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The Negative Effects Of Social Media

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Used by the majority of Americans, social media has become a prominent source of entertainment, education, and communication. Social media is consistently at the fingertips of the average American, however, with this much exposure it has been shown to display negative effects, including of mental illness, addiction, low self-esteem and an outlet for bullying. Eventually, this can result in the downfall of social media Researchers have discovered a phenomenon, known as Facebook depression. Facebook depression usually occurs in teens and preteens and is explained as depression that forms when an excessive amount of time is spent on social media (O’Keffe). A cause of Facebook depression is FOMO, also known as fear of missing out. It occurs when a Facebook user opens Facebook and sees their friends enjoying time together. The user could potentially begin to develop symptoms similar to those of depression, due to the feeling of being left out. A study by Ethan Cross, proved that Facebook is linked to less moment-to-moment happiness and life satisfaction (Walton). It founded that the reasons the user forms for being excluded may cause the user to feel anxious and begin to develop a neurotic personality (Whitbourne). According to San Diego State University psychologist Jean Twenge, one to two hours a day does not increase risk a lot but anymore can cause feelings of major depression. The problem with this is that many of people spend more than that amount of time on social media,

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