Why are you lying awake at night? Insomnia?… Caffeine? Or is it a subconscious feeling of worry, nervousness and unease? Anxiety is an epidemic that plagues millennials because of the constant need to be “in the know,” which stems from excessive social media use and ultimately leads to social media anxiety disorder. The more technology and social media we have, the more stressed out we become. If you are not a millennial and feel that social media anxiety does not pertain to you, then think again because your children could be suffering. Social media has an extensive negative effect on millennials’ mental health and must be regulated in order to combat these unfavorable outcomes.

Social media makes people feel inadequate due to the fact that they are constantly comparing themselves to others online. It is so easy to feel like your life is not as “perfect” as others when we look at them online, but what we fail to realize is how easy it is for others to falsely portray themselves on social media. Mental health advocate and writer Sarah Fader found that the use of social media not only causes anxiety, but can also “cause depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), impulsive disorder, problems with mental functioning, paranoia and loneliness.” People feel immense pressure to publicly share their lives, and many posts are done in order to receive instant gratification as a confidence boost. When people share information through social media platforms and do not receive gratification in the form of “likes” or “retweets,” it makes them feel as if they are not good enough compared to those who receive more, and this triggers the uneasiness of anxiety. Parents must set limits on social media use in an attempt to regulate anxiety and depression beginning at a young age.

In 2018, Statista reported that over the last ten years, the percentage of Americans who use social media has risen by 67 percent, with the usage being at 10 percent in 2008. It is imperative to understand how many Americans have the potential to experience negative influences, such as behavioral and personality disorders, through social media outlets present in today’s society. Also according to Statista, the percentage of Americans with any type of social media profile peaked in 2017 at 80 percent and has now lowered to 77 percent in 2018. Might this be because Americans realize the negativity social media has added to their lives? To comprehend the seriousness of mental health effects social media has on American society, it is critical to realize that the majority of Americans are taking part in this online epidemic.

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders in the United States and as previously stated, Fader proved that the more technology we acquire, the more stressed and anxious we become. The symptoms of depression can be gradual, so it can be said that the more often social comparisons are done, the more likely a social media user is to become depressed. Nick Zagorski’s research showed that people who reported using the most platforms (seven to eleven) had more than three times the risk of depression and anxiety than people who used the least amount (zero to two). Anxiety is felt among social media users when they are unable to check their notifications continuously. Knowing that one has notifications and is not able to view them leads to social media anxiety disorder and fear of missing out (FOMO). Even when one is out of the loop for ten minutes or less, he or she can experience feelings of loneliness or being left out. Research by Davey in 2016 shows that social media can easily become an addiction, and, “has been shown to activate the same brain areas as addictive drugs such as cocaine.” These feelings of anxiety can then lead to more serious mental problems such as depression. It is obvious that social media in society drastically affects the mental health concerns of anxiety disorders and depressions in current social media users, but what can we do to slow down these long-term negative effects?