The impact of social media on mental health and well-being (original) (raw)
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The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health
2024
The pervasive influence of social media on contemporary life necessitates a comprehensive understanding of its impact on mental health. This paper delves into the complex relationship between social media use and well-being, examining both its positive and negative consequences. The study explores how social media can enhance connection, self-esteem, and community, while also contributing to stress, isolation, body image issues, and addiction. The paper emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between the quantity and quality of social media use, advocating for mindful engagement and digital literacy. By examining the factors influencing mental health outcomes, this research aims to inform individuals, policymakers, and researchers about the potential benefits and risks associated with social media platforms. Ultimately, the paper underscores the need for a balanced approach to social media consumption and highlights the importance of fostering digital well-being.
Shodhkosh: Journal of Visual and Performing Arts, 2024
Social media has seamlessly integrated into the lives of individuals, significantly influencing their daily routines. This widespread adoption of social media has led to notable physical and mental repercussions. Research indicates that the usage of social media can notably impact one's emotional state, with outcomes flowing in both directions. In a recent study, researchers delved into the perceptions of psychologists regarding the intricate interplay between social media utilization and the psychological well-being of its users. The main perspective of the study is to understand the societal changes occurring due to excessive usage of social media. Through structured interviews conducted with five psychologists, the responses were meticulously recorded and analysed. The findings of this investigation underscore that social media undeniably exerts a psychological sway on its users, manifesting as a dual-edged influence encompassing favourable and adverse aspects. This duality hinges upon the nature of the online content individuals are exposed to. The results also reveal that the use of social media prompts individuals to engage in social comparison.
2017
The relationship is one of the five elements of Seligman's PERMA model (2011) [1] for happiness and wellbeing. The social relationship has been considered one of the most important predictors of well-being [2], [3], [4]. This assumption supports the argument made by many previous researchers regarding the importance of group living Abstract: Social media has become an extension of every individual's life. Our lives have shifted from personal and social context to online context. People are not using social media for just forming connection but it has also become a platform for self-presentation and emotional refuge. It is an undeniable fact that social media has started influencing the quality of life of people by penetrating their psychosocial and personal space. The aim of this paper is put forward the research done on social media, representing how social media negatively impact the three fundamental themes of positive psychology: Relationship, positive emotions and self. This paper is compiled of research done by many scholars representing the negative impact of social media and how can these negative influences affect the overall well-being and act as a hindrance to a flourishing life.
Impacts of Social Media on Mental Health
International Journal in Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2023
The intricate relationship between social media use and youth mental health is examined in this study. The results, which demonstrate both positive and negative effects, emphasize the need for informed digital participation. Knowing aid in creating strategies for maximizing and minimizing the potential of social media. Material and methodology - This study involved a diverse group of 175 people aged between 15 and 35. The research method for data collection included social media activity analysis, In-depth interviews and surveys, gather comprehensive information regarding trends in social media use, indices of mental health and the perceived effects analysis. The analysis phase incorporated with the objective of identifying risk variables, protective factors and relationships within a data, providing a holistic understanding of the complex interplay between social media and the mental wellbeing of young adults. Result and conclusion- There was a correlation between increasing symptoms of anxiety, depression and excessive use of social media, moderating effects can be obtained from positive interactions and instructional content. In conclusion, the impact of social media on youth’s mental health, as highlighted by the drug surveillance approach, raises awareness of the potential negative psychological effects of excessive social media use on their well-being. This understanding could lead to the development of targeted interventions and programs to help mitigate these effects and promote healthy online practices. These insights can also help shape policies and guidelines to protect youth’s mental health in this digital era
The Relationship between Social Media and the Increase in Mental Health Problems
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2023
Social media has become an indispensable aspect of young people’s digital interactions, as they use it mostly for entertainment and communication purposes. Consequently, it has the potential to have both positive and negative effects on them. Deterioration in mental health is one of the side effects stemming from social media overuse. This study investigates the relationship between social media and the increase in mental health problems in Saudi Arabia. The population considered for analysis includes young people from Saudi Arabia, with a sample size of 385. A closed-ended survey questionnaire was used to collect data on different social media features and criteria. Using the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP), the researcher analyzed data to compare the effect of different social media features on mental health. The social media features included in this paper are private chats and calls, group chats and calls, browsing posts, games, media sharing, adverts, likes/comments/followers, and pages. The researcher adopted entertainment, information, social interaction, privacy, esteem, and communication as the criteria in the AHP process. Among these criteria, the study found that entertainment was the most significant, while privacy was the least significant. Findings suggested that likes, comments, and followers were the biggest contributors to poor mental health (total utility = 56.24). The least effective feature was ‘games’ (total utility = 2.56). The researcher recommends that social media users be cautious when interacting with social media features, especially likes, comments, followers, media, and posts, because of their significant effect on mental health.
