Research indicates that
negative aspects of social networks and relationships can lead to negative health outcomes
. For example, relational conflict, role obligations, and unwanted or insensitive advice from a friend can increase stress levels and lead to negative health outcomes (Goldsmith and Albrecht, 2011).
Social network members can
facilitate adaptation to life stress, provide day-to-day companionship, and intervene to deter health-damaging behavior
, but they can also let others down, provoke conflicts, and undermine others’ goals (including their health goals).
How does networking affect human lifestyle?
Sedentary lifestyle habits and sleep disruption
Using social networking can also change our habits.
It can make us sedentary but it can also disrupt our sleep
. That can clearly impact our health. Social Networking have lot of negatives impacts in our society.
How networks affect our lives?
Networks Connect Us
People with ideas can communicate instantly with others to make those ideas a reality
. News events and discoveries are known worldwide in seconds. Individuals can even connect and play games with friends separated by oceans and continents.
A 2019 study suggested that teenagers who use social media for more than 3 hours daily are more likely to experience mental health problems, such as
depression, anxiety, aggression, and antisocial behavior
.
However, social media use can also negatively affect teens,
distracting them, disrupting their sleep, and exposing them to bullying, rumor spreading, unrealistic views of other people’s lives and peer pressure
. The risks might be related to how much social media teens use.
| Pros Cons | Put yourself out there in a good way Posting inappropriate statuses/pictures | Connect with students in other educational systems Making people feel bad about themselves | Make new friends/communicate or connect with old friends/family Cyberbullying |
|---|
It is easy to become addicted, and research shows that students who spend too much time on social media can suffer from
poor sleep, eye fatigue, negative body image, depression, anxiety, cyberbullying, and more
.
Our social networks influence our behavior
Many norms and behaviors are established by the community
. For example, if everyone around us is smoking, then it becomes okay to do so. When a lot of people quit, we tend to imitate them and cease smoking as well. Obesity is another “contagious” behavior.
Using social networks in the health sector enables: Increase in communication and cooperation, where patients exchange information about similar problems, and professionals can share experiences on care or treatment. As a result,
make better health decisions
.
Changes in Memory Processes
Research also shows that heavy social media use is linked with memory deficits, especially in your transactive memory. This kind of memory involves deciding what information is important enough to store in your brain and what information can be outsourced.
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.
How does technology affect mental health?
Social media and mobile devices may lead to psychological and physical issues, such as
eyestrain and difficulty focusing on important tasks
. They may also contribute to more serious health conditions, such as depression. The overuse of technology may have a more significant impact on developing children and teenagers.
Social Media Causes and Calms Mental Health Conditions
Social media
worsens feelings of low self-esteem, loneliness, and stress, while increasing rates of depression, anxiety, substance misuse, and suicidality
, according to the research published in Current Psychiatry Reports.
What are the negative effects of media?
- Depression and Anxiety. Do you spend several hours per day browsing through social media? …
- Cyberbullying. Image Credit: HighwayStarz/Depositphotos. …
- FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) …
- Unrealistic Expectations. …
- Negative Body Image.
- Unhealthy Sleep Patterns. …
- General Addiction.
Social Media
allows people to interact in ways we could never imagine, how we did till now without it
. It is quite easy to catch up on someone’s life through a simple message on the computer or mobile phone, even email. Social media enables communication for not only one’s personal life but also for business life.
It has made it easy to connect to our family members, friends and relatives on a real-time basis
. With social media, people can share pictures and videos and communicate with their close ones. This has strengthened relationships and it is bringing families together in a way that was not possible in the past.
Growing research finds that
the more time spent on social media, the more likely a person will experience mental health symptoms like anxiety, isolation, and hopelessness
.
