How social media affects relationships negatively

How does social media affect relationships?

Social media can affect all types of relationships in both positive and negative ways. It can help people stay connected, but may also lead to less quality in-person time.

People can use social media to stay connected to long-distance friends and family members or improve communication with their partners, children, and healthcare professionals.

In contrast, social media use can lead to less quality in-person time spent with loved ones and relationship dissatisfaction. These drawbacks may be related to pre-existing relationship issues or psychological conditions.

This article examines three positive and negative ways social media can affect relationships.

Social media can affect relationships in the following positive ways.

1. Helps boost connectivity

According to recent research, social media use has a positive impact on social connection if people use it actively.

Family members and friends do not always live in the same city, or even the same state or country. Social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook are quick and convenient ways for long-distance loved ones to stay in touch.

People can post updates about themselves and others in their lives, such as spouses and children, as well as share photos of vacations and other important family events. Additionally, people can tweak their privacy levels and share more personal information or pictures through individual or group messages.

These and other social media apps provide ways for people to video chat in real-time, further helping them feel more connected.

2. Helps improve communication

Margaret E. Morris, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and author of Left to Our Own Devices: Outsmarting Smart Technology to Reclaim Our Relationships, Health, and Focus, conducted a 2020 review of how people in various types of relationships use technology. Morris found that it is not the specific type of technology people use but how they use it that can bring value to the partnership.

Morris discusses the benefits of various types of technology. One example is a parent sharing a self-help app with a child to work through an argument. In discussing romantic relationships, Morris highlights how sharing images via social media can also feel like an extra way to communicate. Using tools such as WhatsApp, and texting through an argument, may also help some people communicate through writing. This allows a person time and space to formulate the right words when face-to-face conversations prove difficult.

3. Aids sexual gratification

Concerning romantic relationships, social media might actually help partners achieve sexual gratification. More specifically, this refers to pornography consumption on social media.

During a 2019 study involving 379 participants, researchers found pornography consumption may significantly help a person’s sexual gratification in their romantic relationships. However, the degree to which participants felt this improvement was dependent on the person’s sexual confidence and sexual compulsivity.

Learn more about the benefits and risks of pornography usage here.

The following are some negative ways in which social media can impact relationships.

1. Fuels functional impairments

Substituting social media interactions for face-to-face communication may impact not only existing relationships but also the ability to form new relationships.

For example, while some researchers note the necessity for more research on social anxiety and social media use, it is possible for people with social anxiety to experience continued functional impairments — e.g., being uncomfortable or unable to form and engage in face-to-face relationships — when they replace in-person interactions with social media use.

Furthermore, failing to make or maintain in-person relationships may also appear as a consequence of social media use.

During a 2021 study at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia, researchers found that more than half (59%) of the 300 participants reported prolonged use of social media had impacted their social interactions, negatively affecting family relationships and friendships while also making face-to-face communication more difficult. However, the study consisted only of students who identified as female aged 17–29 years, so more research is necessary.

2. Decreases quality time and relationship satisfaction

Excessive social media use can negatively impact quality time, create conflict, and reduce relationship satisfaction — whether the relationship is romantic or not.

During a 2021 study, researchers used Instagram and the app’s time-tracking capability to learn more about the connection between social media and relationship satisfaction.

They found an increase in Instagram usage led to a decrease in relationship satisfaction and an increase in conflict and negative outcomes. Furthermore, the dissatisfaction, conflict, and negative outcomes triggered an addictive use of Instagram.

On the flipside, making daily sacrifices for the relationship partner had a positive effect on relationship satisfaction and decreased the likelihood of conflict and negative outcomes.

However, there is also the issue of phubbing — the act of snubbing a person in a social setting by focusing on one’s smartphone. For example, if two people sit down for a face-to-face conversation and one continues to scroll social media apps and check notifications, that person is phubbing the other.

Numerous studies and research materials show that many people feel phubbing is rude and goes against social norms. Phubbees, or people who have experienced phubbing, report a reduced sense of emotional connection, empathetic concern, and interpersonal trust.

Additionally, phubbing may lead to heightened jealousy between romantic partners, as well as weaken their bond and lower their satisfaction with the relationship.

