The Effects Of Social Media On Mental Health

Social media is described, by the Merriam-Webster dictionary (2015), as “forms of electronic communication (as Web sites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (as videos)”. As few as 10 years ago the term social media was yet to be coined, but within that decade the use of these blogs, websites and sharing platforms has increased exponentially with no plateau in sight. From creating Instagram accounts for household pets, to sharing Halloween themed baking ideas over Pinterest, people today have access to social media outlets for almost everything. Today about 74% of people ages 18-65 use some form of a social networking site (Pew, 2014). Facebook takes the lead in social media usage with about 71% of those adults. LinkedIn and Pinterest are tied for second at 28% of users, 26% use Instagram, and Twitter falls last in the top 5 most used social medias with 23% of users (Pew, 2014). In September of 2013 the Pew Research Center measured that 90% of adults ages 18-29 used these social media outlets on a daily basis, which is an astonishing increase from the 9% that was measured in February 2005 (Pew, 2014). Due to the fact that young adults are increasingly involving themselves in these online platforms, it is very important to understand the long term and psychological effects (such as depression, social anxiety,

Social media has been widely used in the United States and the rest of the world. These sites influenced the way we communicate, but, what about our health? According to the National Center for Biotechnology, researchers have found that the use of social media has increased the number of psychiatric disorders

73% of teenagers use what seems to be harmless, social media. Although it’s main function is to provide online communities for friends to interact on the internet, social media is a direct link to developing mental illnesses. Mental health is a very important issue, especially in the millennial generation, because it can impact a life drastically. Mental well-being is at risk when using social media because it flaunts what society considers “perfection” to be, can become easily addictive and social net workings can be a hostile environment. All of these issues that are promoted by social media or that exists there can seriously deteriorate mental health and drive illnesses forward.

The popularity of social media giants such as Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are on the rise and so is our nation's overall poor mental health status (The State of Mental Health in America). Studies have shown that there is a direct link between our social media obsession and our poor mental health (Walton). Social media can lead to feelings of comparison, jealousy and even delusional behavior. Another effect that social media has on our mental health is that it often leads to feelings of sadness and loneliness. Lastly, social media addiction is one of the many things that affects our mental health. Studies show that social media is often the cause of poor mental health, it can cause comparison, jealousy, loneliness and lastly addiction.

Social media has been an essential piece of peoples’ lives around the world. Social media can be used for either interactive websites or even entertainment websites for people. Today, social media can come in many different forms like blogs, forums, podcast, photo sharing, social bookmarking, live broadcasting video, and more. Social media sites can spread news of engagements, divorces, and even break ups. We also hear about job gains and losses, political news, or even the news of life and death where it can be easy or hard to become overwhelmed. Today there are many different reasons and opinions on why social media can cause an effect on mental health especially on major depression. People of different age groups can access social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to observe posts and entries that people can put on these sites every day. Some of the entrees and posts people

A recent study published in 2016 by a team of researchers found that in a survey of 1,787 adults, ages 19-32 there was a “strong and significant association between social media use and depression in a nationally representative sample of U.S. young adults” (Lindsey et al.). This is not the first study to confirm the hypothesis that social media use causes depression, but it is the most recent and largest study to date and it confirms the findings of other smaller studies done. Perhaps social media makes lonely people less lonely by allowing them to easily meet new people or rekindle old social bonds. However, a study lead by social psychologist Robert Kraut on depression and internet use found that users who were introverted were more likely to feel depressed and lonely using the internet that extroverted internet users (49-74). Social media has even given way to a new term, FOMO…or the fear of missing out which users can experience as they peruse Facebook. Not only does the internet hardwire us for depression, but its driving content can make us feel more lonely or

