Psychological Effects of Social Media on Mental Health

Today, social media has become very popular following digital technologies such as smartphones, tablets, and internet (Voorveld et al. 38). This platform assists people in creating new connection as well as improves relation with other people. Nevertheless, there is a greater awareness of mental health problems that happens in a psychosocial context. It is however suggested that mental health problems are highly contributed by online social networking. Prolonged use of social sites like Facebook and Instagram affects the way in which people interact and communicate. As well, excessive use of these social networking sites especially by the adolescents leads to low self-esteem which is a sign of depression. Social networking sites are estimated to have millions of active users and this number is expected to increase in future which will continually expose many people to psychological disorders. Eiser, a prominent researcher has linked the increase in anxiety and depression with the increase in social media and smartphone usage, citing a trend which shows without a doubt, the more time one spend on screen, the more prone one will become unhappy (Cain 738). Accordingly, the understudy will shed light on the psychological effects of social media and how it affects one’s mental health and wellbeing.

Psychological Effects of Social Media

Depression

Excessive use of social media significantly affects one’s social relationship and participation in the community life. According to the research, many students and youths spend most of their time online thus declining their communication with their families. Reduction of these social media user’s social circle results to feeling of loneliness and depression (Cain 738). The more time one spends on social networking sites, the higher the chances of one becoming unhappy. Even though social networking allows one to interact with a huge number of people, these connections are shallow and therefore cannot fully replace one-on-one interaction. Following a research by the American College Health Association (ACHA) on student’s health, it was concluded that there is a developing mental health predicament in universities and colleges where approximately 33.5% of the students felt depressed (Cain 738). This study brought about an alarming image of student’s mental health problems.

Depressive symptoms experienced by many of the social media users might also alter with the impression of personal traits which can result to incorrect conclusions concerning moral integrity, intelligence as well as physical appearance (Hanna). In spite of the fact that, issues with depression are hard to identify at first glance, it is moderately simple to perceive those with some type of computerized addictions. Majority can most likely envision a person who is hitched to his or her smartphone, continually keeping it in sight, as well as checking it constantly, regardless of being within the sight of or even being in conversation with others. A research shows that young people between the age of 12- 17 years old spend most of their times at night using their smartphones which results to shorter sleeping hours and more depression symptoms (Jeff 739).

There are various complex factors that contributes to the high rise of mental health problems among young people that include family and economic pressure and also psychopharmacology (Ho et al. 2139). Despite the fact that, institutions set aside financial resources to help students with mental health issues through counseling, colleges still struggle to handle this alarming mental health problems brought by social media.

Low Self-esteem

Self-esteem is the self-evaluative component where an individual value, approves and prizes oneself. However, it is a significant aspect in developing and maintaining one’s mental health. Low self-esteem is therefore related to pathogenesis of various mental illnesses. Potential influence of social networking sites has been recorded to have negative relations with people’s self-esteem. Active social media users are reported to have low self-esteem but high self-promotional content on their social media profiles. Explaining how social media contribute to low self-esteem, stimulus that causes oneself to be an object of the consciousness leads to a moderated self-impression. For instance, a distinctive Facebook user can visit his or her profile page multiple times in a day, revisit the already posted content following a similar content posted by other users and this can result to a long-term or short-term reduction in one’s self-esteem. According to a research carried out, 8% of social networking site users were recorded to have low self-esteem (Sahin and Hatice 2139). However, it is suggested that while using a social media platform, an individual has more time to choose, underline and bring out the aspects in which will be viewed to be more favorable by the other users. This is completely different to what would happen in face-to-face interaction where an individual has limited time to bring out selective positive features. Following this model, it is evident that social media has negatively impacted people’s self-evaluation resulting to low self-esteem.

Additionally, it is possible that the general effect of social media on self-esteem is considerably more complex. For instance, some adolescents suffer from body image dissatisfaction (BID) due to the idealistic beauties in the social media (Ho et al. 2). BID has driven most adolescents to having low self-esteem due to the belief that they do not have perfect bodies in comparison to one’s posted in social sites. A study shows that social comparison hypothesis to the context of social media, and how easy it is to access the social sites where an individual can present him/herself with a continuous data stream, and in addition perceived authenticity has encouraged social comparison with the celebrities and friends and this have great consequences to the young adults (Ho et al. 3). Continuous self-assessment on daily basis as well as competition with other users, narcissistic behavior and feeling jealousy - all these are elements that negatively impact self-esteem.

Raising awareness and trainings can positively promote self-esteem among the youths and also provide preventive measures from low self-esteem. Training can be offered to parents, teachers and the youths regarding social networking use. Moreover, it is okay to let people know the vulnerability in you (Hanna 2018).

