Daily Impact


Social Media & Your Mood

Social media has been described as more addictive than cigarettes or alcohol…so what does it do to your mood?

Here’s what the research tells us…

While using social networks helps many people feel more connected to peers, more free in their self-expression, and more aware of others’ experiences, others experience intense envy and may have greater struggles with depression, low self-worth and other mental health challenges.

  • Research has found a direct link between social media use and mood disorders like anxiety and depression, but acknowledges that the relationship is complex and bi-directional

  • Increasing amounts of social media use have been associated with higher levels of loneliness

  • With 90% of students comparing themselves with peers within 15 minutes of waking up, social media sites set many people up for negative self-perception before they even get out of bed.

  • In a survey of 1,500 young adults on the impact of social media on issues such as anxiety, depression, self-identity and body image, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and Twitter all demonstrated negative effects overall on young people’s mental health.


Social Media & Body Image

If you’ve ever walked away from time on social media feeling more flawed, less interesting, or less well liked than your peers, you’re far from alone.

When looking at social media, it’s easy to forget that a lot of thought has gone into curating one’s identity, which can be a set up for negative self-comparison. While most of us have come to expect that pictures of famous people – celebrities, athletes, models – have been digitally touched-up, it’s easy to forget that friends and acquaintances have access to some of those same tools. This can leave us vulnerable to physical comparisons and primed to feel inadequate or unhappy.

7 in 10 women who post photos on social media admit to touching them up first. Nearly half who edit pictures of themselves enhance their looks by removing blemishes or adding color to look less pale.

Those who more frequently edit photos of themselves before posting report greater degrees of body dissatisfaction, eating concerns, and dieting behaviors.

And of course, comparisons aren’t limited to attractiveness. While we know that everybody else can’t possibly be as successful, rich, attractive, relaxed, intellectual and joyous as they appear to be on social media, our friends’ posts tell another story. It’s hard to resist the pull of accounts that seem so believable.