Mental Health in the Social Media Era Dr R Ranjan
Delhi Metropolitan Education, 2024
Social media has become an essential component of many young people's life in the current digital era. Numerous social media platforms, including Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, provide limitless chances for amusement, connection, and self-expression. But underneath the surface of likes, shares, and follows, there's a complicated world that may have a big impact on young people's mental health. It's no secret that using social media may make anxiety and feelings of inadequacy worse. Young people may feel inferior to others when they scroll through well-chosen feeds that feature people who appear to have great lives. Comparison and self-doubt can become a never ending loop as a result of the pressure to project a perfect picture online. There is a link between high social media use and higher rates of anxiety, despair, and low self-esteem in teenagers, according to studies.
Is social media bad for mental health and wellbeing? Exploring the perspectives of adolescents
Clinical child psychology and psychiatry, 2018
Despite growing evidence of the effects of social media on the mental health of adolescents, there is still a dearth of empirical research into how adolescents themselves perceive social media, especially as knowledge resource, or how they draw upon the wider social and media discourses to express a viewpoint. Accordingly, this article contributes to this scarce literature. Six focus groups took place over 3 months with 54 adolescents aged 11-18 years, recruited from schools in Leicester and London (UK). Thematic analysis suggested that adolescents perceived social media as a threat to mental wellbeing and three themes were identified: (1) it was believed to cause mood and anxiety disorders for some adolescents, (2) it was viewed as a platform for cyberbullying and (3) the use of social media itself was often framed as a kind of 'addiction'. Future research should focus on targeting and utilising social media for promoting mental wellbeing among adolescents and educating you...
Social Media and its Effects on Mental Health
There is no doubt that varioussocial media platforms have transformed the new generation. The social media has resulted in the transformation of not only how this generation communicates, but has also transformed business, education and above all, the entertainment. Not only that the social media has made a lot of positive impacts on the human life, it has a lot of negative impacts on all age group as well, especially the youth. Addiction of social media is in trend and is a major contributing factor to rapid increase in several mental health issues. Some of the examples of the issues arising from the excessive use of social media that are on rise include: disturbed circadian rhythm, sleep disorders, reproductive health, phantom vibration, and ringing syndrome. Therefore, thisstudy surveyed the extent to which the mental health is being hampered by excessive use ofsocial media. This study was conducted in two stages surveying 263 participants from India, Russia, Nepal, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Georgia. A questionnaire was used as a research instrument, which was sent to the random respondents to study their indulgence in social media. Findings from these responses showed that the mental health issues are associated to the social media usage. Therefore, stakeholders must take remedial action to prevent rampancy of social media usage. From the study conducted, the effects of the social media are not only taking toll on the social life, life style, and physical heath of the users but, also over their mental health. There are urgent needs to take immediate remedial measures to counter this growing menace in the society.
