Studies consistently show that both entertainment and news media provide overwhelmingly dramatic and distorted images of mental illness that
emphasise dangerousness, criminality and unpredictability
. They also model negative reactions to the mentally ill, including fear, rejection, derision and ridicule.
When people look online and see they’re excluded from an activity,
it can affect thoughts and feelings
, and can affect them physically. A 2018 British study tied social media use to decreased, disrupted, and delayed sleep, which is associated with depression, memory loss, and poor academic performance.
However, multiple studies have found a strong link between heavy social media and an
increased risk for depression
, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm, and even suicidal thoughts. Social media may promote negative experiences such as: Inadequacy about your life or appearance.
- Pro: Raises awareness. …
- Con: Promotes fake news. …
- Pro: Can combat loneliness. …
- Con: Can increase loneliness. …
- Pro: Normalises help seeking behavior. …
- Con: Encourages anti-social behaviour.
The participants who spent the most time on social media had 2.6 times the risk. Results from a separate study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine showed that the more time young adults spent on social media, the more likely they were to have
problems sleeping and report symptoms of depression
.
64% of Americans say social media have a
mostly negative effect
on the way things are going in the U.S. today. … Just one-in-ten Americans say social media sites have a mostly positive effect on the way things are going, and one-quarter say these platforms have a neither positive nor negative effect.
When people look online and see they’re excluded from an activity,
it can affect thoughts and feelings
, and can affect them physically. A 2018 British study tied social media use to decreased, disrupted, and delayed sleep, which is associated with depression, memory loss, and poor academic performance.
The findings go against what some might expect, which is intriguing. We know that
having a strong social network is associated with positive mental health and well-being
. Routine social media use may compensate for diminishing face-to-face social interactions in people’s busy lives.
Social media has the
ability to both capture and scatter your attention
. … Not only does this lead to poorer cognitive performance, but it shrinks parts of the brain associated with maintaining attention.
Too much use of social media can have adverse effects on students’ minds, and they may also be
exposed to bad posture, eye strain, and physical and mental stress
.
Young people spend a lot of time on social media. They’re also
more susceptible to peer pressure, low self-esteem and mental ill-health
. A number of studies have found associations between increased social media use and depression, anxiety, sleep problems, eating concerns, and suicide risk.
- cyberbullying (bullying using digital technology)
- invasion of privacy.
- identity theft.
- your child seeing offensive images and messages.
- the presence of strangers who may be there to ‘groom’ other members.
The more time spent on social media can lead to
cyberbullying
, social anxiety, depression, and exposure to content that is not age appropriate. Social Media is addicting.
There’s bad news for those self-proclaimed social media “addicts”: multiple studies from the last year show that too
much
time spent on your favorite platforms can make you depressed and less satisfied with life. It starts early, too; even young teens report negative effects from social media obsession.
Indeed, studies from the USA have found a robust association between intense social media use,
fear of missing out
and both depression and anxiety. From another angle, online platforms may also have the potential to damage mental wellbeing through promoting unreasonable expectations.
How does the media influence us?
The influence of mass media has an effect on
many aspects of human life
, which can include voting a certain way, individual views and beliefs, or skewing a person’s knowledge of a specific topic due to being provided false information.