Social media and mental health
What is social media?
The definition of social media is “websites and applications that enable users to create and
share content or to participate in social networking” according to Wikipedia.
Social media is a broad term because it is constantly changing. We can clarify the term by
dividing it into two categories: the social part and the media part. The social part
emphasises interactions with one another- the communication between humans, the media
part emphasises the way they are able to interact- the instrument of communication.
Thesis statement/research question:
To what extent is social media harmful to teens mental health?
What is mental health?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is defined as “a state of
well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal
stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his
or her community”.
Social media has a huge impact on our lives, and it is only set to increase in the
future. Also, social media has become a space where we form and build relationships,
shape self-identity, express us and learn about the world around us; it is inherently
related to mental health. The effect of social media especially on teenagers reappears
mainly for the negative effect it can have leading to poor mental health. A recent
study by the Royal Society of Public Health on social media #StatusofMind shows
that social media is linked to increased rates of anxiety, depression and poor sleep
and has been described as more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol.
What are the potential negative effects of social media on health?
There is growing evidence that there is a link between social media and
depression. In several recent studies, teenage and young adult users who
spend the most time on Instagram, Facebook and other platforms were shown
to have a significantly (from 13 to 66 percent) higher incidence of reported
depression than those who spent less time on social media. The identified
incidence of anxiety and depression in young people has increased by 70% in
the last 25 years. Depression, denoting in everyday speech depression over
some time. In psychiatry, depression denotes a mental disorder that is
characterized by several characteristics’ symptoms. Anxiety is a sense of
unease, tense and nagging expectation that something dangerous can happen,
or an excessive fear reaction to an event. Another theory of the increase in
depression is the loss of self-esteem, especially in teenage girls, when it comes
to comparing themselves negatively with artfully curated images of those who
seem to be prettier, thinner, more popular and richer.
Social media can be positive for our well-being – it gives people a voice, allows self-expression,
connects us and can drive social change. But there is a dark side to social media that cannot be
ignored that includes negativity; false information, cyberbullying, trolls, oversharing and
unfortunately pro-hate groups for pretty much everything. Everyone now has a voice and an
opinion, but some do not always use this in a positive or constructive way. Social media is
currently an important part of youthful existence that provides possible benefits and threats to
mental health. It is an important element of a young person's life, and it seeks acceptance of
others. The exposure to social media can cause abusive cyberbullying which can trigger
overwhelming psychosocial outcomes, including depression, abuse, anxiety, severe isolation and
tragic suicide. People need face-to-face contact to be mentally healthy. Nothing reduces stress
and increases your mood faster or more efficiently than eye-to-eye contact with someone who
cares about you. The more you prioritize social media interaction over personal relationships, the
more you are at risk of developing or exacerbating mood disorders such as anxiety and
depression. There is no shortage of evidence that social media can exacerbate depression and
anxiety. Another interesting point with negative effects comes from A recent study that even
found that those who are online most often (at least 50 times a week – as let us be honest – most
of us in a Covid-19 world) have three times as many chances of perceived social isolation as
those who went less online than nine times a week. Social media has fueled the rapid spread of
misinformation and rumors, which can create a sense of panic and confusion among the public,
but also social media has played several positive roles in information exchange during the
COVID‐19 crisis, including the proliferation of health-related recommendations, enabling
connectivity and psychological first aid. Lastly, with the effect of social media in a greater
perspective than just our mental health. In the past decade, many of us have preferred to send
text messages, emails and post on social media instead of participating in actual conversations.
Why? Because through these connection methods, they want to present themselves as they want
to be. Through the online connection, they get to edit and delete what they do not want others
to see by themselves. Human relationships are messy and can sometimes be demanding. So, we
are cleaning up technology. By doing so, we face the risk of sacrificing conversation for pure
connection. And this can make us stop taking care of each other completely. Building informal
relationships through social media reduces our ability to promote meaningful relationships in the
real world.
Teens mental health affected by social media:
The culture of comparison
While growing mentally and physically, teens are particularly vulnerable for all the content
they are provided by social media, therefore negative feelings usually affect them more
than positives. Social media provides teens with unrealistic content and expectations. By
nature, teens going through puberty tend to be insecure with themselves, and often think
they are going through those insecurities alone, which is already enough struggle as it is.
Seeing the celebrities and influencers “they” look up to post their perfect bodies on social
media (which most likely is photoshopped) creates an unrealistic body image. Young
teenage girls and boys at 13years old expect themselves to look like photoshopped
celebrities who are done with puberty years ago. Therefore, social media is adding to the
problem in a dramatic way. Studies from the University of Pittsburgh found that teens who
spent more time on social media had 2.2 times the risk of eating- and body image problems
compared to teens with less social media use. People with the most time on social media
had 2.6 times the risk. Additionally, Royal society of public help recently found that 9 out of
10 women are unhappy with their appearance.
Not to mention, likes, follows and shares has become a way of feeling accepted, attractive
and liked amongst friends. If you have a lot of followers, and lots of people like your pictures
then you must be liked, right? - this is an extremely harmful way of viewing acceptance.
From physical appearance, life circumstances to perceived success and failures, everything is
under a microscope on social media. The need to gain likes and followers on social media
can cause teenagers to make choices they otherwise would not make, such as engaging in
negative behaviour or changing their appearance. Even worse, using amount of likes and
followers to determine others as worthy or not- Social media has become a space where
people form self-identify. In that matter, social media subconsciously engages toxic society
traits like social hierarchy.
Positive effects:
Social media as a tool:
https://shadownetmc.com/5-negative-and-5-positive-effects-of-social-media-on-youth/
Though social media has several negative effects on adolescent's mental health, there are
some positive effects as well. For one we know that social media is a communication
platform of all kinds. The worldwide communication raises awareness in the youth
regarding touchy subjects that are not discussed in several societies. Teenagers become
conscious of issues and ethical dilemmas that people in other societies face. Furthermore,
social media transmutes political and social awareness. 2020 has been a year of information
through social media. For instance, the Black Lives Matter movement went viral on all social
media. Insane amount of information and perspectives were, and till are being discussed.
Oppressed black people get to see that so many people support them, which creates unity
in this crazy world. All because of the social platform that social media provides, young
people can feel like they have a voice as well, that they are a part of something important
which can increase the quality of life.
Equally important is the ability of easily finding people like yourself on social media. People
that are a part of a minority group can find people like themselves and help them discuss
whatever. It is important to be a part of something, and for minority groups, finding people
you resonate with especially if you are amongst a minority, is crusial.