"The Social Dilemma" Got Us Talking About the Ways Social Media Affects Our Mental Health

Trigger warning: this article discusses suicide. 

Caitlin Paroczai, Writer at Student Edge: Absolutely everyone on the planet has been talking about Netflix’s latest documentary The Social Dilemma recently, so I decided to toss any fears I had aside and watch it. 

Let’s just say: there’s a lot to unpack here. The doco explores how big social media companies manipulate users using algorithms, how they harvest personal data to target users with ads, and how fake news can impact our actual behaviours. So my workmate Marie and I had a chat about it.

The whole doco makes me want to rock back and forth in a fetal position. However, the part that shocked me the most is how social media is affecting our mental health. What did you think, Marie?  

The Social dilemma 🤯 pic.twitter.com/NnforimYof

— Jay Patel (@iamjaypatell) October 4, 2020

Marie Gooley, Writer at Student Edge: I agree, the numbers given on mental health and self-harm were very stark, but as someone who started using social media when they entered their teens, I unfortunately wasn’t as surprised by them. 

Cait: The statistics they highlighted were insane. In the doco, social psychologist and New York University professor Jonathan Haidt noted there has been a "gigantic increase" in depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide among pre-teens and teenagers who have been on social media since mid-primary school.  

On top of that, the numbers of teenage girls admitted to hospital for self-harm including cutting were stable until around 2011 – 13, but in the U.S., these have now risen 62 per cent for 15 – 19-year-olds and 189 per cent for pre-teen girls.  

Does that not make you want to cry?  

Marie: It’s defs scary, I just wish there was a lot more promotion of self-love online. 

Cait: Same here. While we can’t solely blame social media for increasing rates of mental illness, there’s undeniably a correlation there, right?

Marie: I think there is a lot to be said about the influence of beauty standards. It seems to me that beauty standards are still pretty strict and valued in society, even with babes like Lizzo changing the way we look at beauty. While some spaces of the internet are slowly changing their attitudes to become more body positive, the idea of online perfection is still pretty rampant. 

Cait: It’s unattainable!  

Marie: Yep. While it feels like young people are aware that filters change your appearance and how influencers edit their photos, they’re still being crushed by the pressure to look a certain way online and somehow achieve unrealistic and often unhealthy beauty standards even in real life. It’s super unfair. 

Cait: Honestly, I can’t handle it. There’s an absurd amount of pressure, isn’t there? I decided to delete my Insta account because looking at these highly filtered images was taking a massive toll on my self-esteem. Basically, it was making me feel like s***.  

I’ve gotta say, my mental health has improved big time since deleting my account. I’ve read that a whole bunch of other people have also deleted their social media accounts after watching The Social Dilemma!  

Me after watching the Social Dilemma pic.twitter.com/vzE7GIipZC

— Derrick (@derkddiaz) October 5, 2020

Have you ever considered deleting your social media accounts? If not, how do you protect your mental health on apps like Instagram?  

Marie: That’s so awesome that deleting your Insta had a beneficial impact on your self-esteem! I personally haven’t deleted any social media accounts that I regularly use (yet; Facebook better watch it), but they defs took a toll on my confidence and self-worth when I was a teenager. 

Personally, I feel like I have found spaces on my social media feeds that show me content I actually want to see and help me to feel good about myself and others (yay!). I find myself watching and reading inclusive, fun and creative content that appears on my feed and ignoring or deleting things that I find unhelpful and toxic—that way I’m sort of in control. 

watched the social dilemma it did not phase me at all i am still having twitter for breakfast

— mi abuela’s daughter (@kiskeyakinshasa) October 11, 2020

Cait: How do you find such positive content? My Instagram was horrendous.  

Marie: Well, The Social Dilemma points out that the algorithm of each service curates our individual feeds, and while that’s supposed to be a bad thing, I low-key love it? I find that being conscious about what I am shown helps me avoid the things I don’t want to see. 

I totally understand why some people might want to delete their social media. It's not for everyone; I think we all (myself included) spend way too much time on our devices, but I also think that if you can brush off nasty content that you might see online, there can be less harm in allowing Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok to be a part of your life. 

Cait: There’s just so much nasty content though. Particularly from *cough* some influencers *cough*.  

Marie: Do you reckon influencers and celebrities that often reinforce these pervasive standards of beauty also have a responsibility to make online social platforms a more inclusive place? 'Cos I too think they need to step up a little. 

