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Negative Impact of Social Media on Mental Health

This paper aims to talk about the impact that technology has on individuals or society. It focuses more on the concern of social media affecting mental health. Specialists have established that in apart from making our lives convenient, there are undesirable effects of technology; it can cause addiction and destroy our communication skills. Furthermore, prolonged screen duration can lead to complications like eyestrain, insomnia, augmented anxiety, and despair. Technology affects the way people think, communicate, and learn. According to research studies, social media, being one of the technological sectors, can be very influential on society and individuals in both positive and negative ways. The increase of social media has signified that individuals are more connected than they have ever been in the history of time (Berryman et al., 307). The dependance on online platforms has had a harmful impact on an individual’s psychological wellbeing. With 32% of individuals reporting anxiety and 13% of 12–17-year-old reporting depression, psychological wellbeing is a concern for individuals’ health. The association between social media usage and psychological complications to this day remains debatable, and study on this concern is met with a lot of arguments. There is a connection between social media usage and the existence of mental wellbeing issues, such as changes in self-esteem, depressing symptoms, and internet addiction.

In the developing world, where technology has turned out to be an essential source of communication, special attention has been put on the possible hazards of social media. The connection between people’s social media usage and psychological wellbeing is complex. During the last ten years, the rapid growth of social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube has caused several profound changes in how individuals interact and communicate (Coyne, 15). Due to the popularity of these online platforms, the connection between them and mental disorders poses a serious public health concern. Experts are precise in their assertions implying that young individuals are in the center of a psychological wellbeing crisis as a result of social media. There has been a great amount of emphasis on showing the damaging effects of social media that generates fear and challenge individuals’ psychological wellbeing. The continuous usage of social media can result in numerous negative or even dangerous consequences for young people. Analysts maintain that the threats of social media can lead to low empathy, stress, depression, and suicidal thoughts. There is a vital component in a young individual’s life, and that is looking for acceptance by others. Adverse involvements with virtual activities can be damaging to relations and result in serious despair.

In reference to the account issued by the Global Web Index, individuals aged between 16 to 24 years old spend an average of three hours and one-minute using social media every day. This study report established that those who use social media more than three hours per day might be at heightened risk of psychological, psychological complications, majorly internalizing problems. It is supposed that Facebook might be one of the aspects inducing the growth of depressing indicators. It is also supposed that certain characteristics of online behavior might be a predictive factor in despair and assessment. Presently, it is clear that social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook can be advantageous in the early exposure of depression symptoms among users (Kelly et al., 60). Certain depressing behavioral characteristics of a social media user can be quantified. The quantification has a possibly high predictive value for a future diagnosis of depression. Cyberbullying also among the contributory factors of social media usage. Approximately 10 percent of teenagers have been intimidated on social media, and numerous users get exposed to aggressive comments. Social media platforms such as Twitter can be hotspots for spreading deceits, upsetting gossips, and abuse that can leave long-lasting emotional scars. Self-absorption is also another concern. Sharing endless photos and innermost thoughts on social media can create unhealthy self-centeredness and distance n individual from real-life connections.

The National Institute of Mental Health provided report that the lifetime occurrence of any psychological wellbeing among young adults is 49.5%, and 22% of teenagers will suffer from severe psychological impairment in their lifetime. One research work from the University of Pittsburgh found a connection between time spent perusing social media apps and undesirable body image feedback. From that study, individuals who spent more time on social media had 2.2 times the risk of reporting body image and eating concerns compared to their peers who spent less time on social media. Another research from the same institution found out that the more time young individuals spent on social media, the more likely they were to have problems sleeping and report depression. Research on teens aged 13-18 years from the UCLA Brain Mapping Center established that getting a high number of comments or likes on photos showed increased activity in the brain’s reward center (Gkotsis et al., 6). In addition, teenagers are influenced to like pictures, irrespective of content, depending on high numbers of likes. Research has established that body image for boys and girls is damaged by social media use. It is in a way that it leads to body surveillance which signifies monitoring one’s own body and becoming judgmental of it. Individuals who do more body surveillance report feeling more shame about their bodies. It happens in a way that they look at profiles of attractive persons, which results in a more negative body image. There are numerous “fitspiration” accounts on Facebook and Instagram, posting about exercise and diet in order to be thin, and it is common for individuals to filter or photoshop their posts on Instagram to remove imperfections. Individuals compare themselves to these ideals, and in the end result, this can cause poor body image.

Researchers suppose that one issue is that social media usage can disrupt sleep, and poor sleep can result in depression and anxiety. Using social media at night interrupts sleep in several ways: Individuals stay up late-night connected. The light from the screen can disrupt their circadian rhythm, and a lot persons wake up in the night to check or reply to messages. Many young adults report that they use social media at night, even when it affects their sleep. They have worries that if they do not use the telephone at night, they might miss out on possible social interactions online, which they have a belief that would have a negative effect on their in-person social affiliations. They also report that their peers expect them to be online and available at night. A lot of young adults report sleeping with their phones and checking them constantly at night (Orben et al., 3). On the other hand, the teen also worries about what they call FOMO, which standards for “fear of missing out.” It signifies anxiety about missing out on experiences. The use of social media can worsen feelings of FOMO; for instance, if an individual sees posts about a party, they were not invited. Young adults may be principally vulnerable to possible negative impacts of social media since social connectedness is significant for their growth. Perusing social media can result in FOMO, and the sensation of being left out can result in negative feelings.

