For college students, social media can be a difficult thing to manage. On average, the majority of college students spend 1-3 hours on social media daily. This time is spent on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.
These platforms can be great for college students because they can keep up with friends, find out about events to go to and overall find entertainment.
On the other hand, social media leads to worsened mental health, feelings of loneliness, fears of missing out and even has the ability to hinder student’s academic performance.
According to U.S. News, Ella Faulhaber, a doctoral student in human-computer interaction at Iowa State University, was involved in organizing a study on college students and the effect social media has on them.
The research team worked with 230 college students whom they asked half of to limit their social media usage to 30 minutes daily. The students who had limited their usage had lower scores for depression, anxiety, loneliness and fear of missing out in comparison to the control group.
Cutting out social media completely may work for some, but can be unrealistic for most. Both iPhones and Androids have screen time trackers which allows users to see how much time they spend on each app. Additionally, you can personalize screen time limits on certain apps for specific amounts of time. Students can also set reminders or make plans to go outside and take a break from screens.
Dr. Mai-Ly Nguyen Steers explained to Forbes, “According to the Attention Restoration Theory, getting our vitamin D while enjoying the peaceful moment in a park or seeing the crashing waves of the ocean can serve as a restorative reset button, which leaves people more alert, engaged, and rejuvenated.”
Also, maintaining connections with friends and family can help with mental health, even if maintaining those connections is through social media.
Students of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette shared their relationship with social media and how it affects them.
Marriah Fergurson, a junior majoring in nursing, shared how social media causes her to compare herself to others.
“Social media impacts how I see myself because you see different models or people’s lifestyles and you fall a lot into comparison. I’ve been trying to ease my time on social media and try to use it wisely, and only surround myself with things that build me up, not really fall into that comparison,” Fergurson said.
Kane Granger, a junior finance major, shared how he kept away from social media because of what it can do.
“I stayed away from [social media] for a long time. So, I never had Snapchat and only recently got into Instagram, but I did have TikTok for a little while and I had to delete it because it just became addicting to keep scrolling on it all day,” Granger said. “So, as far as keeping up with friends, that’s all I really use social media for. I’ll check up, see what my friends are up to, but as soon as I find that I’m just scrolling constantly, then I just get rid of it.”
Kaleb Potier, a sophomore majoring in electrical engineering, shared how dangerous he thinks social media can be.
“Social media can, on one hand, be very useful for entertainment, information connecting people. In the same vein, it’s also been one of the most mentally taxing and emotionally enduring things I think I’ve ever involved myself in,” Potier said. “If I could have gone back and never dealt with it at all, I’d probably be in a way better headspace now. You have to choose your battles I guess, so if you’re going to be a part of social media, do so sparingly.”
If you’re a student struggling with mental health issues, the UL Lafayette Counseling Center can help you. You can call them at (337) 482-6480, email them at counseling@louisiana.edu or visit them at the Saucier Wellness Center, located in O.K. Allen Hall.