3. Provides an avenue for infidelity-related behaviors

“Infidelity-related behaviors,” such as communicating with alternative partners, can lead to relationship dissatisfaction, breakups, and divorce. Social media provides such an avenue for those behaviors.

While there is not much empirical evidence regarding social media infidelity-related behaviors (SMIRB) and marital relationships, there is growing research on the topic.

For example, researchers conducted a 2017 survey of 338 married or cohabiting partners on SMIRB. In addition to existing materials such as the Quality of Marriage Index and Experiences in Close Relationship Scale-Short Form, participants completed a survey specific to this study. Question topics revolved around online activities, emotions, and secrecy.

A small percentage of people reported participating in social media infidelity-related behaviors. However, researchers found that more participation in these behaviors was significantly related to lower relationship satisfaction, higher relationship ambivalence, and other relationship concerns.

Regardless of the relationship type, ideas for managing social media use around relationships include:

putting away their smartphones while spending time together
planning activities that do not leave space or time for scrolling
leaving their phones outside the bedroom
avoiding reaching out to old romantic relationships

Tips for general social media management

Ways to manage social media usage during everyday life include:

moving social media apps away from the home screen or into folders
turning off social media notifications
installing internet browser extensions that limit or block social media access on computers
setting time limits for using social media apps on smartphones — for example, through iPhone’s built-in Screen Time feature or Android’s built Digital Wellbeing
committing to a social media detox

Additionally, social media may bring risks unrelated to relationships.

For example, social media use — including problematic social media use — may:

have associations with mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem — although some studies have limitations
spread misinformation about health issues
exacerbate existing dangerous behaviors, for example, the possible link between social media and heavy alcohol consumption
lead to less physical activity and poor sleep patterns
decrease productivity at home, school, and work

Learn more about social media and mental health here.

Social media can have both positive and negative effects on interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships.

While the advantages of social media and relationships tend to occur naturally, the disadvantages seem to be associated with existing relationship problems or underlying psychological concerns.

It is important for people to manage social media usage, as too much time spent on social media can negatively impact numerous aspects of life.

Social media and mental health: Depression and psychological effects

Social media use can lead to low quality sleep and harm mental health. It has associations with depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

Many people in today’s world live with their smartphones as virtual companions. These devices use electronic social media networks that alert users to updates on friends, favorite celebrities, and global events. Social media has become firmly integrated into a lot of people’s daily lives. According to the Pew Research Center, 72% of people in the United States now use social media.

At its core, social media is a powerful communication tool that has changed how individuals interact with one another. It speeds up how people exchange and share information, thoughts, and ideas across virtual networks. However, social media does have downsides. Some evidence suggests that its use — in particular, its overuse — can negatively affect mental health in numerous ways.

Keep reading to learn more about the links between social media and mental health, including the positive and negative effects that this tool can have on individuals.

Social media has associations with depression, anxiety, and feelings of isolation, particularly among heavy users.

A 2015 Common Sense survey found that teenagers may spend as much as 9 hours of each day online. Many of these individuals are themselves concerned that they spend too much time browsing social networks. This wave of concern suggests that social media could affect the mental health of its users.

The researchers behind a 2017 Canadian study confirmed this finding. They noted that students who use social media for more than 2 hours daily are considerably more likely to rate their mental health as fair or poor than occasional users.

A 2019 study tied social media use to disrupted and delayed sleep. Regular, high quality sleep is essential for well-being, and evidence shows that sleeping problems contribute to adverse mental health effects, such as depression and memory loss.

Aside from the adverse effects on sleep, social media may trigger mental health struggles by exposing individuals to cyberbullying. In a 2020 survey of more than 6,000 individuals aged 10–18 years, researchers found that about half of them had experienced cyberbullying.

One of the downsides of social media platforms is that they give individuals the opportunity to start or spread harmful rumors and use abusive words that can leave people with lasting emotional scars.

Social media has come under a lot of criticism, with many reports connecting its use with severe consequences.

National surveys and population-based studies show that the world of social media can have devastating effects on users’ mental health. In the U.S. alone, survey findings show a 25% increase in suicide attempts among teenagers between 2009 and 2017.

