What You Should Know About Social Media Depression

What is social media? Social media is a computer-based technology that facilitates the sharing of ideas, thoughts, and information through the building of virtual networks and communities.

Users engage with social media via computers, tablets, or smartphones on web-based software or web application, often utilising it for messaging/chatting.

While the importance of using the social media is inexhaustible, we would also make mention of its demerits like how it causes depression for teens and youths which makes up most its users.

What is social media depression? Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It is an emotional state that is marked by feelings of low self worth or guilt and a reduced ability to enjoy life.

Depression affects an estimated one in fifteen adults in any given year, and one in six people experience depression at some point in their life. The number of people suffering from depression has increased by almost 50% from 1990 to 2013, with chances of an annual increase.

The origin of social media depression stems from the fact that more often than not, these social media users fail to realize that life is not all what it looks on the internet. As a result, they try to live a pseudo life without considering the consequences. The world of social media provides easy access into people’s lives, to know what’s happening with them and know the current events in their lives. This kind of technology will only grow more pervasive. A lot of people have maximised this opportunity to hide behind their screens to connect with people in order to abuse their existence; behaviors such as body shaming, cyberbullying, slandering, and character assassination among others are now common.

Unfortunately, it is easy to send someone a hateful message while sitting at home in your room than to say it to their face. Social media has made it easier for people to be indecent to each other.

These bad behaviors by youths and teens have led to many cases of social media depression that we have today.

The symptoms of social media depression include:

1. Reduced interest in activities that was previously enjoyed.

2. Loss or increased sexual desire.

3. Difficulty in sleeping (insomnia) or excessive sleeping (hypersomnia)

4. Difficulty or loss in concentration.

How to overcome social media depression:

1. Engaging in physical activities that could generate a sense of accomplishment such as learning a new skill and developing a talent.

2. Observing internet free hours— intentionally staying away from social media for a while.

3. Training your mind not to be intimidated by what you see on social media as they are synthetic.

4. Engaging with people offline more often
5. Hangouts/games/strolls are also encouraged to relax the mind.

The undying urge to be accepted and recognized online leads to unwanted disbelief on one’s potential and capability. Depression is real and it’s not a respecter of persons; with early detention, observation, proper diagnosis and treatment, it could be treated. Protect your mental health at all times—breathe.

About the Author

Meka Wrights

Nwakanma Emmanuel Emeka known by his pen name ‘Meka Wrights’ is one of the fast rising writers from the south-south region of Nigeria. He hails from isuikwuato LGA of Abia state Nigeria. A graduate from the prestigious university of port-Harcourt where he holds a bachelor’s degree in (animal and environmental biology) with (parasitology and public health) major.

He is a spoken word artiste, writer, editor, content creator, poet, model, admist others. He has written over 200 poems published in various blog sites, his work has been acknowledged in four books and two magazines. He has also done collaboration with other writers as such.

He draws inspiration from life in general and also writes from personal experiences, imagination, books and music.
He is the founder of ‘writers’ camp’ a whatsApp online community where he grows young writers in the art, he aslo owns a blog site ‘inkdigest.com—a news and entertainment website. He has a ‘soon to be published’ anthology titled ‘love and light’ which he wrote with a friend and fellow writer Paul Kay.

His flair for writing attracted the attention of a poet extraordinaire Chinyere M. Ugokwe who is now his friend and mentor. He handles his social media accounts himself on instagram/twitter/Facebook @mekawrights where he posts his work(s). His contact email is [email protected].

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