By: Solane Bramhill, PMC Practicum Student; Third Year B.A. Psychology
In a world dominated by social media, Theodore Roosevelt’s quote, “Comparison is the thief of joy,” takes on a new level of relevance. While the phrase was originally coined long before the era of Instagram and TikTok, Roosevelt’s quote resonates profoundly in today’s world where meticulously curated highlight reels are designed to hide the realities of everyday life.
Social media, originally designed to promote connection between people, has transformed into spaces where idealized lives are showcased and reality is distorted. This can involve individuals posting only two out of 200 pictures taken of themselves, showing off only the happy moments of their relationships with no acknowledgement of intense arguments and difficulties, or beautiful images while travelling abroad that leave out all the annoyances and negative emotions they experienced that day.
Despite most of us being aware of the fact that what we see is highly curated, social media is still able to cause negative impacts on mental health (Beyari, 2023). Roosevelt would likely point out that this stems from the inability to halt the comparison to other people’s ‘perfect’ lives. Even though you can logically understand that it’s curated, that doesn’t change the fact that continuous scrolling through idealized lives can breed feelings of inadequacy and discontent, fueling a cycle of comparison and envy. You likely won’t ever get a truthful window into the mundane, boring, negative, and especially not the horrible aspects of someone’s life. So despite being aware of the curated nature of social media, the comparison trap it creates can still draw you in and negatively impact your mental health.
What are the impacts of long-term social media use?
Studies have shown that…
- Long-term social media use can be linked to poor impact on mental health, including symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress (Karim et al., 2020; Riehm et al., 2019).
- Due to consistently viewing people’s ‘perfect’ lives, and comparing your entire life to only the curated aspects of their life (Riehm et al., 2019).
- The comparison and envy that manifest from seeing this can negatively impact someone’s level of depression or anxiety (Karim et al., 2020).
- Females tend to compare themselves more negatively than males on social media apps and carry out more frequent ‘upward’ comparisons, which involve making a comparison to someone you deem as being superior to yourself (Samra et al., 2022).
- Those types of social media comparison have been linked to depression as well as diminished self-esteem (Samra et al., 2022).
- Social media can also create a sensation of FOMO, or ‘fear of missing out’, which leads to more frequent check-ins of notifications and messages, and thus more time spent on social media (Karim et al., 2020).
If we know that prolonged time spent comparing yourself to others on social media is harmful, what’s the solution?
It boils down to balance and mindful engagement.
Worried about missing out on what’s going on in the lives of your friends?
- Consider setting boundaries on your screen time and being more aware of the content you’re consuming.
- Curate your feed to ensure you see realistic, body-positive creators, and make sure to prioritize real-life connections and activities.
One effective boundary I’ve set for social media is curating my feed to ensure I see realistic, body-positive creators, instead of only following models and influencers who all too often benefit from promoting unrealistic standards in order to sell beauty products. Through ensuring that my feed includes body-positive creators and everyday people, I can work to counteract the comparison trap and promote a healthier and more positive self-image.
Proactive preparation can go a long way in helping to avoid unhealthy scrolling.
- Many people intend to balance social media and their personal lives but find it difficult due to mindless scrolling. An effective strategy for limiting time spent on social media is by employing the help of apps designed to set warnings and time limits on social media usage.
- Some applications also designate specific periods of the day when the apps are accessible, to help limit social media access during typical “doom-scrolling” hours when you’re more likely to lose track of time (Satici et al., 2023).
Consider taking breaks from social media altogether to provide much-needed perspective and rejuvenation.
- Whether it’s committing to a digital detox weekend or simply logging out for a few hours each day, stepping away from the constant stream of information and comparison allows us to reconnect with ourselves and our surroundings.
- During these breaks, we can engage in hobbies we enjoy, spend quality time with loved ones, or simply bask in moments of solitude and reflection.
During my social media breaks, I like to spend time baking new recipes, which I find both enjoyable and rewarding. It’s a chance to explore things I wouldn’t otherwise make like a Tres Leches Cake or appetizers such as Olive Tapenade or Burrata & Date Toast. It’s even more fulfilling being able to share these treats with my friends and roommates, and being open to taking baking requests makes it more fun and challenging.
Another activity I enjoy when taking social media breaks is diving into new books without knowing anything about them beforehand, particularly books by Stephen King. Though considering I’m not a fan of horror, I do make sure to select novels outside of that genre. Overall, I really enjoy reading something without knowing where the story is going to end up. Some of my favourite non-scary Stephen King recommendations during a social media break would be “11/22/63”, “Firestarter”, “Carrie”, and “The Dark Tower” series.
Additionally, exploring artistic outlets can be another fulfilling alternative during social media breaks. For example, investing in some air-dry clay can provide an enjoyable activity to do either alone or with friends. Me and my roommates like to organize a weekly paint night where we sit around with canvases and paint something, usually with a lax theme to go on. Artistic outlets can help encourage feelings of creativity and relaxation, as well as feelings of accomplishment and fulfillment, making it an ideal way to unwind and connect with your friends.
By regulating your usage and being intentional in the content and creators you engage with, you can find a more balanced, and subsequently healthier, approach to social media. Consider downloading apps to help you regulate your time and be more mindful, as well as prepare hobbies like baking, reading, or artistic outlets to have fulfilling alternative entertainment during your social media breaks. Through all of this, we can be wary of the comparison trap, and work to prioritize our mental well-being, and foster genuine offline connections.
References
References
Beyari H. (2023). The Relationship between Social Media and the Increase in Mental Health Problems. International journal of environmental research and public health, 20(3), 2383. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032383
Karim, F., Oyewande, A. A., Abdalla, L. F., Chaudhry Ehsanullah, R., & Khan, S. (2020). Social Media Use and Its Connection to Mental Health: A Systematic Review. Cureus, 12(6), e8627. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.8627
Riehm, K. E., Feder, K. A., Tormohlen, K. N., Crum, R. M., Young, A. S., Green, K. M., Pacek, L. R., La Flair, L. N., & Mojtabai, R. (2019). Associations Between Time Spent Using Social Media and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems Among US Youth. JAMA psychiatry, 76(12), 1266–1273. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.2325
Samra, A., Warburton, W. A., & Collins, A. M. (2022). Social comparisons: A potential mechanism linking problematic social media use with depression. Journal of behavioral addictions, 11(2), 607–614. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2022.00023
Satici, S. A., Gocet Tekin, E., Deniz, M. E., & Satici, B. (2023). Doomscrolling Scale: its Association with Personality Traits, Psychological Distress, Social Media Use, and Wellbeing. Applied research in quality of life, 18(2), 833–847. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-022-10110-7