Although social media may not play a role in each of these incidences, the time frame correlates with the growing use of these platforms. A 2021 study confirms this effect. The researchers reported that while social media use had a minimal impact on boys’ risk of suicide, girls who used social media for at least 2 hours each day from the age of 13 years had a higher clinical risk of suicide as adults.

Furthermore, findings from a population-based study show a decline in mental health in the U.S., with a 37% increase in the likelihood of major depressive episodes among adolescents.

A 2019 study suggested that teenagers who use social media for more than 3 hours daily are more likely to experience mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, aggression, and antisocial behavior.

Suicide prevention

If you know someone at immediate risk of self-harm, suicide, or hurting another person:

Ask the tough question: “Are you considering suicide?”
Listen to the person without judgment.
Call 911 or the local emergency number, or text TALK to 741741 to communicate with a trained crisis counselor.
Stay with the person until professional help arrives.
Try to remove any weapons, medications, or other potentially harmful objects.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, a prevention hotline can help. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 988. During a crisis, people who are hard of hearing can use their preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988.

Click here for more links and local resources.

Social media may trigger feelings of inadequacy. People may feel as though their life or appearance does not compare favorably with that of others on social media, leading to feelings of envy and dissatisfaction.

A 2018 study found that high social media usage increases rather than decreases feelings of loneliness. It also reported that reducing social media use helps people feel less lonely and isolated and improves their well-being.

Additionally, social media can facilitate cyberbullying and create unhealthy self-centeredness and distance from friends and family.

Despite its drawbacks, social media remains an efficient means of connecting communities and individuals across the world.

Social media-based networking among small groups of people is beneficial for many. Through social media, youngsters who struggle with social skills and anxiety can express themselves and socialize. It can be particularly advantageous for marginalized groups, such as LGBTQIA+ communities, as it enables people to meet and interact with other like-minded individuals.

Social media also serves as a platform that gives a voice to the voiceless. For example, people who have been subject to violence and abuse can use communities such as the #MeToo community to air their views, talk about what they are facing, and find support.

Social media can also educate and inform and provide an outlet for creativity and self-expression.

Unregulated social media leads to a constant fear of missing out, which many refer to as FOMO. People may feel as though others are having more fun than them, which can affect self-esteem and cause mental health issues.

Individuals may compulsively check their phones at the cost of missing sleep or choose social media over in-person relationships or meetups.

Additionally, prioritizing social media networking over physical and social interactions increases the chances of mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.

An individual can make their use of social media positive by:

turning off a smartphone’s data connectivity at certain times of the day, such as while driving, at work, or in meetings
turning off data connectivity while spending time with friends and family
leaving the smartphone out of reach while sleeping
turning off notifications to make it easier to resist the distracting beeps or vibrations
limiting social media use to a computer rather than a smartphone

People can help themselves avoid some of the adverse effects of social media by limiting use to 30 minutes a day, in turn reducing FOMO and the associated negative consequences.

By being more conscious of the amount of time they spend on social media, a person may notice improvements in their general mood, focus, and overall mental health.

Social media provides users with a rapid means of electronic communication and content sharing.

Although it has various positive effects, it can negatively affect users’ mental health.

Limiting the use of social media to 30 minutes a day can reduce FOMO and, in turn, relieve the loneliness, anxiety, depression, and sleep problems associated with excessive social media use.

How social media has changed our relationship

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The Internet expands our social circle, but provokes loneliness.

You can listen to the article. If it's more convenient for you, turn on the podcast.

Increased the risk of breaking up a relationship

Social networks do not have the best effect on romantic relationships. Scientists have found that the more often people visit such sites, the higher the risk of separation, emotional or physical infidelity.

This is not the only study with a similar result. The scientists looked at the relationship between quarrels and the use of various social networks and did not find a big difference between Facebook *, Twitter and other sites. One of the reasons for disagreements is jealousy, which is not always unfounded.

It was the Internet that led to the emergence of the term "micro-changes". These include various manifestations of online flirting, including numerous likes. Of course, a lot here depends on the suspicion of the partner, but it is obvious: there were no social networks - there were no such problems.

