Social media and mental health are topics that have been intrinsically linked for some time now.
With the fiasco that is 2020, a lot of routines have been turned upside down, so mental health needs to be discussed now more than ever. But where does fashion come into this? Read on to find out.
In the context of clothing, social media is used as a platform to promote your own wardrobe to peers; be inspired by new trends; and engage in conversations with your friends, influencers, and brands.
While this all sounds innocent, it can take a serious toll on your mental health.
It has been proven that this cycle of events can get addictive to the point where you’re scrolling Instagram for hours on end. Does this sound like you?
Using social media – and especially getting likes and comments – releases a ‘feel good’ chemical called dopamine in your brain, which makes you do even more endless scrolling and posting. This constant stimulation can leave you feeling fatigued and the addiction can make it worse. Eventually you’ll need more and more social media stimulation to feed it.
Pleasure addiction isn’t the only way social media can affect your mental health. Social pressure can also seriously affect your self-esteem.
Where does the social pressure come from?
Well, really it is a viscous cycle between influencers, peers, and yourself.
Sometimes it might go a little something like this:
1. You wear an outfit
2. Can’t be seen twice in it
3. Need to change it up
4. Go to influencers or fashion brands for inspiration
5. Can’t afford what is on offer or the outfit doesn’t look as imagined
6. Use filters to mask the disappointment
7. Likes and comments from peers that boost your emotions while peers feel negativity towards you for looking so perfect
8. They don’t realise you’re thinking the exact same about them
I know this is more of an extreme case. And I know you’re not like this; but scenarios like this happen all the time, especially among young people.
So many people feel trapped in a corner, feeling unaccomplished because they dont fit into what society expects (i.e. being perfect and happy constantly). As routines break down and socialising with friends normally becomes impossible, more people are turning to their screens and seeing an unrealistic view of reality; causing further stress.
What also doesn’t help the situation is that brands and fast fashion trends are more demanding online as they aren’t getting as much in-store traffic. From being constantly fed sales and ‘buy it now’ slogans, it makes you feel overwhelmed to purchase more.
But what can I do to stop this?
Use your own power to make your social media positive for you. Unfollow brands which are bombarding you with fast fashion tactics. Find influencers specifically for how you feel, e.g. wardrobe inspiration or a relaxing pick me up. Jenny mustard is an influencer who summaries what it is to be an influencer perfectly in the video linked here.
Something else you could do is stop being so hard on yourself. Don’t stress if you’re wearing the same top twice, it’s a comfortable, flattering top; I don’t care what Susan thinks! Stop comparing yourself to your peers, influencers, and anyone else out there. You will find this takes away the pressure, and in time, will make you feel even more confident than you already feel about yourself.
Make sure to limit the time you spend on social media each day and make sure you have a social media detox every once in a while. Personally, I make sure to have at least one detox day every three weeks
One other tip to changing social media habits is be more open and honest. Just ask your friend how she looks so flattering in that particular outfit, share your experience of saving money for that extra special jumper, and talk truthfully about how you feel that day. The more we all get involved with being more honest, the more we can trust each other. Don’t get lost behind the digital screen.
The information given in the blog post was correct to the date of the written post and the research undertaken. The link given below is a YouTube page which has educated me for some of the information written in this blog and could also help you learn about productivity, self esteem, and success.