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,
Social media has many negative effects linked to teenagers today. Research has shown that social media has a harsh impact on the mental health of its users. This research suggests that social media can cause depression. Highly idealized representations of peers on social media may create elicit feelings of envy and the belief that others lead happier, more successful lives (Chowdhry). Although depression cannot be linked to one specific cause, there are many different factors that can contribute to it. With this being said, individuals will compare themselves negatively to others on social media because they believe other individuals sharing content are living better lives than they are. This will result in people feeling bad about themselves. Another impact social media has on mental health is that it is addictive. Although social media addiction is not a formal clinical diagnoses, it is reasonable to say that many people spend a lot of time on social media. Researchers have suggested that the excessive use of online social networking is particularly problematic to young people. It is claimed that those people who are addicted experience symptoms similar to those who suffer from addictions to substances and other behaviours. As stated above, although social media addiction is not classified as a formal clinical diagnoses, it has been compared to those who suffer from far more serious addictions. In addition to other impacts social media has on mental health, it can severely impact the self-esteem of those who are on social media platforms. Social media can have a negative effect on the
Social anxiety and depression caused by social media all stimulate from websites and apps that are irrelavant to everyday life. “The analysis showed that people who reported using the most platforms (seven to 11) had more than three times the risk of depression and anxiety.” One can conceive this type of jealousy simply by viewing the pages of others. This could later lead to depression and lack of self confidence in oneself, which causes many problems in the future. Not only can this kind of depression affect one’s life on the internet, but it could easily affect the life they may portray as a person.
Social media has become a part of our life, and no one can imagine living without it. Social media has grown a lot over the several years. Young individuals have always thought that social media is a marvelous piece of technology, but they never think about the negative effects of ‘like’ culture, which contributes to conformity and other negative consequences. The article, The Insidious Evils of ‘Like’ Culture, written by Neil Strauss, tells us about to what people can go to get more “likes.”
Two studies with the involvement of over 700 students have found that depressive symptoms, for instance low moods and feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness were regarding online interactions. Those who have reported negative interactions were where the researchers found higher levels of depressiveness. Another study that took place in 2016 which involved 1,700 people found a high risk of depression and anxiety within the people who used the most social media platforms. The reasons behind the higher risk among people who use social media platforms include cyber bullying, having a twisted view of other people’s lives and feeling like the time spent on the platform is a waste. The reasons behind these studies were looking at how social media can be used to diagnose depression, which could then result in people receiving earlier treatment. Jessica Brown
According to a recent study by IDC Research, 80% of smartphone users check their phones within 15 minutes of waking up each morning.
In the article, Liliana Escobar-Chaves and Craig Anderson focus on how youth are spending more time on social media and how that time spent of social media is causing them to bring negative effects to society. The authors go on to explain how the trends in increased social media use is increasing the health risks of obesity, smoking, drinking, unsafe sex and violence. The authors provide an in-depth look into each health risk and provide multiple facts and research studies to help support their claims. These research studies provide a clear and excellent understanding into how the increase in the use of social media can have a negative effect on the health risks they mentioned in the article.
In recent years, many people have noticed the increasing numbers of depression in teens, but are unaware that social media is a reason for this. For example, “Studies have shown the around-the-clock world of social media takes a mental and emotional toll on some young people. It has been linked to increased worrying and feelings of depression.” Depression not only causes low self esteem, but has health effects too. If we use social media less often, then we will experience less depression and less worrying. Staring at our devices all day stresses us out and makes us feel bad about ourselves. Spending time with friends in person rather than on social media can lessen worrying and feelings of depression. We can not let social media take control of our feelings, otherwise it will hurt our lives. Positive emotions come from positive experiences, and when we’re on our devices, we miss out. Social media is deteriorating our lives in numerous ways, but yet it is often ignored that it is harming us.
Social Media: good, bad, or ugly? Millennials would say that social media is beneficial, entertaining, and provides valuable information to young adolescents. Some older people love social media, though some would argue that social media has a negative effect on society and is the source of distorted information, miscommunication, and failure in relationships. What happened to one on one conversations with colleagues or activities that included running, going outside, or even just sightseeing? The relationships between people have been disrupted due to social media's negative effect on the idea of a healthy relationship; False expectations, mental health issues, and lack of communication prevent strong relationships to begin and grow.