Increased the severity of the breakup

The “out of sight, out of mind” algorithm does not work if former partners virtually stalk each other, check the pages of their current lovers, count likes, try on thoughtful statuses. Because of this, it becomes even more difficult to survive a breakup.

Simplified communication

Even if family members have moved around the world, it is easier for them to keep in touch: grandmothers can follow the achievements of their grandchildren, adult children can always be in touch with elderly parents. Relatives have the opportunity to call in conference mode to chat.

At the same time, personal and Internet communication begin to compete. However, they are not always equal. The latter excludes touch, and this is also a way of expressing emotions. That is why it is important to strive for balance.

Inna Makarenko

Psychologist.

Communicating live, you see the emotions and reactions of a person, empathy and the ability to correctly assess the true meaning of the interlocutor's words develop, the skill of “reading” people is being developed, and communication is correctly built.

Expanded the circle of contacts

At least potentially. Social networks allow you to communicate with a huge number of people from different parts of the world - there would be a desire. You can chat not only with a colleague or friend, but also with the stars - some celebrities read the comments and respond to them themselves.

Networking made easier

Making connections has become easier. Before the advent of social media, this required active participation in industry events and communication. All this works now. You can also add people as friends on social networks, create cool posts in your feed, and periodically comment on other people's posts.

This not only gives the illusion of knowing a person. You see more ideas and resources, you are the first to know about interesting vacancies, you can ask for the opinion of professionals if you have questions.

However, there are nuances here. As social capital increases, the rich get even richer. But for those who have few connections, it is difficult to develop relationships.

Increased loneliness

The social circle is growing, but this does not relieve social network users from loneliness. Moreover, it can be "contagious". According to research, if someone is lonely among your online friends, it can spread to you. Moreover, the effect - albeit smaller - you will feel from "friends of friends. "

The constant comparison of oneself with other users contributes to the feeling of loneliness. It seems to a person that everyone else lives more interestingly. And at the same time, he spends watching the tape that precious time in which he could make his own life better.

Inna Anisimova

General Director of the PR Partner agency.

Relations with subscribers are a priority for many. In social networks, we can present an ideal image of ourselves, there is an opportunity to filter out flaws. Meeting people offline, being yourself is becoming more and more difficult in society. Therefore, relationships with those with whom you have gone through a lot are so valuable: they know who you really are.

Complicated face-to-face communication

According to psychologist Elena Svetlaya, quite often clients come with the following problem: on the Internet it is easy to be sociable, open, uninhibited, but when you meet in person, all this disappears.

Elena Svetlaya

Psychologist.

People lose themselves, cease to trust themselves and see their true image - without retouching, without falsehood, without Internet embellishment. It is very important that in real life there is no opportunity to take a break to come up with a joke, to respond with sarcasm. People have forgotten how to react instantly!

There is only one antidote: communicate more live.

How has social media changed your relationship? Share in the comments.

as social networks affect our mood, sleep, mental health and relationship

Jessica Brown
BBC Future

January 15, 2018

Author photo, Getty Images

in the BBC Futu review in the BBC Futu review. the most extensive research on how social media, primarily Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, affect our mental well-being.

Three billion people around the world, that is, about 40% of the population, use social networks on the Internet. We spend an average of two hours daily on them: posting notes, sharing photos, responding to friends' posts.

Social media users send nearly half a million tweets and photos to Snapchat every minute.

If social media plays such a big role in our lives, it is very important to understand how they affect us.

Are we sacrificing our mental health and well-being and wasting our precious time in order to communicate online? What do scientific studies say about this?

• How to prevent employees from "surfing the Internet" during working hours

Since social media is a relatively new phenomenon, there are of course no definitive conclusions yet.

The available studies are mainly based on the reports of the users themselves, who present information not objectively enough.

However, the data of the conducted studies already allow us to draw certain conclusions. The BBC Future reviewer got acquainted with the results of the most important of them.

STRESS

Social media is a place where we often express our outrage about anything from substandard services to political issues. This allows us to let off steam, but turns our news feed into an endless stream of negativity.

In 2015, researchers at the Pew Research Center in Washington DC tried to find out whether social networks actually free us from negative emotions or, conversely, cause more stress.

