Psychosocial Consequences of Excessive Use of Social Networks

The emergence of social networks continues to modify the way we relate to the world not only allow us to interact with people from a distance, they also make it possible to break the borders that previously prevented us from accessing knowledge, cultures and even currently sustaining our COVID-19 economy, in some cases.

However, its use, being an affordable and everyday tool, becomes a double-edged sword. For example, do you find it difficult to disconnect from your cell phone because you are not aware of the current news? Do you feel despair, anger or frustration from not being connected to your social networks most of the time? Do you generally compare yourself or feel sad when seeing the posts of your acquaintances? Do you notice changes in your mood when you don’t have the likes you expected?

In this article we will talk a little about these effects that have become an everyday phenomenon associated with the excessive use of social networks, to finally talk about the importance of self-care.

The excessive use of social networks in today’s society

Today the phenomenon of the digital age is passing through us, and with it important psychosocial changes arise. To begin with, many people have accessed the virtual world for personal reasons. Some to have greater communication with their family, friends or even have access to their professional activities; On the other hand, others resort only for entertainment. What is a fact is that this technological revolution has brought a change in the entire socialization process and, consequently, many alterations and psychological repercussions.

With all this, the world of the Internet has generated networks that connect millions of people at the same time within spaces that affect the way they think and feel, generating dynamics of appropriation in which certain attitudes and behaviors are expected when programming. ideas that sometimes violate people, starting from their self-perception.

For this reason, the issue of identity is one of the most affected axes, being multidirectional and a predominant element in the life of any person made up of a spectrum of qualities, characteristics and traits that are perceived and recognized to distinguish themselves from the rest. Nevertheless, Since the incidence of social networks, the idea that all people are identical is sold being in an environment that prevents physical encounter, exposing oneself to the loss of privacy when the phenomenon of recognition and approval of others is present.

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Psychological factors

Considering this, there are many alterations in people’s lives, as they are constantly related to the excessive use of social networks, as demonstrated by several studies by showing the relationship they have with stress, anxiety and depression, given the reward promising to be a successful person due to the number of “likes” or retweets they may have.

Furthermore, let us consider that There are many minors who grow day by day with these ideas; This demand becomes part of their daily lives as they are surrounded by social roles and stereotypes.

In this scenario, we can continue talking about the addiction that is created by being immersed most of our time in the networks leading to a series of changes in behavior, such as:

Sociological factors

Once we have considered in isolation the effects of self-perception on the person and the psychological effects, it is necessary to see how these conditions are extrapolated in the social field, so let’s move on to interpersonal relationships, in which there is evidently a revolution in socio-cultural dynamics. A modification can be observed in communication, starting from family, school and work.

Being immersed most of the time in social networks, the loss of attention, concentration and memory capacity begins to be more constant which makes it impossible to have deep, pleasant or productive conversations at work, with friends and/or family.

In addition to this, physical encounters are increasingly becoming more complicated in these times, since the arrival of COVID-19 has slowed down daily encounters, which is why the use of social networks has increased to continue communicating remotely. The increase in cybernetic consumption in everyone’s lives is undeniable, especially in adolescents, which has led to disdain for the influence of the Other in the social fabric.

Finally, it is important to make visible the risk that these generations run when exposed to cyberbullying, sexual harassment (where women have been mostly affected) and sexual encounters or dates with strangers, since the promising myth of empowerment has allowed people to interact and have erotic exchanges, with which many times end up being violated by circulating intimate content without their consent and, therefore, a severe psychological alteration occurs.

Final thoughts

Being aware of the role of social networks in our lives is essential to prevent the chaotic consequences of excessive use especially with the topic of addiction.

Although today we know that they are part of our daily lives, bringing together that they are also multifaceted instruments and their intervention in capitalism gains greater strength from globalization and neoliberalism, it is important that through self-care we delve into our role with the excessive use of social networks or, if you consider that you have difficulties, try to find alternatives that prevent you from experiencing these psychosocial effects at some point.

Finally, I consider it pertinent to mention some recommendations as part of self-care:

Just as the use of social networks can be dangerous in excess, we can also put them to good use. The most important thing is that through self-care we do not allow the demands of the cyber world to lead us to have these psychosocial problems from which it is difficult to get out.

Author: Daniel De Gyves, psychologist, writer and social activist. Collaborator at Emotional Astronaut.

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