The multiple advantages acquired from the unfettered use of social media rank Nigeria among the world’s most enlightened and self-motivated countries and show Nigerians’ evolving perspective and progressive attitude. However, there is also some darker side to the infinite scroll that keeps one going back online for more. Some of the downsides of using social media include the following.
Peer pressure
Social media users are frequently bombarded with the images and videos of influencers who appear to be enjoying picture-perfect lives. In particular, teens and youth are ignorant about these flawless appearances of how these people generate money, and they create unreasonable ideas of what happiness should entail. This may make them feel lonely and depressed when their own lives fall short of this standard.
Anxiety
Social media causes anxiety as people become curious about what others are doing rather than spending time on themselves, which eventually affects their thought processes and mood.
Mental health
The negative impact of social media on a person’s mental health, especially on youth, is becoming alarming. Thanks to features like infinite scrolling and algorithms that suggest related interests, social media users stay on these sites for as long as possible. They devote a significant amount of time to social media, as with any preoccupation, and hence their mental health suffers.
For instance, it is common for teenagers to imitate people they respect or regard as role models in adolescence. On these platforms, they follow celebrities and develop unrealistic body image principles. Most teen girls begin to compare themselves to superstars, wishing to appear slender, beautiful, and wealthy like them. According to research, girls who spend more time on social media to depict themselves as celebrities disconnect from their peer groups. This mimicry may harm their self-esteem and dignity.
This can lead to depression and decreased self-esteem. Statistics show that with rising social networking usage, depression rates among teenagers range from 13 to 66 percent. Also, one in four Nigerians is depressed. This implies that with over 205 million population, more than 50 million people in Nigeria suffer from depression.
Cyberbullying
A cyberbully uses social media to spread inaccurate, humiliating, or hostile information to specific people. Often, victims of long-term cyberbullying develop psychosocial issues such as depression, isolation, loneliness, stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, and suicidal ideation.
Suicide or self-harm
Suicide is contagious, and it can spread through social networks. When a person witnesses a suicide attempt or death, it increases the likelihood of suicidal thoughts and attempts in that individual. Social media is not only addictive, but it also has the potential to contribute to suicide and self-harm.
For instance, teenagers will do everything to gain attention on the internet. When these young people observe someone obtaining attention by self-harming, they mimic without hesitation. They do it to show their bravery or because they have a mental illness. The problem becomes worse when they start spreading suicide methods and encouraging others to commit suicide.
Accidents
There is an increase in the number of accidents caused by social media while driving or walking. Statistics show that the number of accidents caused due to responding to social media messages while driving or walking has increased.
Distraction or Lack of concentration of student while learning
It is easy to detect the detrimental impacts of social media on pupils. Different obligations, such as academics, classwork, or homework, necessitate more concentration to deal with anything significant.
Nowadays, people have developed the habit of accessing social media while doing duties, and the majority of them believe it is multitasking, but it is not. Constant interruption, according to studies, harms concentration and lowers learning and performance.
In addition, social media can impede physical communication skills and lead to privacy invasion and insecurity.
Read also: The cons of social media may outweigh the pros in Nigeria (1)
A recent example of the negative influence of social media is the news of the 18 years old lady, Rofiat, killed by her boyfriend and his friends. The group of 4 boys aged between 17 and 20 planned and executed the killing of Rofiat in the quest for money. The news had it that one of the boys saw the steps for the money ritual on Facebook and informed his other friends to execute it by using the girl after getting other materials ready.
Therefore, social media may likely continue to have a more significant negative impact on our society with the increasing rate of crime, killings, and mental disorders despite its rising popularity having impacted Nigerians positively.
As a result, it’s critical to continue researching social media’s impact on both groups and people so that we can continue to enjoy the benefits of our favorite platforms while simultaneously protecting our mental health.
In conclusion, good mental health is essential for study, career, and personal life, and the recommendation is to spend only a half-hour per day instead of wasting your whole day on social media.
Busayo Aderounmu is an economics lecturer at Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State.
