You’ve been scrolling TikTok for hours when you realize it’s suddenly 2:00 am. You check out the latest Instagram posts and see friends having a good time together, realizing you weren’t invited. You envy the influencer who always seems to look gorgeous, not noticing the filters and editing she’s using to achieve that look. 

We’ve all been there! World Social Media Day is June 30, and it’s a great time to check in on how all of the trends, filters and constant scrolling are impacting your mental health. How can you help reduce social media anxiety for yourself or your child? Let’s explore.  

Why Does Social Media Leave Us Feeling So Off? 

It’s easy to think that social media is a tool meant for connection with others. But more often than not, social media can leave us feeling disconnected or insecure about our own lives. This impact is particularly difficult for teens, who are more likely to spend an unhealthy amount of time on social media. One in four teens who spend more than four hours a day on social media experience anxiety and depression symptoms as a result. Teenage brains aren’t fully developed yet, which makes it harder for teens to see that polished, curated social content isn’t reality!  

Even if you don’t have a specific type of post that triggers or negatively impacts you, it’s common to feel off after spending too much time “doomscrolling” on social media. Research shows this is a very common experience. In a study on the effects of social media use on wellbeing, doomscrolling (that’s defined as the act of spending excessive time consuming news and information on social media) can have a negative impact on conscientiousness, extraversion and mental wellbeing while increasing psychological distress and neuroticism. 

What Social Media Does to the Brain 

Overstimulation from social media has a direct impact on the brain and can cause problems with emotional regulation, sleep and mood. Excess time spent online can quickly become an addiction, initiating hyperactivity in the part of the brain that assesses rewards and drives impulsive behaviors. And because we have minimal control over what we encounter online, it’s easy to stumble across content that triggers a trauma response or sends you into an anxiety spiral. 

“Social media can increase the pressure we all feel to be perfect, and it can leave us feeling constant comparison to others. We are comparing ourselves to unrealistic versions of others as we only see curated versions of what someone is sharing. This can leave us feeling anxious, like we aren’t enough and that we need more or need to be better. It’s so important we are educated and aware of these effects and help our kids understand healthy habits related to social media.”  — Annmarie Arensberg, Vice President of Clinical Access & Outreach 

What FOMO Really Feels Like 

Some of this social media anxiety stems from the fear of missing out, often called FOMO. This is the feeling you get when you see peers posting online about fun and exciting things they’re doing, leaving you feeling like you’re missing out. It often feels like a sense of inadequacy, not doing enough or not being wanted by others.  

FOMO may impact people differently. A youth may experience it in a direct sense when they discover they weren’t invited to a specific event or party that many of their friends attended. Adults may feel like they’re missing out when comparing life milestones, career paths, family events or parenting choices to those of their peers.  

We see FOMO show up often in therapy with our clients at Camber, as teens and adults share the pressures they feel when comparing themselves to others online. The filtered, curated content shared online creates an illusion of perfection that is impossible to achieve in reality. 

What to Do When It Starts to Hurt 

When you start to feel isolated, ashamed or anxious as a result of social media, you’re not alone! Here are some resources to help you work through those feelings and begin to heal: 

Grounding Tools 

Grounding tools are practices you can do on your own (or coach your child to do) in times of dysregulation to start feeling at peace. A simple and common tool is deep breathing. Close your eyes and breathe in for a count of five, hold the breath for a few seconds and then release slowly for a count of five. Repeat this until you feel settled.  

Stating simple facts about who you are and where you are can also help with emotional regulation. Start with your name, age, where you live and the date. Gradually get more specific, describing the environment around you. 

Need more structure with your grounding? Try the “54321” method. List out loud: 

• 5 things you can see 

• 4 things you can hear 

• 3 things you can touch 

• 2 things you can smell 

• And 1 thing you can taste 

While these tools won’t erase what brought about anxiety, they can help put you in the right headspace to handle how you’re feeling. 

Tools to Take Back Your Feed 

When you’re feeling the weight of social media, here is what you can do to make your newsfeed work for you instead of against you: 

Professional Support with Camber 

A little FOMO is common when dealing with social media. But sometimes, anxiety can be constant and crippling. When social media leaves you or your child feeling hopeless, overwhelmed, depressed or constantly anxious, there is hope. Camber offers short-term inpatient mental health care at many of our locations throughout Kansas and Missouri, helping youth and adults to reset, feel safe and begin healing. Our trauma-informed support and expressive therapies can help you learn grounding tools and techniques to reduce anxiety and regain control over the scroll. Take a look at our mental health services in Kansas City, Wichita, Hays and Olathe to find the right location and support for you or your loved one. 

You Deserve Peace, Online and Off 

It’s time for us to normalize taking social media breaks, unfollowing accounts and asking for help if it gets to be too much. Humans are not meant to do life alone. We all need connection. That’s what makes social media so appealing, but also so dangerous if it begins to impact you mentally. When you’re feeling isolated, anxious, depressed or otherwise unsettled by social media, don’t hesitate to seek the support you need! 

How Camber Helps 

Camber offers both inpatient and residential mental and behavioral health care for youth and adults with a focus on emotional regulation, trauma recovery and safety. To contact our 24/7 admissions team, call (913) 890-7468 or email admissions@cambermh.org.