Is Social media Bad For Those Who Suffer Social Anxiety?

[DecMikashimota]

Just the other day, my sister and I were taking pictures of one another. She was dressed in something that she loved and thought that she should show the world via Facebook. As soon as she posted the picture she became anxious, checking her page every two minutes to see if she got any likes. It was sad watching her go from loving herself to becoming unsure about herself all because people did not rush to like her outfit on her Facebook page. Does social media make you anxious as well?

 

[WorkAtHomeGal]

I think the only time I have ever felt nervous during the use of social media is when I see bad news, someone I know dieing. Car tires being slashed or other petty crimes in my area or where my parents live. When I post a picture of myself which isn't often I don't check it for likes or expect any. If I get a couple I just think "cool". I am also not addicted to social media though. I mostly use it to find coupons and interact with people I can't see often and sometimes to speak my mind.

 

[DecMikashimota]

I think the only time I have ever felt nervous during the use of social media is when I see bad news' date=' someone I know dieing. Car tires being slashed or other petty crimes in my area or where my parents live. When I post a picture of myself which isn't often I don't check it for likes or expect any. If I get a couple I just think "cool". I am also not addicted to social media though. I mostly use it to find coupons and interact with people I can't see often and sometimes to speak my mind.[/quote']
That is how I feel as well. It feels as though people have let social media put pressure in their lives where it isn't necessary. Being a loner, I mostly don't care much for communicating through social media. I just like to have all the pictures and art from pages I've liked show up in my news feed. It keeps me inspired, but I just feel sorry for people who have grown dependent on it for whatever reason.

 

[John Snort]

When sharing something on social media there is no guarantee you'll get areaction from people. The reason you may not get a like is because not everyone will see your post since there'll be lots of people also sharing their updates which will compete against yours. But you also get to learn who your friends really are. If you consistently update your status and you get no reaction(s) from your friends then there's no reason to associate with them anymore. Don't avoid social media because of anxiety. Just change your attitude towards it (the whole experience). If you expect less from your social media connections then you'll probably get to enjoy spending time on some of your favorite social media sites.

 

[Alex]

It does depend on how you use social media, in the OP's case the sister felt peer pressure, but one must remember it's not always real. Some people over share and go back and delete posts, but the idea was to keep a circle of friends and communicate. Now it's about how many friends you have and is competitive. The trick is not to get sucked into this mentality and keep it private, and choose the friends wisely.


I was getting anxious at some points when people were mean, or when people posted things that annoyed me. I like to use it to keep in touch with friends overseas, but that's the main point of it for me.

 

[pwarbi]

Personally I think that social media on the whole is a good thing, but as with anything we can't let it take over and start ruling our lives. If we're talking about Facebook, some people seem to live their lives on there and can't even go to the corner store without putting a status on there to tell everyone, and if you get to that point then I do think you probably need to take a break from it. Another negative that social media as brought, is the fact that it's all too easy these days to say things that can be hurtful or controversial as people think they can get away with saying anything and everything as they are sat behind a keyboard.


Trolls and cyber-bullies are increasing on social media, and it seems to be bringing out the worst in people. Social media was never intended for that and when Facebook first started I'm sure it didn't exist, so it makes me wonder if Facebook itself as brought that side out in people, or if it's just a sign of the time and people have just got more intolerant of others generally.

 

[Robilas]

Well it depends. Sometimes it can be a good source of validation: getting a lot of likes on your latest pic shared on Facebook can boost your self esteem and make your day better.


However if you start getting nervous for the same reason in my opinion the anxiety gets only worse. That's why I change my profile pic rarely: when I upload a new pic all of my friends will often make comments or like it, but doing it often does not work for me.

 

[rootle]

Not really, I find it a nice way to see what everyone is upto without talking with them. I, too, almost never have changed my profile picture because people will notice. It also is really hard to pick a profile picture. I never comment on public posts, only in groups or I just send people messages. I hate when someone mentions me or directly talks to me in public posts as well. I think it's gotten a bit better over time though. Once my mother commented on a picture of me with my friends and that pissed me off really badly.

 

[Tshaka]

Yes it is, without a doubt. The irony of social media is that it does not make a person more social. Social media is an oxymoron in and of itself. Social media has made us more rude and more divided. A person who is suffering from social anxiety will still have social anxiety with or without social media.

 

[jaden11218]

It can make me anxious at times. I don't like to post statuses just because I feel like there's going to be someone voicing their rude judgement. I will occasionally post pictures, but only if I think they are perfect. Even then, sometimes I will go back and delete it because I start noticing all the flaws. I am one of those people that watch every notification. I was shy growing up, so I think that plays a part in why I'm so anxious over what people think of me.

