Heavy social media use is linked to a rise in psychiatric disorders characterized by delusions, including narcissism and body dysmorphic disorder, as online platforms create “feedback loops” that intensify distorted beliefs, according to a new study.
Delusions Amplified
Recently published in BMC Psychiatry, the new systematic review of 155 studies and scientific articles investigated the relationship between social media and mental health.The review identified specific delusional disorders that may be exacerbated by social media. These include narcissistic personality disorder, characterized by exaggerated feelings of superiority; erotomania, where a person believes a famous person is in love with them; and body dysmorphic disorder, marked by an obsessive focus on perceived physical flaws.
Risks for Vulnerable People
While social media can create supportive communities and foster a sense of belonging, Crespi and study co-author Nancy Yang say that it can also have detrimental effects on people at higher risk of mental health issues.Since people online live in a vacuum isolated from real-life social interactions, it allows them to maintain a distorted self-image without challenge from reality.
The study highlights that features common to many social media platforms, such as the option to present an idealized version of oneself, can further deepen mental and physical delusions. This lack of challenge to delusion in online spaces, compared to in-person interactions, significantly affects mental well-being.
When people isolate themselves and engage primarily online, they can easily cultivate an idealized, often misleading image of themselves. Since this curated persona isn’t confronted by the realities of face-to-face interactions, it can exacerbate delusional thoughts and adversely affect their mental well-being.
Certain social media users may experience feelings of paranoia, believing they are always being observed. This sensation may arise from the tailored content that social media algorithms provide, reinforcing the illusion that someone is monitoring them. Additionally, some users might develop erotomania, feeling convinced that a person of higher status, such as a celebrity, has romantic feelings for them after interacting with them online.
Researchers found three studies that produced inconsistent results regarding the relationship between narcissism and social media use.
For instance, one study found no significant difference in narcissism scores between people with Facebook accounts and those without. However, that same study revealed that those exhibiting higher levels of narcissism tended to spend more than three hours on Facebook daily and had more than 300 friends, in contrast to those who used Facebook for less than one hour a day and had between 151 and 300 friends.
The findings also suggest while social media is not inherently harmful, careful management of its use is crucial for those with disorders and traits involving high levels of delusionality, such as narcissism, body dysmorphic disorder, anorexia, paranoia, and psychosis. Such people “would especially benefit from reducing their social media use to help alleviate the negative impacts of this activity,” the researchers wrote.
‘Feedback Loops’ Intensify Distorted Beliefs
People with psychological disorders that affect their self-perception, like narcissism and paranoia, stand the greatest psychological risk from social media use, Dr. Sanam Hafeez, a neuropsychologist and director of Comprehend the Mind in New York, told The Epoch Times.“Social media representations and feedback loops intensify the distorted beliefs of individuals who already exhibit delusional tendencies toward their self-image,” she said.
“This research reveals that social media reinforces unrealistic self-images, which intensifies these psychological disorders by disrupting individuals’ ability to perceive reality accurately,” Hafeez said.
The study presents findings on how social media tends to intensify pre-existing delusional tendencies instead of being the root cause, she noted, adding that it shows the necessity of evaluating environmental influences when understanding the development of mental health disorders.
“Research should expand to explore the effect of social media on mental health while developing better support systems for users who already have mental health conditions,” Hafeez said.
The researchers acknowledged limitations. There’s not enough research on social media use in conditions like autism, schizophrenia, and eating disorders to make firm conclusions. The link between internet use and psychosis needs more investigation. Also, future research should look at how different social media platforms affect different mental health issues specifically.
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