
Dr Tim Bono an author of When Likes Aren’t Enough explained in Healthista that, “When we derive a sense of worth based on how we are doing relative to others, we place our happiness in a variable that is completely beyond our control”.
Thus, the way of consumption of social media by the user will result in good or bad mental health. Therefore, no one should conclude that the social media only affects negatively or only affects positively, it works on both the statements.