Social Media Addiction

Social networking addiction is classified as a psychological disorder primarily because, many of the chronic social media users neglects their social functioning aspects like offline friends and family. Also, if as a sudden interruption happens in the social media, for example, failure in internet connection, most of the chronic users show symptoms that partially look a lot like ones seen during alcohol or other drugs abstinence syndrome. However, it is clear that prolonged use of computers and smartphones affects people’s daily function. Addiction is also characterized as a fear of missing out (FOMO) where most of the chronic social media users develops the phobia of missing out rewarding experiences in social sites. This sensation is related to addiction nature of social networking sites and thus puts individual’s mental health at risk, especially those who are not capable of untethering themselves. (Cain 739) According to a research carried out indicates that the ratio number of male and female students who are addicted to their phones varies between 3.50. Many of these students are recorded to be addicted to using social media for watching entertainment videos, thus spending most of their time in computers.

Social media addiction typically fuels addictive behaviors that include escapism and mood changes. Furthermore, this addictiveness is similar to psychological tricks that gives you inadequate information that leave you with the curiosity of wanting more. Social networking sites addiction leaves the addicts with few spoken words in real life and the only time they feel at peace is when seated alone with their smartphones or computers (Whiteman). Also, this addiction drains one’s self-confidence and get overtaken by their online persona. Another concern about being a social media addict is that young adults get exposed to cyber bullying at a tender age. This experience features the unfavorable impacts of unhealthy and excessive social media use, further aggravated by the presentations of the most refined, controlled versions of individuals’ lives.

Future Prospects

In future, it is expected that the issue regarding potential impacts of social media on people’s mental health should be looked at a different angle. The existence of these social sites does not essentially equal causality. For instance, self-esteem and Facebook are related in terms of excessive usage of this site result to low self-esteem but this does not conclude that all Facebook users have low self-esteem. However, in coming years, longitudinal methods will be much essential in helping to determine other social media effects on mental health. Social interest, for instance, has a substantial correlation with mental health ((Fung and Tsz Yin 158). Social interest is characterized as a supportive approach of life with the aim of creating an ideal community. This aspect can be substantial component in healthy personality.

Psychiatrists should consider social interest as a positive aspect to psychology adjustment. As a psychology concept, social interest mirrors a pleasure in developing fortune, safety as well as hilarity of other people in a community. In additional, finding pleasure has a high relation with bettering mental health. According to a study, patients with mental health who offered to support others highly developed coping ability, self-efficacy as well as wellbeing compared to those who only received assistance (Fung and Tsz Yin 159). In order to establish a society free of psychological issues, People who suffer from these disorders must come out and support others to solve this problem.

Conclusion

Social media was established as a platform where individuals can interact and vent their emotions (Varshavski). Nevertheless, as time goes, this platform has brought about negative impacts to the society that include mental health issues like anxiety depression, addiction as well as low self-esteem. This mental health issues affects one’s well-being and also how one interact in real life. Fingers are pointed to Facebook which is one of the platforms that has resulted to high number of mental disorders. Young adults and students are individuals who are vulnerable to these mental issues thus getting affected on how they interact with their families as well as the productivity. Social media addiction typically fuels addictive behaviors that include escapism and mood changes. Also, active social media users are reported to have low self-esteem but high self-promotional content on their social media profiles. Raising awareness and trainings can positively promote self-esteem among the youths and also provide preventive measures from low self-esteem.

According to psychology today, social media addiction affects one’s brain and becomes impaired especially young adults whose brains are still developing, stand at a high risk of getting these potential problems. Also, people who excessively use social networking sites lose their self-confidence and only feels confident and at peace when alone with their computers. In future, it is expected that the issue regarding potential impacts of social media on people’s mental health should be looked at a different angle. The existence of these social sites does not essentially equal causality. Finally, to succumb this issues, educators and policy makers should hold hands and address the use social media among students and adolescents. Training can be offered to parents, teachers and the youths regarding social networking use. Also, this can be achieved by communicating aspects that strengthen adolescent’s awareness on chronic effects of excessive use of social networking sites in order to save the future generation.

Annotated

ŞAHİN, Cengiz., and Hatice KUMCAĞIZ. “The Predictive Role Of Narcissism And Self-Esteem On Social Media Addiction1.” International Journal Of Eurasia Social Sciences, 8.30 (2017): (2136-2155).

According to Sahin and Hatice (2136), with the tremendous growth of technology, social networking sites have had a remarkable impact upon people’s lives. It may be alleged that the purpose of this condition is vital whenever considering the challenges brought forth by addiction to social media. The aim of this research was towards determining the connection among social media addiction, narcissism, as well as self-esteem. The study results showed a huge positive relationship amid narcissism and social media addiction. Also, it discovered that social media addiction, in some extent can result in self-esteem.  Nonetheless, the article recommends the use of longitudinal studies in order to monitor the technology usage of the users during their educational and career lives. Moreover, awareness raising training may be prepared to inform teenagers, parents, and teachers concerning conscious media usage.

