Effects of social media on mental health Overview 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,
Since the Bulletin Board System there has been hundreds, and counting, of social networks created: most notably Twitter, Facebook, Kik, Snapchat, and Instagram. Today there are just over 3 billion active Internet users (45% of the world’s internet users), 2.1 billion of those people have social media accounts (Jeffbullas.com). People use social media for many numerous reasons. Most use social media to stay close to relatives and maintain social ties. Some of people’s most essential daily needs are accounted for by social media: whether it be interacting with friends or coworkers, following politics, or following the latest fashion trend set by the Kardashian
Alice Walton, the author of “6 Ways Social Media Affects Our Mental Health” uses point of view, tone, simile, and logos to effectively inform the audience of the negative effects social media has upon the mental health of its users. Throughout the article, Walton uses these rhetorical strategies to warn social media users of its addictive, blinding, and depressing effects. Walton uses this article to target an audience of adult social media users. Specifically, adults who often use social media and may not realize their dependency upon it.
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,
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
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.
In a growing world where technology has become an essential source of communication, special attention must be placed on the potential hazards of social media. The relationship between an individual’s social media habits and mental health is complex. In this report many concepts will be explored thoroughly such as, the effects of social media on mental health, how it is concerned with substance abuse, the advantages and disadvantages of social media and which social media site is cyberbullying occurred on the most.
The rapid growth of technology in our society has become more dominant than it was in the 17th and 18th century. Today, technology is used for almost everything in our day to day lives. But the most common usage of technology is for communication and industrialization. However, every good thing has its disadvantage if it is over used, and since technology has become very dominant, it is used by both young and older people but more predominant among the youth of the today. Even more, technology has brought about social networking such as Facebook, Twitter, my space, piazza.com, instagram, tango, and last but not the least texting. According to socialnetworking.procon.org, “47% of American adults used social networking sites like
Social media is extremely popular amongst Americans today, whether they are teenagers or the elderly. There is not just one social media outlet either; there are several different apps that have been created throughout the years, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat. Some people are completely for the usage of social media, saying that it is a great way to connect with friends and family, as well as release good and bad parts of their day. Others claim that social media is a waste of time and that it ruins lives. They also claim that no one, particularly younger children, should not be using any social media platforms. However, there are many known advantages for owning social media accounts, particularly Facebook and Twitter. The article
When I wake up in the morning, often the first thing I check is my phone. New messages, any mentions, likes on Instagram, Facebook friend requests, etc. It is as if my phone is an extension of my hand. We have transitioned from a world with human interaction to a world that takes place through coded data moving around the Internet. I can become too fascinated and captivated by the egocentric side of social media to even realize the reality of my life. Is it just me, or are the morals of today declining due to social media? I am absolutely guilty of obsessing over social media, and I am confident I am not the only one. We, as a society, often beg the question: Does social media do more good or harm? Or both? How often do we think of its consequences? How much time do we spend on social media every day? How does social media effect our mental health, our psychological state? Through various articles and assorted case studies, we will delve into both the good and the bad of social media. We will find that social media has the potential to go both ways. Social media can promote community building and awareness, and yet precisely the same social media can create isolation, cyber bullying, anxiety, and Internet addiction.
Social media corrupts the mental health of teens in high school by causing an addiction,
According to writer Martin Beck, “Nearly two-thirds of all Americans use social media” (2015). Social media networks are websites that are dedicated to communication, recreation, and sharing with others. Social media is a cultural phenomenon that is worldwide, including websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For instance, Facebook is essentially life displayed on a screen that can be seen by friends, family, and peers. A person can upload pictures, videos, write messages to each other, and reconnect with people. In his article, Beck writes that prior to the creation of Facebook only 7 percent of Americans used social media (2015). Over a ten year span, 27 different surveys, and 62, 000 interviewees, Beck discovered that 90 percent
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 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.
Social media has become prominent parts of life for many young people today. Most people engage with social media without stopping to think what the effects are on our lives, whether positive or negative. Are we as a society becoming more concerned with Facebook "friends" than we are with the people we interact with face-to-face in our daily lives? What will the longterm effects of today 's social media use be? There are many positive aspects, but there are equally as many dangers that come with the use of sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google +, Tumblr, Instagram, gaming sites, and blogs. Social media has both negative and positive effects on society, it is up to the user to decide what impact they want to make. In order to make the right choices, we must dig in and research this topic thoroughly.
Social media is one of the most common ways for people to communicate anywhere and at any time in modern society. Some people think that it is beneficial to have in society. Although, many people are starting to see negative effects arise from the use of social media as well. These negative effects are increasing and becoming more problematic every day. The disadvantages of social media far outweigh the advantages. Social media effects everyone in society, especially teenagers by negatively impacting their lives, face-to-face interactions, and mental health.