Overexposure to social media has severe effects on your well-being. Children and teens who spend excessive time using social media can affect their sleep. Overuse of social media may also cause and lead to things like depression. A lot of bullying happens on social media, which is known as cyberbullying. And as if these weren’t enough, social media may also lead to ostracizing because we now live in a world where “cancel culture” is prevalent and lives can be destroyed.

Children and teens who spend more time with social media or sleep with mobile devices in their rooms are at greater risk for sleep problems. Exposure to light from screens can delay or disrupt sleep. Not getting enough rest can lead to a negative in school because by not getting enough rest at night, teens tend to sleep during classes. Now that there are online classes due to COVID, many teenagers are falling asleep during their class time. A cell phone is also a distraction when trying to sleep because many people tend to be on social media at night instead of sleeping. Some parents decide to take their kids’ phones at night so that they will get some rest.

Social Media, at first, was just something fun, but it has turned into a negative thing for a lot of people. It can negatively affect your mood and worsen symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Many children and teens see something on social media and expect it to be in their lives; that is why many people get depressed. The challenge is to distinguish between what is real and what does not cause some young people to view the world differently, which causes disappointment more than joy.

Another drawback of social media is getting cyberbullied. Cyberbullying causes significant emotional and psychological distress. Like any other bullying victim, cyberbullied kids experience anxiety, fear, depression, and low self-esteem. Unfortunately, victims of bullying have higher rates of suicide than their peers. It is much easier for someone to get bullied online since the person conducting the bullying the victim is behind a screen. The cyberbully feels more confident than if it were to be in person. Cyberbullying can be far more dangerous because bullying online can reach a wider audience. Bullying is wrong and unjustified, but if more people join in online, the victims may feel completely helpless and hopeless.

Cancel culture is a modern form of ostracism in which someone is thrust out of social or professional circles. People with social media bases who have a lot of followers tend to get “Cancelled.” If there is a rumor, many people will start to believe it and start saying hurtful things to the influencer until they are considered “canceled.” Many people may lose over a million followers overnight and begin to get hated on nonstop. Cancel culture frequently fosters negativity, leading to disassociation and, more directly, the impossibility to defend yourself or for some redemption.

Be wise with your social media participation. Have fun with it. It should not be a breeding ground for hate.