Social media is evolving, with the major platforms constantly offering new tools and features to attract and retain their users. Facebook has a live-streaming feature. Instagram has Stories. Twitter has the President’s tweets. Well, maybe that last one isn’t part of the evolution. But it’s certainly one of the aspects of social media that keeps us all spending time on it. In fact, the amount of time people spend on social media is consistently increasing. Teens spend a staggering 9 hours a day using social media – and some 13-year olds even check their social media accounts 100 times a day. A report from earlier this year noted that 69% of all U.S. adults are now social media users, often making social media a core part of their daily routine.
It’s understandable why social media has become such an integral factor in our day-to-day lives. It’s become the de facto way that many of us seek news updates, find entertainment, and even communicate with each other. But does all of the “liking,” “following,” and “commenting” mean we are truly connecting with each other?
Social connection is a healthy and necessary part of the human experience. A number of studies have examined the benefits of social ties, finding that people with strong social connection have lower levels of anxiety and depression, a stronger immune system, faster recovery times from illness and even an increased chance of longevity. And on the flip-side, studies have also shown that a lack of social connection is correlated with lower self-esteem, a lower sense of empathy for others, vulnerability to disease, higher blood pressure and an increased risk of depression.
But where does social media fit into all this? Does it count as a legitimate means of connection to others? Or is it actually isolating us even more than we even realize?
What we know already
There have been a number of studies examining the consequences of social comparison – something most of us have experience with. One moment you’re scrolling innocently through a friend’s feed, then next thing you know you’re 4 months deep looking at their tropical vacation photos, wondering why you haven’t gone anywhere in years and why it’s taking so long to get your life on track so that you can actually take that trip you’ve been talking about for nearly a decade now.
Social comparison can also rear its ugly head when we start to compare our bodies and appearance to others, tearing ourselves down in the process. A out of the UK surveyed 1500 Facebook and Twitter users, finding that 62% of the group reported feeling inadequate and 60% reported feelings of jealousy from comparing themselves to other users.
