Social Media and Mental Health

Pantic, Igor. "Online Social Networking and Mental Health." Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, vol. 17, no. 10, Oct. 2014, pp. 652-657. EBSCOhost, DOI: 10.1089/cyber.2014.0070. Doctor Pantic in “Online Social Networking and Mental Health” discusses various studies on Facebook and symptoms of depression, social

In his article, “Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?” Stephen Marche argues that Facebook is the vital cause for loneliness and is luring people away from social capital. According to Marche, social networking isolates individuals and creates distance, mostly amongst family members. For some, it is not only isolation but rather social loneliness. The author claims that health can also be effected by loneliness. Nowadays, due to very little verbal person to person communication, he writes that people have never been so separated from one another because of social media. Facebook users, Marche argues, have an addiction to profoundly visit their account constantly leading to the feeling of loneliness and in most cases depression. The author claims that social networking, instead of demolishing isolation, is unknowingly spreading it. Ultimately, However, Stephen’s argument fails to convince due to his abundant false assumptions and the articles confusing organization.

Abrams focused on the damage social media can cause on our mental health. One study that she pointed to is by the UK Disability Charity Scope. They found that of 1500 Facebook and Twitter users “62 percent [of users] reported feeling inadequate and 60 percent reported feelings of jealousy from comparing themselves to other users” (Abrams). Another study that she also points to is one by researchers at the University of

In 1971 the first email was sent. This was the beginning of social media. Social media is a form of electronic communication through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other contents. Social media sites are like fads where people eventually stop using them and move on to the next one. This essay will be about the effects of social media on the mental health of the main users of social media.

On December 26, 2017 an article made by Kaiser Health News was published on Newsela about how Social Media could have mental health benefits for people who use it. One day Anna, (Who asked to be Identified by a different name) broke up with her boyfriend at 1:30 a.m.. It was too late to call her therapist and too late to stop by her friend's house. She turned to Social Media to help her and asked  if there was anybody who she could call until she felt better. Almost immediately, she got support from her friends and they helped her feel better.

Firstly, there have been significant links between our online presence and other aspects of our mental health, which has inspired the subject matter of many recent research studies around the world. There are many psychological and physical factors that affect our mental well-being due to the impact of social media. Depression and Body Dysmorphia being the leading causes, due to the content the individuals are exposed to while online. Even though researchers coined the correlation between social media use and depression as complex. Data was collected from a sample of 340 first year college students, and the findings were that the increase use of Facebook have been associated with higher levels of loneliness. Also the extensive use of Facebook has been associated with higher rates of disordered eating and body image insecurity.

Yes, Studies have shown that humans are social creatures and we like to make new connections and to communicate our opinions and to listen to others, and through regular Facebook status updates that pop up in our friends news feeds or vice a versa we are able to do this. Facebook use has become a part of millions of people’s daily routine, whether it is to update a status, reply to a message or even to read the News.

Social media has connected us in unimaginable ways, and introduced us to a world much larger than our humble backyards. Nowadays, nearly everyone has a Facebook, an Instagram, or a Twitter account. Grandparents, teenagers, children, and even some pets are a part of one social network or another. While websites like Facebook are great for sharing pictures, stories, and interests, but they are also capable of raising awareness about important issues that may have been overlooked. Recently, the overuse of Facebook was thought to promote negative psychology well-being, including depression and loneliness. It 's safe to say that the world has become hopelessly addicted to social media. Plenty of people can 't make it through the day or in extreme cases a few hours without popping on their computers or scrolling through their smart phones to check the newsfeed on Facebook. As Stephen Marche says in his article, "Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?”, Facebook makes us miserable and lonely. In fact, even though there is evidence showing that we 're more detached or lonely than ever because given Facebook is about social relationships; however, the site also offers an extraordinary number of ways to connect with others. This is just a taste of what Facebook can do, and with a huge number of people utilizing them, its possibilities are only growing. Facebook does not replace real human relationship or create loneliness, but it does not exterminate it either. It all depends on ones usage.

Social media has benefited society, but has caused people

I cannot emphasize enough, that this is a choice people make. You are the company you keep and if surrounding oneself with shallow, empty people is more desirable than that of the solid friendships one has nurtured for years, loneliness is one’s own fault. If Stephen is looking for something to blame, he should try the egotistical nature of ourselves rather than a social media platform. Facebook encourages a form of digital communication that plays nicely with people’s desire for instant gratification while satisfying human curiosity with constant news feed and status updates. Be warned, Facebook does not come with a user guide. Marche cautions us that improper use will result in loneliness and compromised health (Marche). Unfortunately, resisting this sultry temptress will not protect you from her. The worldwide Facebook obsession makes anyone without an account feel left out and alone. However, when used properly The New Yorker reports a new study that proves “active users get positive brain stimuli when engaging with the Facebook platform, while lurkers tend to feel increases in loneliness and dissatisfaction” (Hu).

Social platforms negatively affect happiness because it causes loneliness. As social media becomes more pronounced in our daily lives, the further apart we grow from each other physically and the closer we become on the internet. A person might have 2,000 friends on Facebook but in reality has no “real” friends to connect with on a more personal level. The phrase, your real friends, captures the anxieties that social media have produced: the fears that Facebook along with other social media platforms is interfering with our real friendships,

Yet this should not be the end all and be all. Social media has a benefit to it and that is online support groups. Online support groups are a great way for people who don’t have the opportunity to get out to a support group or don’t have one in the area to get social support in time of need. This has been a great

Social media has changed the way people think and how they communicate.  It’s incredible to see how social media has become such a big part of our daily lives. Just to think social media as we know it was birthed less than ten years ago in August 2003 with MySpace and has become such an integral part of our daily lives. Synonymous with checking our email we go to our Facebook for not only our daily gossip, but for up to date news and events.

In this case, the study proved that teens and young adults have become obsessed with social networking and has led to many questions if networking is good or bad (Conger, 2010). In 2009, the media expressed that social networking could cause harm to our bodies and brains by “shortening our attention spans” and “weakening our immune systems” (Conger, 2010). Whereas other studies that have been conducted prove the opposite and suggests that teens who spend more time on social networking sites are more likely to be “well-adjusted” and “psychologically” healthy (Healy, 2010). At this point, it’s time to investigate the pros and cons of children being on social networking sites and understand why parents are against social networking and why certain individuals feel that networking is beneficial.

As technology progress, humans evolve to the advanced technology and enhance our lives via technology. We connect to our families, friends and others through social media such as Facebook. Social media takes up a huge part in our lives. Social media infest us with information that are relevant and irrelevant to us. Marry Marrow wrote, “It was Facebook that changed the face of e-communication; in fact, it was the first electronic social media” (para 1). She assumes that Facebook is playing a huge role in electronic communication. In the journalist Maria Konnikova, “How Facebook makes us unhappy?”, Konnikova divulges many aspects of people on social media through researching and experience, and finds how social makes us unhappy. I agree with Konnikova findings after reading her article. In addition, she concludes that if you are engaged, active, and creative you will not sorrowful on Social media, however if you are passively browsing and defuse to engage, you will be depressed.