Social media effect on depression

T HESE days when one interacts with people who are 21st century inclined, there is this wanting to be great on social media. The crave for personal attention on social media negates the purpose for which it was conceived; to bring people closer together, bridge communication barrier since everyone would not be together all the time, project businesses and make life easier.

But this metamorphosed quickly when celebrities turned the affair to a platform to compete, bringing their normal competitive life to the media.  ‘Everyone’ wants to flaunt their fleet of cars; many flaunt their possessions – collection of designer bags and shoes, jewelry and other things which would make one start to wonder if that is the purpose of life.

Looking at depression in this light,  in intentional interaction with people especially young ones, or when comments are read on posts on any platform, the most common is “show us the way”, “I want to be like you”, “In this life I must have money” and the likes.

This age, almost everyone feels that the only way they are of value and fulfilled is through popularity and the impression of having ‘mad money’ reflected in number of baby mamas,  followers and likes. And the female counterparts focused on how big their physical assets are; their model figures and expensive lifestyles.

Hence, people are lured to seek these things; and when they are not found from all the available options, many people believe they are failures and get into a state of melancholy, which breeds depression that has led into increase in spate of suicide and suicidal behaviours.

• The wave of suicide

Depression would set in when one starts to feel inadequate and beneath their contemporaries. The comparison elicits feeling of being invaluable, and alone in the world with the world against them.

Unfortunately, this is what social media is about.  We want to feel among by all means, enjoy the noise and attention that comes from the temporary fame and feel like failures when we don’t get it. Why live life like for the public?

This is a call to make the most important things important, not biting off more than we can chew. Until we stop going in the direction of this extremely dangerous race for acquisition that excludes the right time and season and feeling that social media is the home of achievements, suicide may continue to be on the rise.

Favour Boluwade,

Ibadan.

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