Technology

Misuse of social media linked to mental illness

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Social media networks tend to create a false sense of connectedness. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Cheptoo almost committed suicide a year ago. An avid social media fan, she would spend time on social media platforms comparing her ‘‘struggling’’ lifestyle with that of her friends who appeared to be having perfect lives.

“I ended up feeling worthless and hating myself. That’s when I began having suicidal thoughts. But I was lucky to get professional help before I completely lost it.” She was diagnosed with clinical depression which was effectively treated. Health experts now worry that many young adults like Cheptoo may be unknowingly succumbing to mental health disorders as they spend huge amounts of time on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube or Twitter, which are now easily accessible thanks to the proliferation of low cost smart phones and competitive Internet rates.

They warn that irrespective of their benefits — such as promoting connectedness and a sense of interaction among individuals — social media platforms can adversely affect the mental wellbeing of individuals in ways that many people may not be aware of.

“That’s why we need to start taking about these issues. People need to be conscious about the negative effects so they can protect themselves,” said Nairobi-based consultant psychotherapist Nicholas Nyaga. He has counselled many young people with mental health disorders.

He fears that heavy use and addiction to social media networks is contributing to the heavy burden of mental health challenges in Kenya. According to the Health ministry’s Mental Health Policy (2015-2030), about 25 per cent of out-patients have mental health problems. This figure shoots to 40 per cent of in-patients. Commonly diagnosed mental illnesses include stress, depression, anxiety disorders and substance abuse.

According to Nyaga, social media networks tend to create a false sense of connectedness. He said that when people like, share or comment on social media posts, they usually feel close to those they are interacting with. “But this is actually a false sense of togetherness since virtual interactions can never replace real relationships. You need to balance the two.”

Maureen Onyango, a counsellor and clinical psychology doctorate student at Daystar University, said that feelings of isolation are further enhanced by one-sided social media relationships where individuals may feel close to people (say celebrities) who will never return their ‘‘love’’ since they are not even aware of their admirers’ existence.

“Human beings thrive when they have strong positive relationships with other people. So to be well rounded, we need to physically interact with each other and forge real emotional bonds.”

Studies show that such deep connections promote positive societal behaviours while lowering the risk of mental illness.

According to Rose Ngondi, an educationist and counselling psychologist, social media platforms also offer a twisted sense of reality since they tend to portray an ideal world.

She noted that most people tend to put up online posts when having fun, looking ‘‘good’’ or celebrating successful events. But they hardly communicate when feeling sad or struggling to make ends meet.

“This can make individuals who spend so much time online to begin chasing a perfect life that doesn’t exist. This causes frustrations and mental health problems.”

Ngondi said that the search for the illusive ideal world also interferes with the proper socialisation of young people.

“Some aspire to get rich and famous quickly using whichever means possible. So they fail to learn important life skills such as perseverance and hard work that lead to fulfilling lives.”

Almost all social media networks thrive on images which give them immense power to influence people’s thoughts, emotions and moods. Psychologists note that photos and videos play well with human audiences since our brains are naturally fashioned to process visual cues faster than text based ones.

Indeed, a recent UK study dubbed #StatusOfMind found that Instagram — an image saturated app with millions of users worldwide — is the most detrimental social networking app for young people followed closely by Snapchat.