Social media creates anxiety and stress because it creates pressure to maintain an identity and live up to certain standards. But, it fails to be recognized as a real issue in young people because of the lack of attention from medical professionals. In this paper, I will analyze and gather research from multiple scholarly articles that give their opinion on social media and anxiety. Firstly, I will look at social media and anxiety from a medical point of view I will then collect information that suggests that social media is causing multiple feelings of stress, low self-esteem, and the façade or fake lifestyle which puts pressures on young people today. Social media and anxiety are extremely relevant to today’s society. Especially now more

This shows that there is a direct correlation between mental health and social media. People who use social media have their mental health at risk due to cyberbullying, social media being a distraction from the real world, developing feelings and emotions from the things that are seen on social media, and those who are already suffering are being significantly triggered by what is on social media. Talkspace therapist, Melissa Wildt, stated, “The impact our online habits have on mental health is specific to the individual, which can complicate potential challenges. As social media occupies an ever-increasing footprint in both our world and daily lives, it is critical we learn more about the long-term effects on our mental health.” (Wildt, 2015). While social media can be a good form of communication, it is important for one to restrict their use to prevent themselves from the negative effects it can have on

“Every time I close my eyes, it’s like a dark paradise.” Quotes much like this one found on the popular social media site Tumblr are beautiful and sad at the same time. Young adults use sites like Tumblr to glorify their pain as a way to cope with it. Much of social media today is filled with stories of triumph and stories of loss all focused on one specific mental disorder: depression. Young adults today are becoming increasingly aware of theirs and other’s depressive states and are more willing to talk about it. The disease has become more accepted in today’s society. In conjunction with this trend, teenagers are being diagnosed with major depression more rapidly than in past decades. Depression is not as uncommon as it used to be. So, how

Social Networking Sites (SNS) are most popularly used today on the Internet. SNS such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook are one of the most common social interactive sites used by adolescents. Connecting with friends, expressing oneself, and scrolling through personal profiles has never been easier before. Depending how SNS are used, it can play a huge role in the daily lives of many. According to Hugues (2015), SNS have been used to cope with loneliness and depression, boost self-esteem and well-being, and gain social status. Hugues studied the correlation between the total time spent on SNS and “unmet need for mental health support, poor self-rated mental health, and reports of psychological distress and suicidal ideation.” (Hugues,

The connections between social media and anxiety as well as depression are not recent, but as more research is conducted, psychologists are finding that these unfavorable personality traits can instill hazardous behaviors in children that may pose a threat to the child or others in continuous contact. Self-destructive tendencies is a common symptom of general depression, but the wide reach of social media now allows a child to more easily threaten or involve other individuals who may not be aware of the child’s ruinous nature. When other individuals become involved in a depression or anxiety based situation, the health risk evolves from a mental illness to a personality disorder.

Social media seems to be one of the many hot topics of discussion recently, and consequently many people have the false sense of security that they have a profound knowledge on how it affects the health of the teenage population. A sedentary lifestyle, decreased sleep, as well as other physical health conditions seem to come to mind when one links health and social media. However, there is a much bigger problem that can go unnoticed because it can be impossible to see: the impact it has on mental and emotional health. These branches of health are just as important, and even arguably more important than physical health is. Social media can be utilized to connect with distant friends and express oneself; however, teenagers should refrain from the overuse of social media due to its detrimental effects on their mental and emotional health.

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.

Some people may wonder what effect social media has on people worldwide. Many people are using social media daily and because of that, they might not know the effects that can be lurking behind a screen and causing harm to their mental health. Social media has many negative effects on mental health. Some people could think that mental health and social media has no relation, when it does. It is a fast-growing issue with many “cause and effect” reasons behind it. Each cause needs to be recognized along with the effect it has on the people who use social media.

Feeling down, lonely, and experiencing the loss of “non-digital” friends were found to be connected with internet use. In 1998, a Carnegie Mellon study proved that more time spent online would increase these negative feelings.  This negative digital impact may also not be temporary, as it has the possibility to last for years in the future. Heavy social media use can help develop stress, depression, and