We're now living in a world prompted by social media, in which most individuals are more concerned on how to gather more likes and followers rather that world peace. As per Science Daily, a study was conducted linking social media usages and the way it triggers anxiety.
Dr Heather Cleland Woods and Holly Scott of the University of Glasgow conducted a research linking social media and the day it affects an individual, focusing on anxiety and depression. They tested 467 teenager in regards to their overall and night time social media use. They gave out questionnaire and further set of tests that measures sleep quality, self-esteem, depression and emotional investment in social media which is then affiliates it with the pressure to be available 24/7 and the anxiety being bought by the urge to immediately respond to text, IM or posts.
"Adolescence can be a period of increased vulnerability for the onset of depression and anxiety, and poor sleep quality may contribute to this. It is important that we understand how social media use relates to these. Evidence is increasingly supporting a link between social media use and well being, particularly during adolescence, but the causes of this are unclear."
Dr Woods then added:
"While overall social media use impacts on sleep quality, those who log on at night appear to be particularly affected. This may be mostly true of individuals who are highly emotionally invested. This means we have to think about how our kids use social media, in relation to time for switching off."
Huffington Post then stated that Social Media Anxiety does exist. As per the website, a group of teenagers explained how texting and the fear of missing out can affect one's self-esteem. Though these might seem extreme, but spending too much time on social media can potentially cause havoc towards one's being.
