Is Social Media BAD for You? | Kati Morton

This series is an educational project sponsored by Google.

We have all heard how social media can be bad for us. People stating that is can cause depression, or anxiety, and overall it's just bad for us. But I don't know if I agree. I have always thought that social media can be used for good and can connect us, and help empower and educate us. Today I site down with the one and only Dr. Drew to get his take. He has been online for years, and is also an addiction specialist. So let's hear his take on social media and our mental health.. it is good or bad?

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Credits:
Producer: Sean St-Louis
Writer: Kati Morton
DP: Nick Davies
Editor: Elijah Senn
Animator: Jordan Comeaux

I'm Kati Morton, a licensed therapist making Mental Health videos!
#katimorton #therapist #therapy

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[CrisGarcia]

This is a good one Kati. I wanted to spend less time on social media and focus on life more and going to the gym, taking spin class. Writing music, and studying as well. But I do need YouTube for tutorial videos. And I would say that social media could be bad for you because ethere are bad posts and there are posts that can scare others and the debate is going on. You can use social medias to contact your real friends and making sure that you are okay.

[Katimorton]

This video is captioned in English and Spanish :)

[kaniRV]

Social media and the constant overload of information stresses me out. I am in deep depression and staying away gives some relief. Sometimes it is extremely overwhelming. At the same time, I appreciate Kati's channel and the like- one year ago, I was desperately trying to figure out what was going on in my life and Kati's video on gaslighting opened my eyes. I left a toxic workplace and started my journey of healing. Started therapy and it helps. So social media also saved my life? Thanks for the work you do. It helps me on a very personal level.

[Michelle-ovlb]

I deleted all my social media and I feel so much better

[ericgomez]

Social Media has contributed to my depression and anxiety. Seeing a therapist has helped me put things into perspective and I'm forever grateful for it. GO SEE A THERAPIST if you can!!

[eken]

On comparing yourself to others on social media, do not remember where I heard it but someone said that (quoting from memory): "You compare your behind the scenes, to their trailer".

[rascalragdoll]

I’m unemployed, struggling with anxiety, depression and PTSD it’s been almost 3 years of being home all the time. I find myself glued to my phone and online. Everyone I know and like live far away and are too busy to hang out when I have good days and feel like socializing. I have my family that I live with, but they are very stress inducing and when I try to talk to them, they look at their phones barely paying attention. And if they aren’t doing that, they are going off about something stressful and struggling with their own depression. So I find myself on the phone trying to escape. I feel addicted and I know I’ll feel better if I get off it, move around and be productive, but it’s hard to do in my situation. It’s killing relationships.

I really need to make changes to my life and i’m craving them so badly. I go to therapy weekly and recently started going to church on Sundays. I enjoy them. But being super sensitive to stress and having a lot of it, that I can’t control, is holding me back. I also have control issues from my trauma. I’m scared of authority and being told I have to do something or I have punishment (like losing my job). When I was raped I was told I had to let them do it or they’d waterboard me. I was hours from home, in a different state, betrayed by a friend and was completely helpless. It messed me up. I escaped and got all 3 of them in prison when I got to a near by house, but I haven’t been the same since...

Today I’m having a bad day. I can’t seem to stay away from my bed and have cried on and off throughout the day. So I’m here on my phone. Oversharing to strangers, not even sure why. I guess I just answered the question she had and explained why and maybe some people here can relate. Idk. If you made it this far thanks for being a good sport. I hope you have a good day.

[RKID]

I purposely don't have Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat or other popular social media accounts. It makes my life so much simpler. And I like to be with people in person anyway since I like to be able to touch the person I am talking to.

[unleashingpotential-psycho]

I think everything is about moderation and too much social media can definitely be bad for people. 🔥

[chrysiarose]

I am single and lonely; I made the mistake of going to an online grad school where I have no interactions with anyone (no Skype classes, only typed discussions and emails) and I felt even more isolated and lonely at home every night studying and writing research papers. I am transferring to a brick and mortar program where I will have real human interactions and network to make connections that I just can't online. I hope getting my MSW is worth it!

[_just_TK]

Kati gets to hang out with the coolest people!
(Correction: they get to hang out with the coolest person!!) 😎

[NinesCatudio]

I was actually thinking about this couple of days ago. Despite the harm if used without moderation, the social media did bring a few huge advantages since it came into our lives.
One - it did become a friend to lonely people, travelers stuck at the airports, people bored in their hospital beds, and those of us who always thrive for information.

[ronjaostrand]

I have put a ton of work to my social media feeds, blocked people I can't stand, unfollowed things I didn't care about and filled it with fun stuff like cute animals and such 😅 I have a really good experience, since then :D I have gotten to know people I appreciate a lot, seen and learned things I otherwise wouldn't ever have seen. It's also a huge part of the progress I made with my mentalhealth...

[tiramiiisu]

yes to being sponsored by google 👏🏽 Kati got a lot of unnecessary shit because of Shane’s series and I’m happy to see you strive! Awesome topic and one that needs more light shed on it!

[kkarolkka]

I think that we can benefit a lot from social media, it's amazing how people can stay connected, learn new things, talk to others who shares our hobbies, point of view etc.
But as you said, can be also dangerous, when we start to go online instead of meeting our friends, when we prefer to leave a comment on opinion online instead of speak up when needed, when we use social media to drag ourselves or others down...
But with good balance of using social media we can improve our skills and become happier :). For me your channel is really useful and positive place to be :)

[sarahjane]

If it wasn't for technology I wouldn't have had access to all the mental health help I use. Cbt apps, YouTube channels, meditations, Facebook groups filled with advice (I'm part of ones for anxiety and adhd). I've also made so many friends through online. Like a lot of things, I think it depends on how you use it.

[PRoseLegendary]

I no longer use facebook in the same way. Just use messenger and marketplace. I don't share photos of myself and my child online. It's a false sense of happiness people are creating, and I'd rather just live in each moment rather than worrying about taking a photo of what's happening and getting likes for it.

[bionicalman]

Dr. Drew the Celebrity rehab saved my life I had 1yr sober now I have 5months sober. Ty

[sphepheloenoughkhumalo]

Gosh maybe this is the result of my depression cause I compare a lot geez

[iamnotree]

Im quitting social media. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc are going to be out of my life. For too long I've lived in these metaphorical chains and I really missed the times where I was hapy and free.