Cait: Woah, that’s a tough one. Yeah, I think so. Considering influencers have massive followings, and teens look up to them, it would be helpful if they could be as authentic and unfiltered as possible. There are influencers that already do this very well, like @myfacestory and @leahitsines. They both encourage their followers to love their bodies and accept their perceived 'flaws'.  

Although, it can be challenging to break the cycle when social media is essentially designed to control our behavior and keep us scrolling like guinea pigs.  

Marie: It does feel a tad too manipulative (gross). 

Cait: So gross. As The Social Dilemma acknowledges, it gives us a dopamine hit every time we get likes or comments on our photos. It’s like my addiction to chocolate.  

So, perhaps it’s really the creators of these platforms that have a responsibility to make them a more positive space. In the doco, former Google design ethicist Tristan Harris points out that there aren’t enough regulations in place for social media companies.  

What kind of regulations could we have to protect our mental wellbeing on apps like Instagram?  

Marie: I think it would be an understatement to say our focus on age restrictions in the past has tanked. Most kids lie about their age to create their own social media accounts, and parents shouldn’t be expected to monitor every little thing young people see all the time—that’s kind of unrealistic. 

I agree that the responsibility of regulations must fall on the developers, just like it already does in radio and television. I think Instagram’s choice to remove the visibility of likes was an awesome step in the right direction, so potentially removing all the focus away from comments, likes and shares could do a lot? 

Cait: I think so. To be honest, I don’t know why they didn’t just get rid of likes entirely. Surely that’d have more of a positive impact?  

Marie: Yesss, that would be ideal. There may even be some benefit in culling the number of notifications we receive. As The Social Dilemma points out, when we get a notification, we feel compelled to open it instantly, but afterwards we’re left feeling emptier and wanting more. 

I personally dislike the high expectation to open and respond to notifications and messages the moment I receive them, and because of this I often avoid replying or even opening messages altogether (as you know all too well, haha soz).  

the social dilemma on netflix makes me want to go offline for the rest of the year

— yana (@c0wgal) October 9, 2020

Do you think there is too much pressure put on social media users to post, like, respond or reply? 

Cait: Look, you are terrible at replying, but I forgive you. I think we’re all hit with so many notifications throughout the day, and they seriously make your brain hurt. I’m in awe of your self-discipline, because I struggle not to open messages or check notifications instantly. If I don’t respond or reply straight away, I worry that I’ll forget to and unintentionally offend someone.  

Marie: I wish more people knew we’re not trying to be mean when we don’t reply straight away, I just hate texting! 

Cait: In an ideal world, it’d be great if social media apps could send far less notifications, but I can’t see that happening anytime soon. Fortunately, there are ways to set boundaries and turn off notifications if they’re getting on your nerves. There’s the 'Do Not Disturb' mode on iPhones, and you can also adjust the kinds of notifications you receive from different apps. 

Yet, I still haven’t done that. I guess it goes to show how powerful that dopamine hit can be (and how much I need to work on my self-discipline). Is there anything you do to limit your screen time?  

Marie: In all honestly, I think my avoidance of notifications is more so out of laziness than self-discipline, but there are definitely some actually productive steps that I take (and more that I should try) to limit the amount of time I'm on social media. 

I use the 'Do Not Disturb' option when I go to bed, so I can avoid any midnight phone calls or drama from my friends when I’d rather be sleeping. I also try to leave my phone in another room or in my bag when I’m focusing on a task, watching TV or when I invite friends and fam over. 

I’m a big believer in being self-aware of your bad habits, even if it makes you uncomfortable. One of the best ways I do this is by checking the amount of screen time I have logged each day. If you are concerned with that number, it may encourage you to set your phone aside for a few hours, or even a few days. 

I’m not an expert on how to stay away from your phone (I wish), but the Centre For Humane Technology has some great tips on taking control of your technology intake. 

Cait: You’ve hit the nail on the head. Being aware of your habits on social media is crucial. 

Apps like Facebook and Instagram are such an integral part of our day-to-day lives, and they’re not going anywhere, so it’s important to monitor what impact using them has on your mental health. If using social media makes you want to throw your phone across the room, maybe it’s time to consider putting some boundaries in place.  

Setting limitations is still a work in progress for me, so I am super thankful that there are documentaries like The Social Dilemma that increase our awareness of how social media can impact our mental health.  

Are you experiencing suicidal thoughts, sexual assault or domestic and family violence? Seeking to support someone who is? Call Lifeline on 131 114 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800. 

Visit ReachOut to get support to help you with everything from everyday issues through to tough times. 

Header Image: tommaso79 via Getty Images