Flawless profile and carefree life? Famous people as well as ordinary people are choosing to take a break from social media and their checks to feel better.
One of the biggest parts of our daily life is the social media. The movement of picking up the cell phone upon waking is almost mechanical. This habit, however, can often end up in addiction or cause symptoms anxiety or depression due to the craze for presenting a “perfect image” of oneself on social media. Experts are raising concerns about the effects of social media on mental health.
This issue has once again resurfaced because of it British actor Tom Hollandwho after a six-week absence from social media, returned with a video on Instagram stating that he is quitting Twitter and Instagram to protect his mental health. “I’m overwhelmed by social media and it ends up being very detrimental to my mental state” said the 26-year-old actor.
Tom Holland isn’t the only one though, as in recent years many celebrities have deliberately taken a ‘break’ from social media, such as the musician Ed Sheeranthe Britney Spears The Justin Bieber etc. Hate comments, too much time in front of a screen and narcissism are some of the reasons that led them to the “digital” detox. However, the issue of using social media also concerns politicians. Specifically the German Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economy Robert Hambeck stopped using Twitter in 2019, while other politicians use it daily as a mouthpiece. Habeck wrote on his blog that Twitter is unlike any other digital medium and in no other medium is there so much hatred and malice.
After all, how much “bad” does social media cause?
Among “common mortals” there is also a desire for a digital break. According to a poll by the digital association Bitkom in 2022, 1 in 10 Germans want to spend more time off social media, while approximately 43% of respondents have at some point taken a break from social media to feel better mentally. Bath University research conducted this spring found that a one-week break reduced stress and improved participants’ mental health. However, perhaps the fact that the participants knew in advance that they would not use social media for a week gave them more motivation.
Other studies see a correlation between social media use and depression. But it cannot be proven which causes the other. It is also possible that people with depressive tendencies use social media more frequently than others and that abstinence may have the opposite effect. Findings from an Abu Dhabi University study, for example, showed how participants suffered from anxiety and loneliness when they weren’t using social media.
“It’s important to have a say in how, what, when and how much time we spend on media” states the Christine Langer social media consultant for the “Schau Hin” website, a media user guide, speaking to DW. The effects of social media on one’s life always depend on one’s personality, notes Langer. While some benefit, others feel pressured and envious of the “perfect” lives of other users.
An innovation is trying to shake up the ‘flawless’ user profiles
A new app from France called “Be Real” is trying to break this taboo by introducing a new way of presenting oneself on social media. The app prompts users with a message to take a photo within two minutes. No one knows in advance when this will happen and one cannot put filters editing on these photos. The purpose is to show more of the authentic face of the users and, according to the application, whatever they are doing at that time they have to photograph it, whether they are cooking with their partner or walking their dog…
The “Schau Hin” website, however, warns of the dangers of the app as through the rushed posts and the time pressure they set, they can make the user feel uncomfortable. It also points to the constant waiting for when the notification will come from the application as another factor that does not significantly change the time users spend in front of the screen.
DW / Stephanie Hupner / Editor: Iosifina Tsagalidou
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