Image copyright Getty Images

Caption before photo,

Studies show that mobile has a bad effect on the quality of live communication

A survey of 1,800 people showed that women are much more stressed than men by social networks. They called Twitter the biggest source of negativity, as it constantly reminds of unpleasant situations in other people's lives.

Twitter, however, was also an effective way to reduce the effects of stress: the more women used it, the less stressed they felt.

Interestingly, this effect was not observed in men. According to the researchers, they do not take social networks to heart as women do. Overall, the researchers concluded that social media use was associated with "comparatively lower levels of stress."

MOOD

In 2014, Austrian researchers found that 20 minutes spent on Facebook left users in a worse mood than after browsing other pages on the Internet. Obviously, this was due to the fact that the use of social networks seemed to them a waste of time, scientists say.

According to researchers from the University of California, a good or bad mood can quickly spread between users of social networks.

Between 2009 and 2012, scientists analyzed the emotional component of more than a billion statuses of about 100 million Facebook users.

• Likes and shares can cost careers

Analysis showed, for example, that bad weather increased the number of negative posts by 1%. One negative post someone wrote while it was raining influenced 1.3 messages from friends in other cities where the weather was sunny at the time.

It's good that the funny messages had a strong impact. As the scientists found, each pleasant post inspired 1.75 posts written on a positive note.

Although whether such statuses increased the real mood of users, it remains unknown.

Anxiety

The researchers also tried to find out how social networks affect the overall level of anxiety, sleep and concentration.

A study published in the journal Computers and Human Behavior found that people who use seven or more networks have three times the overall level of anxiety as users of 0-2 platforms.

Image copyright, Getty Images

Image caption,

The appeal of social media lies primarily in the fact that it perfectly mimics the pleasant sensations of the game.

A 2016 study conducted at the University of Babes-Bolyai in Romania on the relationship between social anxiety and social media use produced mixed results.

DEPRESSION

Although some past research has found a link between depression and net use, new research in this area suggests the opposite effect.

Two studies of more than 700 students found that symptoms of depression, such as low mood, feelings of inadequacy, and despair, are associated with the quality of online communication.

Those for whom virtual communication brought predominantly negative emotions had higher depressive symptoms.

A similar 2016 study of 1,700 people found that those who used multiple social media platforms were three times more likely to have depression and anxiety.

Among the reasons given by the researchers were, first of all, virtual bullying and a distorted view of other people's lives.

However, scientists are also looking into how social media can identify symptoms of depression, which can help people seek professional help more quickly.

Commissioned by Microsoft, researchers surveyed 476 Twitter users and analyzed their profiles on the social network, paying attention to the style of messages, emotions, type of interaction with other users and signs of depressive behavior.

Using this data, they developed a questionnaire that, in seven out of ten cases, predicts the risk of depression even before the onset of the first symptoms.

Researchers: Instagram is the worst social network for the psyche of young people

Last year, scientists at Harvard University and the University of Vermont developed a similar Instagram photo analysis tool that has the same efficiency. The study involved 166 network users.

SLEEP

For most of our history, people spent their evenings in the dark, and only in recent centuries has artificial lighting been introduced into our bedrooms.

Studies show that it suppresses the production of the hormone melatonin, which promotes sleep. The worst effect on it is blue light from the screens of smartphones and laptops.

So, the habit of checking the news feed on Facebook or Twitter before going to bed has a bad effect on the quality of sleep.

Smartphones have identified the laziest and most active countries

Last year, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh surveyed 1,700 people aged 18 to 30 about how they use social networks.

Image copyright, Getty Images

Image caption,

The worst time to use social media is before bed

Scientists have found that the blue light emitted by our gadgets plays a significant role in disturbing sleep.

Smartphones in bed do not disturb sleep

The worst influence was not the total time spent on the network, but the frequency of activities in it, which indicated a "compulsive habit" to constantly check for updates.

Researchers, however, have not definitively found out whether social networks cause sleep disorders or whether those who already suffer from insomnia spend more time on networks.

ADDICTION

Despite claims by several researchers that Twitter is more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol, compulsive web use has not been listed as a mental health disorder.

However, social media is changing faster than scientists can study it.

Some researchers pay attention to different types of obsessive behavior in social networks.

