Social Media and Its Impact on Women’s Health

Jacqueline Kaider
Dec 4, 2022
3 min read

As I talked about in my last blog, The “Why” Behind Women’s Social Media Habits, women tend to use more social media than men. And in my other blogs, Leave Nothing to The Imagination - The Hypersexualization of Women in Media and The Online Fat Shaming of Women, we get some insight into how harmful social media can be for women. In today’s article I want to dive more into the damage it can cause and what steps can be taken to prevent harm.

The Harm

1) Risk of Eating Disorders

Studies have shown that social media use is linked to a higher risk for eating disorders due to the body comparisons and body-shaming that users experience.

2) Mental Health and Body Image Issues

According to Forbes.com, many mental health problems arise from social media. These can include depression, appearance anxiety, low self-esteem, and body dissatisfaction. Users feel like they aren’t good enough. A study has even proven that Instagram use increases the likelihood of women developing body image issues.

3) Increased Desire for Cosmetic Surgery

As I talked about in my blog, The Filter Theory, Dr. Lara Devgan, a plastic surgeon, told CNN Business that half of her patients now come into her practice with reference images of themselves that are either edited or filtered. "Instead of asking for the nose or chin of a certain celebrity, patients are now largely bringing in edited photos of their own faces", Devgan states. People want to look like the edited, perfect people they see online.

4) Harmful Behavior

A study found that more time spent on online social networking leads to greater exposure to and engagement in self-harm behavior. This included an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and actions.

5) Feelings of Isolation and Loneliness

According to ThriveWorks.com, in a study of over 900 people (where most participants were women, users who spent more of their time on social media reported increased feelings of loneliness. Another set of researchers had a group of university undergraduates reduce their social media use for three weeks and found that those who reduced their social media presence were less lonely and depressed compared to the other group.

How To Decrease Risk

1) Reduce Time Spend On Social Media

A study found that limiting

social media use to approximately 30 minutes a day led to a decrease in feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Some tips to avoid social media are to turn off notifications, form new habits to keep you occupied and spend more time with friends and family.

2) Unfollow or Block People Who Don’t Make You Feel Good

Clinical psychologist Joshua Klapow, Ph.D., suggests that if you’re not benefiting from following a particular account or it is causing you to feel negative, you should mute or unfollow. Klapow states that “the removal of this person from our feed is essentially removing a source of stress, which allows us to calm down, relax and not worry about what might appear in the feed” making social media much more enjoyable and less toxic to consume.

3) Follow Accounts That Are Good For You

As ThriveWorks.com points out, there are also many positives to using social media so try following accounts that make you feel good and benefit you. For example, social media is a great tool to connect and promote professional women, join communities that resonate with you, and to discuss issues women are experiencing.

4) Try a Social Media Detox

Read all about what a social media detox is and how to do one in my blog, Social Media Detox 101.

Conclusion

Social media, like most things, has its good parts and its bad parts. It is important to talk about the risks that come along with social media use so that you can be aware and make changes if needed.