Billions of people around the world use some form – or forms – of social media every day. It’s hard to believe that 20 years ago, hardly anyone had ever even heard the term. Yet here we are, almost unable to get through even one day without logging onto Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or some other channel. Unfortunately, when it comes to issues like women and mental health, social media has proved to be anything but a positive in many circumstances.
We’ve discussed this topic recently, but a new study puts its sole focus on women and mental health as it relates to social media use. What we continue to learn in some form or fashion is that the more we carefully manage and limit our social media use, the better off we are in general. We’re going to dig into the study we mentioned below and then offer some ideas to help people minimize the effect that social media has on their lives.
In the meantime, if you or a loved one is struggling in some manner, you should contact us as soon as possible. We can help you put some perspective on your situation and perhaps guide you towards resources that will place you on the path to feeling better.
Taking a Break From Social Media: The Details
Researchers worked with 66 women who were undergraduate students at York University in Canada. They were between 17 and 24 years old. The participants represented a wide swath of ethnicities, as you’ll see below:
- 28.8 % South Asian
- 18.2% Caucasian/European
- 15.2 % African
- 12.1 % Other
- 9.1 % West Asian
- 6.1 % South East Asian
- 4.5 % Latino/Hispanic
- 1.5 % East Asian
- 4.5 % did not report their ethnicity
The participants completed what is known as the State Self Esteem Scale, or SSES, at the beginning of the study. The SSES is a 20-unit scale that attempts to measure a person’s self-evaluation at the time it’s completed. This initial test represented the baseline of self-esteem for the subjects.
In addition, the subjects completed the Body Image State Scale (BISS) to measure their baseline opinions of their own bodies. Finally, the subjects completed the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-3, or SATAQ-3. The SATAQ-3 measures the following three criteria:
- Thin-ideal internalization
- Muscular-ideal internalization
- Appearance-related pressures
After completing these assessments, one group of participants was asked to refrain from using any social media channels as much as possible for a period of one week. The control group continued to use social media as they always had with no interruption or adjustments. At the end of that one-week period, the subjects completed a second version of the SSES and the other tests to see if there were any comparable differences between the two groups.
Results of the Women and Social Media Study
Below you’ll find how the scores on these assessments differed with each group when they took them again at the end of that one-week period:
| Measure | 1-Week Break Condition | No Break Condition |
| Total minutes spent on SM | 101.1 * (261.60) | 977.8 * (753.50) |
| Body Image States Scale | ||
| Time 1 | 4.96 (1.29) 5.98 * (1.11) | 4.94 (1.42) 5.02 * (1.55) |
| Time 2 | ||
| State Self Esteem Scale | ||
| Total | ||
| Time 1 | 59.3 (13.8) 71.2 * (13.5) | 61.6 (14.0) 62.9 * (12.5) |
| Time 2 | ||
| Performance subscale | ||
| Time 1 | 21.6 (5.43) 25.7 * (5.20) | 23.4 (5.31) 23.4 * (4.85) |
| Time 2 | ||
| Appearance subscale | ||
| Time 1 | 17.3 (4.33) 20.6 * (4.75) | 17.8 (5.17) 18.1 * (4.55) |
| Time 2 | ||
| Social subscale | ||
| Time 1 | 20.5 (5.64) 24.9 * (5.44) | 20.5 (6.16) 20.5 * (5.74) |
| Time 2 |
It doesn’t take long to see the differences in these scores. The subjects who largely refrained from using social media during the specified timeframe saw their scores increase after that week. Conversely, those who continued to use social media saw negligible changes, if any, in their scores. Those who would like to review the entire study can find it here.
What It All Means: Women and Mental Health
The researchers concluded that taking a break from social media for even one week led to an increase in self-esteem and body image among young women. In terms of practical implications, it could ultimately mean that people in general would benefit from logging off of these channels from time to time to remove themselves from the never-ending world of exposure, image generation and comparisons that are not ultimately healthy.
It also could come to mean that when people need a boost for their self-image, one of the first things they could consider is putting their phone or tablet down and not engaging in the use of social media. The topic of women and mental health is as vast as they come, as is the topic of social media and its correlational and/or causational relationship with mental health for people of both genders.
How SoCal Empowered Can Help
We have long believed that while social media has its uses, the potential harm these networks can inflict is substantial. Given the addictive nature of them, it’s not difficult to fall into a world where you depend on them and wind up using them for hours every day. For example, the control group in this study used social media for 977.8 minutes. That comes to over 16 hours total, or over 2 hours and 20 minutes every day.
If you are concerned about your self-esteem, self-worth or any other aspect of who you are to the point where you find it difficult to function, perhaps you should look further into the possibility of getting some help. Our team of mental health professionals at SoCal Empowered of Idaho is here to answer your questions and listen to your concerns. We’re also here to tell you if we think an intervention is warranted. If so, we’ll even help you find the right resource, whether that involves working with us or not.
Contact us today to find out more.
