Stress and Social Media:
Psychological Danger of Social Networking
Abstract
This research focuses on how Facebook can lead to increased experiences of stress, and advice for clients experiencing stress from social networking. A referral to a case study of a young man whose asthma attacks was triggered by stress resulting from Facebook use.
Stress and Social Media: Psychological Danger of Social Networking
Social networking is big and continually increasing with the number of users logging in every moment. From business talk, big talks, to small talks, social media including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Google+ have become platforms by which people express their true or false self with limitless boundaries through sharing status updates, comments, and photos, and videos of life events. However, recently, several studies are revealing a correlation between social networking and psychological stress, which is a trigger factor for other ailments (Dahl, 2010).
How might Facebook lead to increased experiences of stress?
Pilieci (2012) reports in the National Post that the more someone users Facebook, or social media in general, the higher the chance to sink into depression, anxiety and social isolation. This can explain why there are more people suffering from bouts of depression and loneliness even with the increase of platforms to socialize with others. Psychologists and physicians are making discoveries of increase in the number of illnesses that are related to, or can be triggered by psychological stress, recently, one of this being asthma (Dahl, 2010).
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) assert that emotional stress and anxiety are common non-allergic triggers for asthma. A physician, specializing in allergy, doctor Kao, Neil L., explains that people who are susceptible to stress are prone to asthma attacks especially when their mind is under pressure or some kind of stress (Dahl, 2010).
Therefore, psychological stress resulting from the use of social media is likely the cause of the asthma attacks on the eighteen year old man who got jilted by his girlfriend (Dahl, 2010). The man’s condition was stable before the split, but he soon started getting worse asthma attacks, evidenced by rapid breathing every moment he logged onto Facebook and went to his ex-girlfriend’s profile. Obviously, the impact of the break-up is stress by observing that his former girlfriend seemed to go on with her life while he had not moved on (Comer & Gould, 2012).
Many people use Facebook or social network in general as an extension of their real lives (Pilieci, 2012). It is possible for someone to believe that a rival has a thriving life just by an update or photos posted, leading to anxiety and envy.
Advise to future clients experiencing stress due to social networking
There could be several unreported cases of how social networking poses a great risk to psychological health (Dahl, 2010). It is important to identify stressors in life that are responsible for psychological dangers including depression, anxiety, and loneliness.
The advice to future clients is that they should verify that it is social networking which is putting them under stress. This can be done by comparing their emotional well-being when frequently using social networks and when they do not. Clients would definitely report feeling better when they limit their interactions on social media. As is in the case discussed above, the client showed reduced asthmatic attacks in relation to reduced number of times spent on Facebook (Dahl 2010).
The advice to clients is that they should limit the time and activities spent on social media. This can be done by reducing the hours or taking several days off social networks to re-energize (Comer & Gould, 2012). Another way is also to try not to take personally everything that they see on social networks. Studies suggest that people who frequently use Facebook to gather a large number of friends and continually post grandiose-filled updates are probably narcissistic, anti-social behaviors, or have self-esteem issues which make them to continually seek for approval (Pilieci, 2012). The clients should strive not to be brought down by such stressors, who are themselves facing potential psychological problems, or are just generally toxic.
Conclusion
In summary, this research has revealed that indeed, there are psychological dangers associated with social networking. People share events of their lives without having second thoughts about how this could influence others. Other people are generally toxic and happen to make others feel bad. A man was able to identify and link his sudden asthma attacks to the moments that he logged into his former girlfriend’s profile on Facebook. Physicians revealed that anxiety or stressful situations are non-allergic triggers of asthma. It is important for people experiencing stress due to social networking to take some time off the social media in order to boost their psychological well-being.
References:
CDC. Asthma. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/asthma/
Comer, R., & Gould, E. (2012). Psychology around us. London: John Wiley & Sons.
Dahl, M. (2010, November 18). Facebook addict? It could trigger an asthma attack. NBC News. Retrieved from http://www.nbcnews.com/health/facebook-addict-it-could- trigger-asthma-attack-1C6437666.
Pilieci, V. (2012). Is social media harming our mental health, researchers wonder? National Post. Retrieved from http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/03/25/is-social-media- harming-our-mental-health-researchers-wonder/
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