Major life milestones such as having a baby or getting married can negatively impact mental health due to unrealistic standards set by social media, a study has found.
New research by Bupa Health Clinic for Mental Health Awareness Week has revealed that 86 per cent of people think society puts too much pressure on achieving life milestones.
The study found social media plays a pivotal role in this, with 58 per cent agreeing that it creates an expectation of what life’s key moments, such as moving house and retiring, should look like.
Many of the 2,266 people surveyed admitted feeling upset or disheartened after comparing their milestone experience to someone else’s experience on social media.
Some 85 per cent of people said they felt this way when returning to work after having a baby, while 70 per cent said it happened when starting their first job.
On top of that, 64 per cent of those surveyed by Censuswide said they felt low after getting a promotion and seeing others celebrating their own promotions on social media.
Buying a house (55 per cent), retiring (53 per cent) and taking a big holiday (43 per cent) were the next significant moments which left people feeling flat once they compared experiences.
Speaking about the study’s findings, Bupa Health Clinics’ medical director Dr Arun Thiyagarajan said social media can often leave people feeling “depressed and inadequate”.
He said: “It can be easy to forget that what we see on social media is just a snapshot of a moment in time and can sometimes leave people feeling depressed and inadequate when their experiences don’t match up.
"Whether it’s adjusting to becoming a parent, buying a house or even celebrating Christmas - comparing your reality with picture perfect experiences can make you feel as though you’ve fallen short.
“It’s important to understand that taking care of both physical and mental wellbeing before, during and after a big life event, is vital to enjoying the moment itself.
“It is crucial to remember that what you see on social media may be an exaggerated version of reality.”
The study found 13 per cent of people have avoided posting photos of a milestone because their experience didn’t look as good as others.
Dr Thiyagarajan added: “Almost half of people say that their mental health has been negatively impacted by pressure to achieve key milestones.
“In reality, reaching these milestones can be hard work, from successfully getting a promotion, planning a big wedding or moving into a new home, you may feel as though it is an anti-climax and can create a feeling of being underwhelmed.
“It’s at this point, when you are feeling physically and mentally run down, that seeing someone else’s seemingly perfect experience of the same milestone can have an adverse effect on your mental health.”
