Is Social Media Hurting Your Mental Health? | Bailey Parnell | TEDxRyersonU

About this Video

• Video Title: Is Social Media Hurting Your Mental Health? | Bailey Parnell | TEDxRyersonU
• Channel: TEDx Talks
• Speakers: Bailey Parnell
• Duration: 00:14:45

Introduction

This TEDx Talk explores the negative impacts of social media on mental health. Bailey Parnell, drawing from personal experience and research, identifies four key stressors—highlight reels, social currency, FOMO (fear of missing out), and online harassment—and discusses their contribution to anxiety and depression. The talk also offers practical strategies for creating a healthier relationship with social media.

Key Takeaways

• Highlight Reels: Social media presents curated "best moments," leading to comparisons and feelings of inadequacy when users compare their everyday lives to others' highlight reels.
• Social Currency: Likes, comments, and shares function as social currency, making users' self-worth dependent on external validation and impacting their sense of identity.
• FOMO (Fear of Missing Out): The fear of missing social connections, events, or opportunities fuels anxiety and keeps users constantly engaged with social media.
• Online Harassment: The prevalence of online harassment, particularly for vulnerable groups, creates a toxic environment and significantly impacts mental well-being. Even seemingly minor instances of harassment can accumulate to create serious problems.
• Strategies for Social Media Wellness: The speaker suggests three steps to improve one's relationship with social media: (1) recognizing the problem, (2) auditing one's social media "diet," and (3) creating a better online experience by unfollowing sources of negativity and modeling good online behavior.