Human beings are social animals. It is our instinct to interact and form relationships with people around us. The advent of social media in the 2000s has made socialising and forming connections an effortless task. Social media helps us stay connected with our family and friends living in different parts of the world. In addition, it provides us with a platform to express our views and opinions on different matters and is also a great source of entertainment. According to a report published by Datareportal titled "Global Social Media Stats", there are around 4.48 billion social media users in the world as of July 2021. This figure is almost equal to 57% of the world's total population.

It is evident that social media has numerous benefits and has made people's lives a lot more comfortable than before. However, just like a coin has two sides, social media also has numerous disadvantages which significantly harm its users. Numerous studies have been conducted to check the correlation between the time spent by an individual on social media platforms and their mental well being. It has been found that the more time a person spends on social networking sites, the more chances to suffer from mental health-related issues increase. It is ironic that social media was invented for people to make companions but has left people more lonely.

One of the most damaging effects of social media is that it has drifted its users away from reality. It has created an "online world" that is very different from the real world. It has induced competition among its users to post the most flamboyant content and gain positive reinforcement in the form of likes and comments by other social media users. People use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat to sugarcoat their lives and present an unreal version of themselves to the world. For example, filters on apps like Instagram and Snapchat are widely used to beautify their pictures and post them on these platforms. The urge to showcase the perfect version of oneself on these social media platforms often takes a tremendous toll on people's mental health. Also, it often leads to people drawing irrational comparisons of themselves with others. As a result, they end up feeling worthless and depressed.

Social media platforms are very addictive. When a person uses social media, a chemical called "dopamine" is released in the brain, making the person feel ecstatic. However, in the long run, Social media often leaves people more despondent than they were and fuels up FOMO and accelerates negative feelings like worthlessness, depression and anxiety. In some cases, extreme use of social media also leads to social anxiety disorder. The adverse impacts of Social media are more adverse on pre-teenagers and make them more vulnerable to various mental health problems. Threats to personal information security and cyberbullying on social media platforms also land people in significant trouble, causing excessive mental health issues.

We need to take care of our mental well being. One of the most important steps we can take to improve our mental health and avoid negative feelings is cutting down on our use of social media. We should start giving importance to genuine relationships instead of online relationships. We must realise that using social media is not the only way to kill our time. Engaging ourselves in some hobby and doing something productive is a very effective way to maintain a healthy distance from social media and remain happier than before. Various educational and healthcare institutes should take the initiative of spreading awareness about the impact of excessive use of social media on people's mental health. Mental health is a sensitive topic and has been destigmatised in various societies across the world for ages. There is an indispensable need to give equal importance to a person's mental health like physical health is given. Initiatives to combat mental health-related problems should be given importance at both the individual and community levels. This will make the world a much better place to live in.