Biologically-speaking, habits are a good thing. They relieve some of the cognitive work we have to do throughout the day by building automatic functions into our brains. For example, imagine how much time and effort it would take if we had to relearn how to make a coffee every morning. Habits protect us, and they help us divert our energy to the areas of our lives that really need it.

However, because habits are so easy to develop, especially when there’s a reward attached to them, it’s all-too-easy for humans to engage in behaviours that aren’t healthy. One common unhealthy habit that is currently on the rise, especially in teens and younger adults, is the addictive patterns of use of social media and screens.

Joshua Todd is an Inkblot Coach who specializes in human habits and works with concurrent disorders, specifically addiction and mental health. He confirms just how easy it can be to fall into an unhealthy pattern of social media use, even if near-addictive use seems like the norm.

Average users spent two hours and 25 minutes per day on social media in 2020—that’s just over 50% of time spent on mobile phones. And honestly, that number feels low.

“If you’re not feeling fulfilled in one area of your life, it’s very easy to become addicted to something,” says Todd. “And it can even be something seen as being healthy or ‘normal’.”

Positives of Social Media

Opening the same apps over and over again feels good because the positive rewards are immediate, especially while we’re isolated from each other during the pandemic. It can be a great way to keep up with friends and family, and it provides an opportunity to engage in groups who share your interests. There are lots of fun and healthy uses of social media—it’s our lack of self-awareness around our habits that is the root of the issue, not necessarily the platforms themselves.

“We need technology right now,” says Todd. “Can you imagine getting through the pandemic without it? It’s such an important part of our lives, but there are downsides to it as well.”

Negative Impacts of Too Much Social Media

When our real lives begin to be affected by these virtual platforms, that’s when we know the habit has taken a negative turn. Here are some of the potential impacts of too much social media:

Depression, Anxiety and Stress

There is a correlation between frequent social media use and heightened depression and anxiety. Research has shown that there are 4 main factors that make social media addictive and dangerous for our mental health. “Highlights” is one factor. This relates to the fact that people only tend to post positive or happy moments. “People post when things are going well in their lives, so you’re seeing people’s best moments on social media,” says Todd. “You don’t see what’s going on in the background, you’re constantly searching for perfection which is totally unrealistic.” It is the fact that people naturally have a tendency to compare themselves to others that leads to a feeling of internal pressure to be better and happier which creates anxiety, or a feeling that “I am not good enough” or “I am inferior to others” that leads to depressive symptoms.

Another factor is “Currency”. This is the component that contributes to a feeling of instant gratification and validation which human beings love so much. It refers to the “likes”, the “shares” and the comments that result from a post. They cause a release of dopamine and provide somewhat of a high which we then tend to keep “chasing”. This is often referred to as the “economy of attention”. We allow others to attribute value to us, instead of our self-value being self-determined. This can easily and often does contribute to feelings of low self-worth, low self-esteem and low self-confidence, all of which can lead to both depressive and anxiety symptoms.

The worst stressor caused by exposure to social media is the potential of being insulted, demeaned or harassed by others. It is common for people to feel disinhibited when hiding behind a screen, and this often leads to forms of bullying and harassment which they would not normally engage in while encountering in-person situations. 40% of people who use social media reported having experienced harassment, and 73% reported having witnessed it. These rates are alarming and the accumulation of these “micro moments” of harassments have the potential of turning into a macro problem, at times severe enough to cause some people to commit suicide.

Quality of Sleep

If you feel like you literally can’t put your phone down at night, that’s by design. “The more you’re on a screen, the more it lessens your brain’s ability to produce melatonin which tells you to sleep,” says Todd. Without good quality sleep, your cognitive functioning, productivity and ability to regulate your mood is impaired.

Body Image Issues

For visual-based apps like Instagram, the constant comparison to others can result in a negative sense of self, especially around body image. In fact, the popularity of social media and the photo editing that goes along with it “has had a significant impact on the field of cosmetic surgery.” “Influencers who are constantly posting images of their bodies can make people think, ‘there’s something wrong with me because I don’t look like that,” says Joshua. And he cautions that it’s not just women who are feeling the pressure—young men, too, are fed unrealistic body standards every day.

Isolation

While these types of apps are ostensibly made to help us to connect, there’s a false sense of connection that comes along with having lots of followers you never interact with in person. “You can’t learn to socialize from behind a screen, you don’t know what proper boundaries are,” says Todd. “We evolved to be in front of people where we can see, touch, interact in real time, and you’re not getting any of that behind a screen.”

Tips to Reduce Your Screen Time

Aside from helping to combat the above effects, reducing your screen time has many positive mental and physical implications. Here are some ways to first recognize if your use of social media has become unhealthy, and then ways to combat that habit.

1. Practice Mindfulness: The first thing to remind yourself when you’re trying to cut back is that so much of an unhealthy habit’s grip on you is a lack of awareness about your behaviour. “Like with all of your habits, you’re on autopilot, so it makes sense that you’re going to pick up your phone without any awareness,” saysTodd. “It’s a matter of being aware and conscious that this is part of your life and behaviour so you’re less inclined to pick it up.”
2. Monitor Your Behaviour: Stopping cold turkey is almost never the answer, says Todd. But stopping for periods of time and monitoring your reaction can give you insights into the way your habit makes you feel. Put your phone in another room for a set period of time—don’t check emails, Instagram, or texts, then monitor how you feel physically and mentally. “Do you feel depressed? Do you feel like you’re missing out on something? You have immediate access to what this behaviour is doing to you. Writing down how you’re feeling is really important.”
3. Put Your Observations to Work: After you’ve written down your observations about how you feel away from your phone, pick it up and monitor the feelings you get in that moment. Do you feel a sense of connection, of validation? “If you can be aware of what benefits you’re getting, you can find ways to replace them with healthier behaviours,” says Todd. “If it makes you feel connected to other people, find healthier ways to get that same benefit. Any way you can mimic the behaviour you’re trying to avoid is a good way to slowly remove that behaviour from your life.”
4. Remove Triggers in Your Environment: If you want to succeed in dialing down this behaviour, you need to stop yourself from being triggered to automatically engage with it. “There are little things you can do like taking Facebook or Instagram off the home screen of your phone, or turning off notifications,” says Todd. “The fewer triggers, the less likely you are to perform that behaviour.” He also suggests getting an alarm clock so the first thing you see in the morning isn't your phone.
5. Get an Accountability Partner: Quitting or cutting back on anything is hard, but having a partner to keep you honest can make a big difference. If you live with roommates, or a partner, ask them to remind you of your intention when you mindlessly start to scroll. Knowing someone has your best interests in mind will make you feel like you don’t want to let them down, which will ultimately make you more accountable to yourself.

As with anything, moderation is key. Being aware of your phone and social media use is a great first step to ensuring you have healthy boundaries, and are setting yourself up for success. If you feel you need extra help making these behaviour changes, reach out to an Inkblot therapist or habit coach for support.

If you’re struggling with negative feelings around your social media use, reach out to an Inkblot Therapist today.