With the advancements in the social world being consistent, media is clearly an important aspect of a person’s day to day life. This is because it has enabled people to communicate easily and post photos and videos or rather updates in their lives for the purpose of getting information to other people all round. On the other hand, this always-on connection possesses an unseen dangerous effect. For most people, threats in manners such as maintaining a beautiful society picture and all the latest fashionable ways and being aware of everything has become a hard pill to swallow. 

Fast-moving cities such as Mumbai illustrate this best, where day to day living is already a hassle without the added-on social network stress. Therefore, lots of individuals are turning to mental health specialists and especially anxiety and depression therapy services in Mumbai because they cannot avoid being wired and the tension that goes with this is cripping it becoming unhealthy.

However, over time, the features of social media have appropriated the traditional purpose of connection and are now increasing social isolation, depression and low self worth. The fact of the matter is that in this age and time, where people have access to the internet, people wake up every single day to edit pictures of dressed up individuals living a life of success, happiness, and beauty such that they compel the rest to go into the comparison with such individuals. This continuous cycle of comparing dreams and goals with those of others can be depressing and create anxiety on the way one’s life is managed. In some cases, this fear takes physical form as strain, sleeplessness, or even terrors.

A global study conducted by the Royal Society for Public Health in the UK found a correlation between social media use and rising levels of anxiety and depression. The study noted that Instagram, especially, had the most adverse effects on the mental health of its users, with 70% of respondents stating that the application lowered their quality of life. This is due to the fact that Instagram propels the idealisation of one’s life, thus creating a sinister perfectionist culture among the users. Such trends can be quite destructive for individuals who are already battling psychological hardships. Thus, psychologists, depression doctors and specialists in anxiety counselling are in high demand for those trying to overcome the negative effects of the use of social networks.

Additionally, people would not want to hide the “outs” (outtakes) and showcase only the “ins” (well-curated pictures) of one’s life because this has become a huge trend in most social media. It is natural for social media users to showcase only the highlighted and glamourize accomplishments of their lives without sharing the failures, struggles, or even doubts that all go hand in hand with success; which usually does not appear in social media pages. One might then only consider heroes of a particular status, achieves only the conclusion that all similar individuals have no other form of existence, thus leads to other superiority complexes. Soon, this perception compared over and over again leads to inadequacy and tension.

One of the problems of social networks is that they contribute to feelings of loneliness as well as a sense of exclusion. This situation is particularly evident when users come across pictures and posts of events they did not get an invitation to. This is generally known as the “Fear Of Missing Out”, or the FOMO. When people experience FOMO, anxiety is precipitated because of the feeling that there is something significant or fun taking place that involves others but not the individual themselves. This fear frequently manifests itself in the compulsion to constantly check social media as if doing otherwise means a person will miss out on something. The irony, of course, is that the more time spent on social media, the more the isolation will be.

There is another rising issue which is the impact of social media which makes the effects of virtual bullying even worse. According to the findings of the Pew Research Center, 59% of teenagers in the United States have been the victims of cyberbullying in one form or another with Instagram and Snapchat being some of the primary sources of such bullying. Such bullying on the other hand can cause debilitating effects ranging from anxiety and depression to severe cases of suicide. For them, turning it off is not an option as they are usually bound to that mode of communication that makes it almost impossible for them to even wish for such a situation. It is this instance of seeking help that makes treatment for depression and anxiety, especially economic counselling, useful in dealing with the stress of such occurrences.

Many individuals are seeking professional anxiety counselling as a means to cope with anxiety induced by social media as its mental health consequences are becoming increasingly evident. Therapy applies to people in allowing them a moment to relieve the associated pressure of being at the centre of this entire technology and focus on the reasons of the menace associated with technology and depression. Counsellors for example may incorporate the cognitive behavioural therapy technique which aims at identifying and changing the harmful thoughts and behaviours that cause stress in the cause of excessive use of social media.

People’s understanding of the adverse effects of social media on mental health has led to the development of more “digital detox” strategies. These are programs which encourage the users of the gadgets to deliberately switch off the devices, take part in activities that promote relaxation and mindfulness. Research indicates that even brief social media hiatuses can enhance one’s mood and calm anxiety. Research done by University of Pennsylvania states that social media was used for only 30 minutes per day or less among participants resulting in low levels of anxiety, depression and loneliness.

With the increasing pace of life in cities such as Mumbai, these digital detox initiatives are becoming the norm instead of being an exception. There are therapists who also advise patients to include digital detox’ in their treatment plans to allow them therapeutic respite. To those people that require more focused assistance, treatment for depression and anxiety in Mumbai takes a comprehensive perspective in tackling not only social media-induced stress but other forms of stress too.