Journal of applied biobehavioral research, 2019
Although studies have shown that increases in the frequency of social media use may be associated with increases in depressive symptoms of individuals with depression, the current study aimed to identify specific social media behaviors related to major depressive disorder (MDD). Millennials (N = 504) who actively use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and/or Snapchat participated in an online survey assessing major depression and specific social media behaviors. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify specific social media behaviors associated with the presence of MDD. The results identified five key social media factors associated with MDD. Individuals who were more likely to compare themselves to others better off than they were (p = 0.005), those who indicated that they would be more bothered by being tagged in unflattering pictures (p = 0.011), and those less likely to post pictures of themselves along with other people (p = 0.015) were more likely to meet the criteria for MDD. Participants following 300 + Twitter accounts were less likely to have MDD (p = 0.041), and those with higher scores on the Social Media Addiction scale were 2 of 14 | ROBINSON et al. 1 | INTRODUC TI ON Depression is a mood disorder that can cause severe symptoms, which affect how individuals feel and think, and often presents around young adulthood (Hankin et al., 1998). Depression has been linked to an increased chance of morbidity and mortality, and has been associated with poor health outcomes (Kessler et al., 2010; Primack et al., 2017). While there are many known factors that contribute to depression, researchers have become increasingly interested in the influence that social media use may have on psychological adjustment (Lin et al., 2016). Young adults are using social media at an increasing rate (Primack et al., 2017), and it can be speculated that this increase is due to a surge in accessibility of social media platforms and an increase in the number of social media platforms available for use. Social media refers to various Internet or online applications through which individuals are able to share information (e.g., blogs, articles, pictures, and memes) and easily network with others. Scholars have offered multiple definitions of "social media," but most conceptualizations explain social media as "a way for individuals to maintain current relationships, to create new connections, to create and share their own content, and, in some degree, to make their own social networks observable to others" (Treem, Dailey, Pierce, & Biffl, 2016). Despite these varying definitions of social media, individuals use social media primarily for entertainment, social interaction, to seek information, and to pass time (Whiting & Williams, 2013). In addition, few studies have assessed specific behaviors associated with particular social media platforms. Piwek and Joinson (2016) found that Snapchat users primarily share selfies and typically embed text and or drawings with photos they share. The authors also found that Snapchat was primarily used to communicate with a single person rather than a group of people. Furthermore, roughly 90% of young adults in the U.S. use social media, and the majority of these users visit these sites at least once a day (Pew Research Center, 2015). Platforms such as Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook provide opportunities to participate in positive social interactions among family, friends, and other sources of social support, which can alleviate depressive symptoms (Bessière, Pressman, Kiesler, & Kraut, 2010). Additionally, these platforms may help people form connections with other individuals suffering from stigmatized health conditions such as depression (Merolli, Gray, & Martin-Sanchez, 2014). Despite what appears to be evidence for a positive association between social media and reduced depression, other studies have found that social media use can have detrimental effects on individuals with depression. Studies have shown that frequent use of social media may be associated with declines in subjective well-being and life satisfaction, and an increase in depressive symptoms (Kross et al., 2013; Lin et al., 2016). Additionally, studies have been conducted to examine the specific social media behaviors that may be associated with depression. Radovic, Gmelin, Stein, and Miller (2017) conducted a qualitative study on social media usage in 23 adolescents diagnosed with depression. The authors found that depressed adolescents' social media use included negative behaviors such as comparing themselves to others, sharing risky behavior, significantly more likely to meet the criteria for MDD (p = 0.031). Participating in negative social media behaviors is associated with a higher likelihood of having MDD. Research and clinical implications are considered.
Social Media Use and Mental Health and Well-Being Among Adolescents – A Scoping Review
Frontiers in Psychology
Introduction: Social media has become an integrated part of daily life, with an estimated 3 billion social media users worldwide. Adolescents and young adults are the most active users of social media. Research on social media has grown rapidly, with the potential association of social media use and mental health and well-being becoming a polarized and much-studied subject. The current body of knowledge on this theme is complex and difficult-to-follow. The current paper presents a scoping review of the published literature in the research field of social media use and its association with mental health and well-being among adolescents. Methods and Analysis: First, relevant databases were searched for eligible studies with a vast range of relevant search terms for social media use and mental health and well-being over the past five years. Identified studies were screened thoroughly and included or excluded based on prior established criteria. Data from the included studies were extracted and summarized according to the previously published study protocol. Results: Among the 79 studies that met our inclusion criteria, the vast majority (94%) were quantitative, with a cross-sectional design (57%) being the most common study design. Several studies focused on different aspects of mental health, with depression (29%) being the most studied aspect. Almost half of the included studies focused on use of non-specified social network sites (43%). Of specified social media, Facebook (39%) was the most studied social network site. The most used approach to measuring social media use was frequency and duration (56%). Participants of both genders were included in most studies (92%) but seldom examined as an explanatory variable. 77% of the included studies had social media use as the independent variable. Conclusion: The findings from the current scoping review revealed that about 3/4 of the included studies focused on social media and some aspect of pathology. Focus on the potential association between social media use and positive outcomes seems to be rarer in the current literature. Amongst the included studies, few separated between different forms of (inter)actions on social media, which are likely to be differentially associated with mental health and well-being outcomes.