Apart from the negative impacts of social media on mental health, some opposing sides provide arguments on the benefits of social media being a technological feature. They assert that technology has helped numerous individuals and fields than just the business community. One of the benefits is how it has had a positive impact on education. One of the examples is the availability of online classes. Research papers have shown that students who are frequent users of social media are more innovative and exhibit their memory. It has benefitted society and also determines how individuals interact with each other on a daily basis. According to the opposing side, technology plays a significant role in society today. Social media gives individuals a way to stay in touch with people who live far away. As a result, it permits individuals to share fun, interesting, and informative content. Social media platforms such as Facebook gives businesses a way to engage with clients. Through social media pages, individuals can express their views and opinions, create new friendships, and even create ‘new identities.’ It is significant to recall that teenagers are hardwired for socialization, and the existence of social media makes socializing immediate and easy. Those young adults who have difficulties with social anxiety, social skills or do not have easy access to face-to-face socialization with other teenagers may benefit from linking up with other teenagers through social media.

Another side of the opposing argument argues that social media positively affects society because it unites individuals together for a common objective, and it can create positive outcomes. It also has the ability to rally individuals for a cause, and it inspires mass movements for positive social change. By the use of social media, people interconnect and stay up to date with family and friends around the globe. It networks individuals with other individuals who share same ambitions or interests in addition to raising awareness on important issues. One opposing side on the negative impacts of social media on psychological health asserts that social media usage is beneficial in a way that it has changed the ways of communication of people and relationships (Reilly et al., 601). Furthermore, it also has enormous positive effects like showing people how to connect to larger groups and discover new hobbies and interests. The motor skills also improve by playing games, typing, clicking, and other tech-related finger skills. Access to mass news media can improve reading skills for individuals. It can also result in quick thinking and hand-eye coordination. Undoubtedly, social media provides enormous benefits for society by offering access and connection to individuals, services, opportunities, and information that would formerly not have been possible. Teenagers in marginalized groups, including LGBT teens and those struggling with psychological well-being issues, can get friendship and support through the use of social media (Hou et al., 13). They can link with small groups of supportive teenagers through social media. Those relationships become the difference between living in isolation and getting support.

Despite the opposing viewpoints on the benefits of social media, evidence is growing, particularly in individual’s mental health concerns. There is a connection between greater social media and higher depressive and anxiety scores, body image concerns, low self-esteem, and poor sleep (Berryman at al., 316). One of the reasons why social media usage might be associated with mental symptoms is that computer-mediated communication might result in the altered or wrong impression of the personality and physical traits of other users. As a result, it may result in incorrect conclusions concerning the physical appearance, intelligence, moral integrity, educational level, as well as numerous other personalities of online affiliates. One research paper asserts that Facebook usage is linked to participant’s impression that other users are better-off, in addition to the sense that life is not fair. This might further result in depression and a negative impact on mental health. Not only has social media been proven to cause unhappiness, but it can also result in the growth of psychological health complications when used too much or without caution. The earlier the teen begins using social media, the greater the negative impact the platforms have on mental health. It is especially factual for females. Whereas teenage males seem to express hostility physically, women do so relationally by not including others and sharing upsetting comments. The use of social media for a long duration increases the opportunity for such harmful interactions.

In conclusion, technology has contributed to society’s lack of social interaction, social skills and contributed to the mental disorder issue. A 2018 University of Pennsylvania research study established that reducing social media use to less than 30 minutes a day led to s great reduction in levels of depression, sleep problems, anxiety, loneliness, and FOMO. Individuals need to reduce their social media usage in order to reduce the prevalence of mental health conditions. It is important to educate ourselves about signs of mental health depression, cyberbullying, and risk for suicide as a way to help in this concern. We might not manage to stop cyberbullying and other harmful effects of social media, but providing support to individuals expressing the negative impacts of social media and creating a safe environment for them to get guidance is beneficial. It is advantageous to educate individuals to reduce the time spent on social media.

Works Cited

Berryman, Chloe, Christopher J. Ferguson, and Charles Negy. “Social media use and mental health among young adults.” Psychiatric quarterly 89.2 (2018): 307-314.

Coyne, Sarah M., et al. “Does time spent using social media impact mental health? An eight-year longitudinal study.” Computers in Human Behavior 104 (2020).

Gkotsis, George, et al. “Characterisation of mental health conditions in social media using Informed Deep Learning.” Scientific reports 7.1 (2017): 1-11.

Hou, Yubo, et al. “Social media addiction: Its impact, mediation, and intervention.” Cyberpsychology: Journal of psychosocial research on cyberspace 13.1 (2019).

Kelly, Yvonne, et al. “Social media use and adolescent mental health: Findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study.” EClinicalMedicine 6 (2018): 59-68.

Orben, Amy, Livia Tomova, and Sarah-Jayne Blakemore. “The effects of social deprivation on adolescent development and mental health.” The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health (2020).

O’Reilly, Michelle, et al. “Is social media bad for mental health and wellbeing? Exploring the perspectives of adolescents.” Clinical child psychology and psychiatry 23.4 (2018): 601-613.