Growing up in the age of internet and being millennials, social media is as natural to the people of today as breathing or drinking water. Social media is a “series of websites and applications that have been designed to allow people to share content and communicate with each other quickly and efficiently” (“What is Social Media, 2017). A few people have a more confined perspective of social media likening it to mean the same as social networking on sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others. The power of social media is such that, the number of people using it worldwide is expected to reach 2.95 billion by 2020, which is a third of the world’s entire population (Facts, 2017). Social media has been described as being more addictive than even cigarettes and alcohol because it has entered so deeply into the lives of young people that it is almost impossible to stop using it every day (Winefield, Gill, Taylor & Pilkington, 2017). Today, social media can serve as a helping tool in changing a person’s life but at the same time it could also lead to a conflict which might have a negative impact on a person. As summarized by Huppert “Psychological well-being is all about the lives going well. It is a dual combination of feeling good and functioning effectively” (2009, p.137). Social media affects our psychological well-being in many different ways, both positively and negatively. Due to the broad nature of this topic, this essay will focus equally on both the pros and cons
Many students walk around campus with their eyes on their phones checking up on the new trends or pop culture. Is social media affecting college students in a negative way? Yes, their grades drop, become less focused in their daily lives, and social media can make someone less social. When do you see a full classroom with no people on their phone for the whole duration of the class? The answer to that is rare to never happening. Freedom is a huge reason for the amount of people on social media.
A world where everyone is connected on a single platform. All the people in the world are able to communicate without having trouble. Social media has become a great influence in today’s modern world because it has helped the economy improve from time to time. It helps us get information spread easier and faster to extremely far locations around the world. The media has changed the impact on how we view the world. Though many people see the negative influence towards social media there is actually a greater impact to social media than negatives. Social media has a very positive influence on the world today.
In the article, Liliana Escobar-Chaves and Craig Anderson focus on how youth are spending more time on social media and how that time spent of social media is causing them to bring negative effects to society. The authors go on to explain how the trends in increased social media use is increasing the health risks of obesity, smoking, drinking, unsafe sex and violence. The authors provide an in-depth look into each health risk and provide multiple facts and research studies to help support their claims. These research studies provide a good and clear understanding into how the increase in the use of social media can have a negative effect on the health risks they mentioned in the article.
“Social media is something of a double-edged sword. At its best, social media offers unprecedented opportunities for marginalized people to speak and bring much needed attention to the issues they face. At its worst, social media also offers 'everyone' an unprecedented opportunity to share in collective outrage without reflection”-Roxane Gay.
How many hours a day do you think you spend using social media? Some people spend hours on hours of time on social media. When people spend so many hours on their phones and computers looking at social media it tends to make them lazy and anti-social. People end up getting addicted to social media and it affects their work performance, the employees would be on their phones looking at Facebook and other social media platforms instead of doing their work. Social media is also the reason for social standards, and people, mainly teenagers, think poorly of themselves and how they look to others. There are many negative effects of social media, it makes people hate the way they look, making teens lazy, and it also can hurt people’s chances of getting a job or keeping it.
I’ve learned that everything that glitters ain’t gold. In my middle school days I’ve experienced the negative effects of social media, Now when I say social media, I’m referring to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat. By me being very active on social media I’ve been taunted, teased, threatened and harassed along with having low- self esteem and some suicidal thoughts . According to a recent study in the JAMA pediatrics, 23% of teens report they are or have been the target of cyberbullying . “A National survey of over 10,000 adolescents showed that 1 in 3 teens met criteria for an anxiety disorder. Severe anxiety, including panic disorders, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and phobias, afflicts 8.3% of all teens. 5% to 8% of U.S. teens attempt suicide yearly. According to a new study from the Pew Research Center, it states that 92% of teens use their smartphones to access social media daily while 24% say they access it almost constantly”. Even though some people believe social media opens up a large network, social media do have an negative effect on teens because it is one of the main reasons for Poor Academic Performance, It causes teens to have Emotional Implications and Limiting time spent on social media can reduce the chance of being Cyberbullied.