Sol Garcia | THE RIDER
With many students staying home and taking virtual classes, social media usage has increased, affecting mental and physical health.
Before the pandemic, Kasandra Elizondo, an exercise science senior, would spend about one to two hours per day on social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat.
Since the pandemic, though, her usage increased to three to five hours per day.
“All my classes are online, so I’ll be on my computer, but I’ll still have my phone on the side,” Elizondo said.
She uses social media to stay connected with friends, pass the time and to stay informed.
“Because of the elections going on, I like to stay updated, also with the coronavirus,” she said.
But because students are mostly staying home, they’re likely to form an unhealthy relationship with social media, where they use it most of the day, Elizondo said.
“For example, how TikTok has blown up,” she said. “I think more people spend more time on that, rather than doing their homework or doing things they need to do, etc.”
Carmen Villegas, a clinical therapist at the UTRGV Counseling Center, said heavy social media usage has definitely increased during the pandemic, and with it, negative effects on adults’ health, both mentally and physically.
“It can lead to depressive mood, anxiety, a lot of low self-esteem, body image issues and then it can be affecting you physically,” Villegas said. “It can lead to sleeping problems, social isolation and even, overall, inability to regulate your emotions and unable to detach from whatever is being posted.”
Although social media can be used as an outlet to socialize, she suggests not using social media for more than two hours a day to avoid those negative effects.
“A lot of people use it sporadically during the day, and then, if we kind of put that together, it can really amount to much more time than we anticipate spending on social media,” Villegas said. “I would say no more than two hours in between times. I would even say that’s probably a little much.”
One of the reasons social media usage has increased during the pandemic is because it’s so accessible, she said.
“It’s at our fingertips at all moments, at all times,” Villegas said. “Then it can be detrimental to our emotional and mental wellness because we’re so indulged in it.”
If students notice their usage has gone up and are not completing their responsibilities, she advises they should:
–take a break from social media
–avoid using social media one to two hours before bed
–turn off notifications
–unfollow negative accounts.
“We are in control of our social media, and we have the power to set limits and boundaries [on] who we follow, what we want to see, and how we want to feel with it,” Villegas said.
Students should also ask themselves why they use social media and how it is affecting them, she said.
The clinical therapist suggests asking, “Is it helping me … or is it something that’s just causing me more emotional harm?”
Even though many students may be using social media to stay informed about politics, they should consider taking a break when the information is too overwhelming, Villegas said.
“With politics nowadays, it can be so emotionally overwhelming to take in all this information and to develop your own ideologies and perception on what’s going on,” she said.
Velma Schmidt, a professional counselor who owns a private practice, agrees people are more likely to develop an unhealthy relationship during the pandemic, causing levels of anxiety and depression to increase.
“Sometimes people are already anxious, and this just heightens their anxiety,” Schmidt said. “Or sometimes people have some depressive symptoms and, again, this just heightens it.”
She believes no one should spend more than four hours a day on social media. If they do, they can start to neglect healthy habits, such as exercising and maintaining relationships, she said.
“They neglect their relationships with family members, with friends,” Schmidt said.
To limit usage, a routine needs to be set, she said.
“The most important thing is to have a routine, to stick to a schedule, to set some goals, and then achieve those goals by limiting the amount of time you’re on social media or online,” Schmidt said.
Oscar Serrano, an English junior, said he used to spend about four to five hours before the pandemic on social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. After the pandemic, that increased to seven to eight hours.
While social media helps him cope with anxiety and fears, he said it’s also necessary to maintain a healthy balance with school.
“I know that, as a student, we need to keep … a healthy balance between social media and education,” he said.
Serrano advises students to schedule their social media usage to avoid losing focus in education.
“Have a planner and plan your day, like, ‘OK. This is how many hours I am going to spend on social media.’”
