Billions of people around the world use social media. According to Pew Research, half of U.S. adults use Instagram, a popular social media platform. Inevitably, social media can impact people’s behavior, mental health, and overall well-being– for better and for worse. In this article, you’ll learn more about the connection between social media and substance abuse.
Our compassionate team of addiction specialists at East Coast Recovery Center is here to help patients achieve long-lasting sobriety. Our recovery center in Massachusetts offers a variety of addiction treatment options to ensure you receive the best possible care to break free from your addiction once and for all. Whether you are struggling with drug addiction, mental illness, or a co-occurring disorder, we help treat a wide range of addiction and mental health care needs. Ready to start your road to recovery? Contact us today!
3 Ways Social Media Can Impact Substance Abuse
In today’s digital age, social media plays a significant role in society today. Social media doesn’t just have the power to relay information to billions of people worldwide, it also can influence people’s views of themselves, others, and the world around them.
Keep reading to explore the connection between social media and substance use below.
The Glamorization of Substance Use on Social Media
While social media can help promote positive, healthy topics surrounding addiction such as addiction recovery resources, it can also showcase the negative side of substance use. For instance, some social media users can glamorize the use of abusing drugs or alcohol. This inevitably can be unhealthy and influence others, especially teenagers who use social media. While social media users glamorize substance use does not directly cause those individuals who view that post to abuse drugs, it can passively influence one’s views toward abusing drugs.
Constant Comparison of Others Online
Social media has many benefits, like relaying information to people across the world. However, social media can also be unhealthy for users. This is especially true with the saying “you cannot trust everything you see online”. Unfortunately, many people, especially teenagers, may compare themselves to the unrealistic expectations portrayed on social media. This can raise levels of anxiety and depression, and some individuals may turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with these negative feelings.
Substance Use Offers an Escape From Feeling Isolated
Finally, while social media can connect people around the world, it can also make people feel very isolated and disconnected from more meaningful relationships. This is because spending more time on social media and less quality time forming deeper connections offline can make one feel more isolated. And, increased isolation can make one feel more lonely, and look to coping strategies to relieve these negative feelings, such as turning to drugs or alcohol.
Therefore, while social media does not directly cause an increase in substance use, it can have some indirect connections that can impact substance use. From unhealthy comparison and increased loneliness making some social media users feel more discontent with their lives, this can cause some to turn to unhealthy coping strategies to combat these negative feelings.
Unfortunately, for some people, this may mean turning to drugs or alcohol to find relief, which can quickly turn into addiction after repeated abuse. You should never feel like you are alone in fighting your addiction– help is available!
Help Is Available
Now you know more about the connection between social media and substance abuse. While social media can help promote addiction recovery resources, social media can also glamorize substance use, and make people more isolated which can increase one’s likelihood of turning to drugs to cope. If you or someone you know is struggling with drug addiction, it’s critical to seek professional help to safely break free from your addiction for good.
At East Coast Recovery Center, we are here to help you safely and effectively overcome your addiction so you can lead a healthier, happier life. No two recovery journeys are ever the same. That’s why we offer a wide range of addiction and mental health treatment options so you can receive the personalized treatment plan you need to lead a healthier life. Ready to start your recovery journey? Contact us today!