 

[CarlosTL]

Social media sites (especially Facebook/instagram) function in a way that make you overestimate the level of happiness of your peers, thus potentially worsening your social anxiety/depression. This is especially true for youngsters and maybe women as well. In reality people are not nearly as happy/fulfilled as they make it look like on their social media profiles.


That being said, Facebook also actively manipulates your feed to favor showing you items, that they think/determine you'd approve of/agree with. The drawback of this, is making people a bit self-absorbed, having a skewed vision of the world, over-estimating the popularity of one's opinion/view point. And this is also something negative for people with anxiety.


Other than that, if you are a popular person on social media (which I think very few people with anxiety are), then you can indeed become a bit obsessed with the amount of attention you're getting (especially true for teen/young girls), but this is more attention-seeking/egotistical behavior than anxiety per se.

 

[kelden]

Sometimes I can't help but leave a controversial argument about a subject posted by someone on facebook regarding politics/abortion/social tolerance/etc. And I often grow so anxious about the prospective replies that made me wish I shouldn't have posted anything in first place. But what's done is done, If I am so nervous about it, I just don't check the replies and forget about completely. I check after a year or two when the heat of the discussion already passed and my comment


is overlooked for lack of feedback.

 

[amy88]

I don't love social media - but its more from the standpoint that I think it becomes a comparison tool, and we judge our own lives and our success and worthiness in line with how others portray their lives.


It's hard not to do - I often take breaks from social media because of that. I hate feeling like I'm not keeping up, and I always remind myself that people only present their best self on social media - you don't see all the hard stuff they go through too!

 

[justsayyes]

I think it can really ruin one's self esteem and it impacts one's life. Social media is deeply rooted in our society now and it has become a big deal to everyone. It's a good thing you have an option to not participate of course and that's what i did, i quit facebook because i also realized it's not for me, I'm not one to share everything i do or the places i go to and I'm definitely not someone who post selfies to just to get a self esteem boost, if it backfires and you get little to no likes, it's going to sting.

 

[Laneorexorcist]

I used to get kind of a lot likes on my pictures there a couple of years ago, I didn't enjoy all the attention, so I basically stop putting selfies there, but the last time that I changed my profile picture (about one year ago, lol) I was all the time checking how many people liked it, and even if now I change it for one a little bit newer, I would still be checking that kind of stuff, I think it's really dumb but at the end of the day we all are looking for other people's approvement and support, it's almost inevitable.

 

[gracer]

I barely open my Facebook account nowadays because I just feel like it has become too commercialized and I'm no longer enjoying seeing minute by minute posts by some people as though Facebook is their life. I have become bored with looking at countless selfies here and there and senseless posts every now and then. The only reason I use Facebook is to get in touch and get updates about my friends and relatives who I haven't seen for a long time. Aside from that, I don't hang around all day browsing my account.


I do feel that social media has the power to make someone feel anxious or depressed in a sense so the best remedy is to just avoid using them often or not use them at all if you know that they will only make you feel uncomfortable.

 

[mauricioq]

It certainly does have an impact on yourself, just like the situation you described. But, at the end of the day, it all comes down to the importance you give to social media. If you care a lot about your image on social media, you'll want a lot of likes. People with anxiety should use social media, it's a great way to communicate, but with caution.

 

[essennyo]

Social media always makes it seem like my friends are having way more fun than I am. Like, maybe they went to a party that I opted out of. Then when they post things about it on SnapChat or Instagram, I get so anxious and sometimes even think that they wouldn't have as much fun if I were there. I also deleted my Instagram because I didn't come close to having as much followers as my friends. I sometimes had to resort to the apps that gave you likes, just so a selfie I posted wouldn't go without them. That's why I use Tumblr now as my only real social media: no one can see how many followers you have except you, a lot of my friends don't use it, and it's a lot funnier.

 

[Corzhens]

Social media is like being out in the public except that it is only in virtual mode. But for one who has anxiety issues particularly social anxiety, I guess it is not a good idea for that person to have a social media account. I also have a Facebook account and sometimes I feel disgusted in reading nonsensical posts - there are so many irritating posts like sharing of religious posts which are downright silly, sharing of news items that we already know, and worse, sharing quotations that have no sense at all. And what about the rants with no name? What I would suggest for someone with social anxiety is to have a small group of friends who would act as the support group. Take note that a person with social anxiety is wanting in attention so it is important to shower him with affection.

 

[Sue]

I have seen myself post things on social media only to take it down if I get no response to it. I may post it because I thought it was funny or I liked it but if nobody else does then I start second guessing myself o I will end up removing it. I have problem with self confidence. I have posted pictures of myself and I usually end up getting lots of compliments but for the most part I think that people are just being kind. I don't necessarily think that their comments are true. I wish I was confident and didn't care what others thought but as hard as I try I just can't be that way.