The use of social media has become an essential part of everyday life, facilitating communication, access to information, and interaction between people worldwide. However, this growing dependence also has a profound impact on human behavior and mental health. Since arriving in Brazil, the internet and social media have become popular, influencing how we relate to each other and perceive ourselves.
Initially created to unite people and break geographical barriers, these platforms offer a virtual environment where a new identity can be constructed and projected. However, this constant search for validation and virtual interaction has led to an increase in diagnoses of depression, anxiety, and other disorders, especially among young people. The COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated these effects, leading many to realize the importance of genuine relationships and the impact of isolation.
In this scenario, it is urgent to understand social media's influences on users' mental and behavioral health and to explore how the internet works. However, while full of conveniences, it can also act as a gateway to the development of emotional and behavioral disorders.
Digital addiction is exacerbating issues such as nomophobia—the fear of being disconnected—and causing anxiety and discomfort. Social media keeps us in a cycle of constant comparison, where the success of others is idealized, which amplifies feelings of envy and inferiority. By observing the lives of others through a distorted lens, where only the happy moments are shown, many young people begin to believe that everyone is happier and more successful, creating a cycle of negative self-evaluation.
Platforms such as Facebook and Instagram allow us to observe the lives of others through a distorted lens, where reality is filtered to show only the positive moments. This dynamic creates unrealistic expectations, especially among teenagers, who often use these networks to compare their reality with their peers. Research indicates that many young people believe others are happier and more successful than themselves, leading to a cycle of negative self-evaluation.
Social media addiction is linked to liquid modernity, proposed by Zygmunt Bauman, which characterizes modern social relationships as fragile and transitory. The ease with which it is possible to create and destroy an image on social media reinforces this idea since, at any moment, someone can be "canceled" and have their virtual reputation destroyed. These factors contribute to greater emotional vulnerability, especially among those who already tend towards anxiety and fear of social judgment.
Research shows that prolonged exposure to social media also affects the brain's structure. A study conducted in China revealed that social media addiction alters areas of the brain responsible for emotional control, decision-making, and self-control, similar to the changes observed in drug addicts. This happens because social media has been carefully designed to generate cycles of positive reinforcement. Mechanisms such as likes, notifications, and followers are triggers that keep the user trapped in a cycle of easy pleasure, making it difficult to disconnect and return to offline life.
Psychiatrist Daniel Spritzer warns about the addictive nature of this use, comparing it to drug addiction, in which the user needs increasingly larger doses to achieve the same level of satisfaction. This situation is especially alarming in children and adolescents whose brains are still developing. Psychologist Jonathan Haidt also links the increase in depression and anxiety among young people to the excessive use of these platforms, which feed dissatisfaction and low self-esteem by encouraging the constant search for rewards and social approval.
Psychiatrist Anna Lembke notes that we are in an era of excess, where the search for digital pleasure contributes to a collective state of unhappiness. The "digital dopamine" provided by mobile devices creates a dependency that is difficult to break, generating a vicious cycle of reward and constant search for more gratification. This directly impacts mental health, as Gouveia (2000) points out, showing that the need always to be connected can evolve into pathological anxiety, and excessive use of social networks can lead to isolation and depression.
Given the panorama outlined, it is clear that social networks occupy an ambivalent role in modern daily life, especially for teenagers. Although they can offer a space for connection and exchange, they also present significant risks when misused. The reality created on networks often contrasts with expectations, generating feelings of inadequacy and insecurity, especially among younger people.
Both users and the companies that manage these platforms are responsible for mitigating these effects. Adaptations are necessary to create digital environments that promote well-being and avoid encouraging dependency and excessive use. Despite the risks, social networks should not be seen only as villains; they have an undeniable potential for learning and growth as long as they are used consciously and in an informed manner.
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