Cain, Jeff. “It’s Time to Confront Student Mental Health Issues Associated with Smartphones and Social Media.” American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 82.7(2018): 738-741.

This article affirms that smartphones, as well as social media usage, have undesirable impact among students psychological health. Eiser, a prominent researcher have linked the increase in anxiety and depression with the increase in social media and smartphone usage, citing a trend which shows without a doubt, the more time one spend on screen, the more prone one will become unhappy. She likewise links the rising demands for campus speech restrictions and safe spaces to an age group that solely communicates, besides socializes online. She reveals that a large number of threats which this generation has acquired had emanated from social media, and thus they are at a high risk to engage in violence. Lastly, the article recommends that we ought to comprehend how to make the most of the use of social media for both educational and professional reasons, whereas assisting our future healthcare physicians identify the problems of depression, anxiety, and stress which might accompany them. Due to the diverse positive elements of these innovations, they will be going nowhere any time soon, thus, we ought to learn to adjust their uses within a manner which is beneficial, besides psychological healthy (Cain 740).

Fung, Tsz Yin, and Reid Webster. “Perceived Social Support, Social Interest, and Mental Health: Testing a Mediator Model.” The Journal of Individual Psychology, 74.2 (2018): 157-171.

This article affirms that high levels of alleged social support are certainly linked to improved psychological health. Greater levels of alleged social support are linked with improved life, in addition to better psychological adjustments among patients having prostate cancer (Fung and Reid 157). Campus students with greater levels of alleged social support are allied with lesser levels of anxiety as well as depression compared to students having low levels of social support. Thus, social media can have a huge impact on this, for instance, when one discovers that he has zero followers on Instagram, he can feel as he has no social support and he may end up developing depression.

Ho, Shirley, Edmund W. J. Lee, and Youqing Liao. “Social Network Sites, Friends, and Celebrities: The Roles of Social Comparison and Celebrity Involvement in Adolescents’ Body Image Dissatisfaction.” Social Media + Society, (2016): 1-11. Doi: 10.1177/2056305116664216

This article attempts to show the effect of teenagers’ involvement in association with celebrities as well as pals on social media on their BID (body image dissatisfaction) and their desire towards being either muscular or slim. The prevalence of BID and the desire towards achieving ideal body types amid teenagers have widely been recognized towards the regular portrayals of idealistic beauty within the social networking sites, for instance, Instagram, and Twitter. BID as well the desire towards achieving the perfect body might have a severe threat towards teenagers’ well-being since they are linked with the increase of numerous eating disorder systems (Ho et al. 1).

Works Cited

Cain, Jeff. “It’s Time to Confront Student Mental Health Issues Associated with Smartphones and Social Media.” American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 82.7(2018): 738-741.

Fung, Tsz Yin, and Reid Webster. “Perceived Social Support, Social Interest, and Mental Health: Testing a Mediator Model.” The Journal of Individual Psychology, 74.2 (2018): 157-171.

Hanna, Gabbie. “ROAST YOURSELF HARDER CHALLENGE! (DISS TRACK!!!11!1).” YouTube, YouTube, 1 Aug. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfsDqLPmxuM.

Hanna, Gabbie. “The Truth About What YouTube REALLY Does To Your Brain...” YouTube, YouTube, 3 Oct. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDF48Hm0nao&frags=pl%2Cwn.

Ho, Shirley, Edmund W. J. Lee, and Youqing Liao. “Social Network Sites, Friends, and Celebrities: The Roles of Social Comparison and Celebrity Involvement in Adolescents’ Body Image Dissatisfaction.” Social Media + Society, (2016): 1-11. Doi: 10.1177/2056305116664216

ŞAHİN, Cengiz., and Hatice KUMCAĞIZ. “The Predictive Role Of Narcissism And Self-Esteem On Social Media Addiction1.” International Journal of Eurasia Social Sciences, 8.30 (2017): (2136-2155).

Varshavski, Mikhail. “Mental Health: A Conversation (Ft. Gabbie Hanna) | Doctor Mike.” YouTube.

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Voorveld, Hilde A. M.,  Guda van Noort, Daniël G. Muntinga and Fred Bronner. “Engagement with Social Media and Social Media Advertising: The Differentiating Role of Platform Type.” Journal of Advertising, 47.1 (2018): 38-54. Doi:10.1080/00913367.2017.1405754

Whiteman, Honor. “Social Media: How Does It Affect Our Mental Health and Well-Being?” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 10 June 2015, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/275361.php. Accessed on 12 December 2018.