Social media has the ability to connect people around the world, but for some users, the constant stream of comments, comparisons, and meticulously edited lifestyles can negatively affect their psychological well-being.
Yoshoda Andrêa Naicker, a 24-year-old resident of Pinetown, shared how social media initially brought her joy. After her father gave her a mobile phone for her birthday, she posted a video on TikTok without expecting much response. By the next morning, she had discovered 1000 followers, which delighted her.
Naicker began posting videos with voiceovers to make people laugh, as users often told her they enjoyed her content. Her initial primary school teacher noted that she never imagined social media would take up such a large part of her life, and it was through it that she met her husband, Nisilan.
However, after a year of working as a content creator, social media began to affect her mental health. She was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (now Polyoendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome), which caused rapid weight gain. Comments about her appearance made her feel bad, and her former self-confidence disappeared.
Later, she realized that many of these remarks were projections of others' complexes. She stated that she agrees she gained weight but is strongly against bullying or humiliating anyone because of their appearance. Now, she posts content that reminds people who they are, emphasizing that body size and skin color do not define a person's worth. She urged people either to let self-hatred break them or to overcome it and accept themselves.
To maintain peace of mind, she started posting less material. She notes that much of what is seen on social media is not true, just like the portrayed lifestyles. She constantly compares herself to others, wondering why she isn't achieving goals as quickly as it seems. However, she realized that everyone has different life paths, and everyone moves at their own pace. She advises not to wait until problems arise to take care of mental health, and not to let one bad period define one's entire story. She added that her platform taught her that thousands of people love her for who she is when she feels lonely.
Diolan Govender, a 24-year-old resident of Durban, started an account on social media in 2013, sharing random moments from his life. He noted that some audiences focused on his career, others on his lifestyle, and a third on everything else. In 2024, he noticed that the audience was showing even greater interest in his content, and he gradually formed a community of like-minded people on TikTok.
A public relations and marketing consultant admitted to noticing the real impact of social media on his mental state. Being young, he didn't fully understand how to cope with these experiences. Since social media is largely built on showcasing the best moments of life, the gray areas are rarely visible, which makes comparing daily life with others' bright moments easier. Comparison can quickly lead to anxiety and self-doubt. Posting anything online should evoke delight or creative inspiration, but instead, he sometimes worried about how it would be perceived, how he would be viewed, and whether people would react positively. Ultimately, he realized that he needed to approach his social media interaction more consciously, rather than letting it dictate his self-perception.
Govender reported that last year he made a conscious decision to eliminate social media-related anxiety. This process was not instantaneous; it required constant effort to change his mindset, choose a positive outlook, and stop giving too much importance to things that ultimately do not matter. He emphasized that there is more in life than worrying about how you are perceived online. This also included setting limits on how much social media could influence his thoughts or ideas. With positive use, such as consuming content aligned with one's goals and desired image, social media can become a stepping stone, not an obstacle.
He noted that social media still plays a huge role in his life and career, but it no longer controls his thoughts or defines his self-worth. His advice to those who frequently compare themselves to those they follow is this: 'You are exactly where you need to be. Someone else's success does not mean you are falling behind, and their path should never be your schedule. True gratitude is a portal to endless blessings, so instead of focusing on what someone else has, look around you and ask yourself: 'What can I be grateful for in my life today?'
Shanèy Vijendranath, a 35-year-old resident of Johannesburg, recounted that her journey on social media began after she became a mother at the age of 21. She felt lonely because most of her friends were at different stages of life. She started writing on Tumblr, which eventually turned into her blog You, Baby and I. Initially, she was not aiming to build a career but to find people who understood her, and she found her community.
She shared the real side of motherhood, touching upon topics such as baby products, breastfeeding, and postpartum depression. Other women also began sharing their stories, and she realized it had become a community. This led her to start writing for HuffPost, MomSays, and later Forbes Africa 30 Under 30.
The entrepreneur, influencer, marketing strategist, and speaker Vijendranath admitted that as her profile grew, she began comparing herself to other women, wondering why she wasn't doing enough. It became harder when she spoke openly about postpartum depression, C-sections, and breastfeeding. People voiced strong opinions. She read the comments, replayed them in her head, and sometimes doubted decisions in which she felt confident as a mother. She gave strangers too much power over how she saw herself. Eventually, she stopped asking, 'Am I enjoying this?' and started asking, 'How will this look online?'
When her children got older, they did not want to appear in videos or advertising campaigns, and she listened to them. She never wanted them to feel the need to perform because of her work. This also taught her that it is sometimes okay to decline a campaign, even if the money is good. Not every opportunity deserves acceptance.
Vijendranath said that she unfollowed accounts that made her feel inadequate and realized that social media is a tool, not a mirror. It can tell her about trends, but it cannot tell her about her worth. Creators must decide in advance what is unacceptable before opportunities and money arise. Boundaries are easier to defend when you have decided what they are before someone offers you a check. She added that no one is obligated to give the internet every part of their life.