My SDI, My Monday With Inspiration: Social Media: Friend or Foe for Mental Health?

In this edition, the topic discussed is "Social Media: Friend or Foe for Mental Health?" which is beautifully presented by Bhayu and Purnama

Mental health is about feeling good and being able to face life's challenges so that we can understand our strengths, learn new things, work well, and help others in our community (WHO, 2022).

Social media is a communication and marketing platform where users can share and create content for the public. The impact of social media on mental health is determined by the quality of use, not quantity (Marciano et al., 2022). The impact of social media, both negative and positive, depends on the method and frequency of use, not the number of platforms accessed (Gumara et al., 2024).

Based on the results of a survey conducted by We Are Social in Indonesia, the largest number of social media users is in the 25-34 age group, and the smallest is in the 65 and over age group. On average, the time spent accessing social media is around 3 hours and 11 minutes every day, where more than 50 percent is for the reason of filling free time.

According to several studies, there are several positive impacts through the use of social media, including:

1. The use of social media for positive communication and emotional support can improve mental health (Rezki et al., 2017)

2. Social media can improve the mental health of users by facilitating social connections and support from peers (Naslund et al., 2020)

3. Social media allows brands or businesses to reach a wide audience appropriately and efficiently (Telkom University Surabaya, 2024)

However, the use of social media is often at the level of overuse by some users. This condition is characterized by several characteristics, including:

a. Wake up and immediately open social media

b. Restless if there is no internet

c. Always online

d. Obsessed with 'likes'

With the characteristics above, are we one of them? So, let's be wise in using time for social media.