For example, Dutch scientists have recently developed their own scale to identify possible dependence.

However, if social media addiction really exists, it can be considered a type of general Internet addiction, which is an officially recognized disorder.

In 2011, University of Nottingham researchers Daria Coussi and Mark Griffiths analyzed 43 previous studies in the field and concluded that social media addiction is indeed a mental disorder and requires professional help.

• Facebook will have a new feature to block posts

They found a link between excessive use of networks and relationship problems, poorer academic results and less participation in real communication.

According to scientists, alcoholics, extroverts and those who compensate for the lack of real relationships with networks are more prone to such addictions.

SELF-ESTATE

Women's magazines with Photoshopped photos of overly thin models have long been recognized as a source of low self-esteem in young women. But now social media has begun to cause concern among some groups of activists.

Special filters in them, as well as lighting and shooting angle, allow you to create unrealistic photographs.

Image copyright, Getty Images

Image caption,

Looking at other people's selfies can be bad for self-esteem

According to a survey of 1,500 users by the Scope Foundation, more than half of young people aged 18-34 say that social networks make them feel themselves unattractive.

A 2016 study from Pennsylvania State University found that viewing other people's selfies lowers self-esteem, as users compare themselves to photographs of people at the happiest moment of their lives.

And women tend to negatively compare themselves to selfies of other women, researchers at Strathclyde University in Ohio and Iowa State University found.

However, not only selfies of other users have a bad effect on self-esteem. A survey of 1,000 Facebook users in Sweden found that, in general, women who spend a lot of time on the social network feel less happy and confident.

The researchers concluded: "Facebook users compare their lives with other people's career achievements and happy relationships, and such comparisons are often not in their favor."

However, one small study found that looking at your account instead of other people's photos can increase your self-esteem.

Researchers at Cornell University in New York figured this out in an experiment in which one group of students sat in front of a mirror while another looked at their Facebook account.

Image copyright, Josh Rose / Unsplash

Image caption,

In some cases, social media is good for mood and emotional well-being

The social network had a positive effect on participants' self-esteem. The researchers explain this by saying that mirrors or photographs force us to compare ourselves to social standards, while viewing our own Facebook profile allows us to control how we present ourselves to the world.

FEELING

In a study launched in 2013, researchers found that the more time people spent on Facebook, the less satisfied they were with life.

However, some other experiments have found the opposite. People with emotional instability are more likely to write about their feelings. As a result, the support they receive online helps them recover from negative experiences faster.

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Although the issue is generally controversial, social media has a worse effect on the well-being of people suffering from social exclusion.

RELATIONSHIPS

If you've ever had a conversation with a friend and he or she would take out their smartphone and start scrolling through Instagram, you've probably wondered how social media affects relationships.

This also applies to romantic relationships. Researchers from the University of Guelph in Canada asked 300 Facebook users aged 17-24 whether they "get jealous when their partner adds a stranger of the opposite sex as a friend. "

Image copyright, Getty Images

Image caption,

A survey of 1,800 people found that women were much more stressed than men by social media

The study found that women who spend much more time in Facebook than men are more likely to experience jealousy.

The researchers concluded that "the social media environment itself contributes to this feeling, as well as heightening concerns about the quality of their romantic relationship."

ENVY

In a study of 600 adults, about a third reported that social media evokes negative emotions in them - mostly frustration caused by envy.

The unflattering comparison of her life with the lives of other people provokes her, and above all this concerns photographs from travels.

Feelings of envy cause the so-called "envy spiral" when people start posting more photos that make them jealous.

However, envy is not necessarily a destructive emotion. It often makes us work harder, according to researchers at the University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

During the experiment, they showed 380 students photos and messages from Facebook and Twitter, which usually cause envy - a message about buying valuable goods, travel and engagement.

But the feelings that they aroused in the subjects, scientists characterized as "benign envy", that is, one that inspires one's own achievements.

LONELY

A study published last year in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine of 7,000 people aged 19 to 32 found that those who spent a lot of time on social media were twice as likely to feel socially isolated. They lack a sense of belonging to a group, as well as interaction with others and fulfilling relationships.

According to the researchers, for such people, social networks crowd out personal relationships and make them feel lonely.

Learn more