Spending more than 3 hours on social media per day puts adolescents at a higher risk for mental health problems
. 13% of kids ages 12-17 report depression and 32% report anxiety. 25% of 18 to 25-year-olds report mental illness. These age groups report high usage of social media.
How does Instagram affect mental health?
Studies have linked Instagram to
depression, body image concerns, self-esteem issues, social anxiety, and other problems
. By design, the app capitalizes on users’ biological drive for social belonging—and nudges them to keep on scrolling.
Social media may
provide individuals with a platform that overcomes barriers of distance and time, allowing them to connect and reconnect with others and thereby expand and strengthen their in-person networks and interactions
. Indeed, there is some empirical evidence supporting this.
A 2016 study of more than 450 teens found that greater social media use, nighttime social media use and emotional investment in social media — such as feeling upset when prevented from logging on — were each linked with
worse sleep quality and higher levels of anxiety and depression
.
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.
| ✅ Paper Type: Free Essay ✅ Subject: Media | ✅ Wordcount: 1780 words ✅ Published: 11th Aug 2021 |
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Why is Instagram toxic?
From experimental research, we know that Instagram,
with its algorithmically-driven feeds of content tailored to each user’s engagement patterns
, can draw vulnerable teens into a dangerous spiral of negative social comparison and hook them onto unrealistic ideals of appearance and body size and shape.
- Online vs Reality. Social media itself is not the problem. …
- Increased usage. 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. …
- Fear of Missing Out. …
- Self-image issues.
A 2018 study suggests that
social media use could result in a fear of missing out (FOMO)
. FOMO could in turn lead you to compare your experiences with others, sometimes creating a sense of inadequacy. This inadequacy may turn into social anxiety symptoms if you feel like you don’t “fit in” in certain social situations.
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.
What are the positive and negative effects of mass media?
This influence can be negative or positive.
The negative effects of mass media on society can lead people towards poverty, crime, nudity, violence, bad mental and physical health disorders
and others as such severe outcomes.
- Building Relationships and Staying Connected. Social media can make it easy to find groups of like-minded people or make new friends. …
- Finding Your Voice. …
- Showing Empathy and Kindness. …
- Offering Support. …
- Better Communication. …
- Spreading News. …
- Building a Business. …
- Establishing Authority.
Research suggests that people who limit their time on social media tend to be happier than those who don’t. Studies also indicate that
social media may trigger an array of negative emotions in users that contribute to or worsen their depression symptoms
.
How media affect change in society nowadays?
The media can manipulate, influence, persuade and pressurise society, along with even controlling the world at times in both positive and negative ways; mentally, physically and emotionally
. Controversial stories are reported and printed with no reliance of it being fact or not.
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.
Results:I
Individuals with increased levels of social media usage were shown to have a positive correlation with depression symptoms
, meaning as social media use increased, depression symptoms also increased. Conclusions:This study showed that social media use has the potential to affect individuals’ mental health.
On the other hand,
excessive use of social media is causing negative impacts on mental health like an increase in anxiety, depression, loneliness, and low self-esteem
. The purpose of the thesis is to promote safe social and motivate students to use social media platforms in a balanced way.
Although there are important benefits, social media can also provide platforms for bullying and exclusion, unrealistic expectations about body image and sources of popularity, normalization of risk-taking behaviors, and
can be detrimental to mental health
.
Why you should delete your Instagram?
- You aren’t happy with your progress in life right now.
- You procrastinate.
- You can’t focus.
- You can’t sit in silence for more than two seconds.
- You struggle to live in the moment and experience REAL life that’s happening around you.
- You’re getting dumber.
Does Instagram make you depressed?
While social media has been widely linked to anxiety and depression in teenagers,
new evidence suggests that platforms such as TikTok and Instagram can leave middle-aged adults feeling sad, too.
