We spend so much of our day-to-day life observing other people through a phone. Getting caught up in their lives creates a gap with the sense of reality within our own.

All this time we spend unconsciously escaping our own life and reality will have a drastic effect on us mentally.

On social media, influencers only put out content they want people to see. This leads people to assume that they have a perfect and desirable life, which leads to insecurity of their own. They will not ever feel satisfied because they are living up to a standard that doesn’t exist.

Photo and video editing software is easily accessible to everyone. It’s so easy to photoshop your flaws out of the picture and then post it. Which causes those who see the photo to feel insecure and worthless, because they can’t live up to a fake beauty standard.

Nearly every social media app has face filters. Realistic filters that can put on makeup, brighten your teeth, change your eye color, and even your face shape. With these filters available to us, it makes it difficult to avoid the temptation of using them. When we use them, it is very damaging mentally because we get jealous of a version of ourselves that does not even exist.

Some think that there are only benefits when it comes to social media. While there are some good things that come with it, it does not change the feeling of not being good enough that comes with it. If we spend less time on social media and only follow positive influencers who make us feel motivated and secure, then social media can be used for good. Social media is very damaging for mental health, but there are ways we can change it for the better.