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    This document discusses the effect of social media on adolescents' mental health. It finds that while social media has some positive impacts like creating support networks, studies have also shown many negative impacts. Increased social media use has been linked to rises in depression, anxiety, poor time management, and addiction. Specifically, activities like vaguebooking and social comparison have been tied to worse mental health and increased suicidal thoughts. The document also discusses how cyberbullying on social media can contribute to suicidal behaviors in teens.

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    Research Paper

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    54 views5 pages
    This document discusses the effect of social media on adolescents' mental health. It finds that while social media has some positive impacts like creating support networks, studies have also shown many negative impacts. Increased social media use has been linked to rises in depression, anxiety, poor time management, and addiction. Specifically, activities like vaguebooking and social comparison have been tied to worse mental health and increased suicidal thoughts. The document also discusses how cyberbullying on social media can contribute to suicidal behaviors in teens.

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    This document discusses the effect of social media on adolescents' mental health. It finds that while social media has some positive impacts like creating support networks, studies have also shown many negative impacts. Increased social media use has been linked to rises in depression, anxiety, poor time management, and addiction. Specifically, activities like vaguebooking and social comparison have been tied to worse mental health and increased suicidal thoughts. The document also discusses how cyberbullying on social media can contribute to suicidal behaviors in teens.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    54 views5 pages

    Research Paper

    Uploaded by

    api-639084335
    This document discusses the effect of social media on adolescents' mental health. It finds that while social media has some positive impacts like creating support networks, studies have also shown many negative impacts. Increased social media use has been linked to rises in depression, anxiety, poor time management, and addiction. Specifically, activities like vaguebooking and social comparison have been tied to worse mental health and increased suicidal thoughts. The document also discusses how cyberbullying on social media can contribute to suicidal behaviors in teens.

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    of 5

    1

    Effect Social Media Has on Adolescents Mental Health

    Samuel Buse

    University of Arkansas at Little Rock

    RHET 1311: Composition 1

    Professor Connor Pearce

    November 16, 2022


    2

    Effect Social Media Has on Adolescents Mental Health

    The growth and development of new technologies, like the internet and social media,

    have completely changed how people connect and communicate with one another, particularly

    teenagers, who have embraced this new form of communication. An astonishing 95% of

    teenagers in the United States alone own at least one mobile device, and three out of every five

    Internet users worldwide are under the age of 18. Adolescents are also increasingly spending

    more time in the digital world than ever before, with an average time of 6.67 hours per day.

    Many people believe that social media is to blame for the rise in mental health issues among

    youths, such as depression and anxiety, as well as the rise in social media usage. There are many

    who are skeptical about social media and view it as something negative and harmful towards the

    mental well being of adolescents. While there are many downsides to social media, there are also

    positive effects that are often overlooked.

    Ever since the introduction of social media apps such as Facebook, the average amount of

    time adolescents spend on social media on a daily basis has increased. In twenty-four percent of

    cases, teenagers admit to being addicted to their smartphones, and fifty percent confess to being

    constantly online. Within the past ten years, researchers have discovered negative and addictive

    behaviors associated with social media, such as poor time management, social issues, mood

    changes, and a preference for online social engagement over in-person social interaction.

    Throughout multiple studies, it has been shown that including vaguebooking as a variable has

    had a significant impact on the outcomes of studies on the effects of social media on adolescents.

    Vaguebooking, or intentionally posting confusing material in order to attract attention and

    concern from peers, has been connected to poor mental health, increased loneliness, and suicidal

    ideation.
    3

    Suicidal thoughts or behaviors are the most common adolescent mental health

    emergency, with suicide rates rising by up to twenty-four percent in the early 2000s. According

    to a review of the subject, studies found both direct and indirect correlations between increased

    social media use and suicide ideation and attempts. One study found that using social media

    more frequently was associated with psychological distress, poor mental health, and suicidal

    behavior. Negative social media experiences were found to be common among teenagers seeking

    inpatient care for suicidal ideation. Adolescents who were hospitalized reported that online peer

    interactions and criticism were common causes of their poor mental health.Additionally, it has

    been shown that constantly comparing themselves with their peers or social media influencers

    has a detrimental effect on their mental health and encourages suicidal and intrusive thoughts.

    Cyberbullying is also studied as a separate variable from general social media usage, and

    it too has been connected to suicidal thoughts and attempts. Cyberbullying is defined as

    aggressive bullying acts that occur online, such as taunting, mocking, insulting, and threatening

    the victim with violence or fear. In addition to social media, cyberbullying can also occur

    through email, phone calls, and text. A substantial amount of data consistently correlates these

    encounters with suicidal behavior, and case studies and teen patient experiences reveal the effects

    of cyberbullying.

    Despite popular opinion, social media has positive effects on mental health. Studies

    found that social media platforms can be used to create useful, motivating, and supportive

    networks for adolescents. Qualitative research commonly cites social relationships, support

    networks, and online communities as having a positive impact on suicidal youth. Teenagers

    frequently cited self-expression and creativity as reasons for social media's positive effects on

    their mental health. Adolescents said that participating in creative activities improved their
    4

    mental health by allowing them to share their work with others, receive helpful feedback, and

    feel supported by others. Other findings revealed that teenagers regularly use uplifting social

    media content to unwind, distract themselves from daily issues, and find inspiration in optimistic,

    entertaining, or positive content. Adolescents frequently use social media as a quick and easy

    way to get mental health services and share their feelings with others. Teenagers believe that

    online peer support groups provide them with a sense of privacy and protect them from criticism.

    Because of how quickly and conveniently access and information are made available, many teens

    prefer to use social media sources rather than counselors, parents, or healthcare practitioners.

    Additionally, the reason why many adolescents prefer online counseling is because discussing

    suicidal ideas seems "awkward" and "uncomfortable."

    Technology use, global connectivity, and social communication among adolescents have

    advanced extraordinarily quickly. The usage of social media and mobile devices by teenagers has

    increased significantly. This may not come as a surprise given how enticing social media and the

    features they offer are to young people in particular, who have higher needs for social approval

    and connection. There is an urgent need to comprehend the implications of teenagers' increased

    interaction with digital technology and to use new technologies in ways that benefit rather than

    harm their mental health and overall wellbeing. Unfortunately, the majority of the attention on

    adolescent use of social media and their mental health has focused on its negative effects, which

    are based on fears and beliefs that social media platforms are negatively impacting the mental

    health of adolescents.
    5

    References

    Niles, L. L. (2022). The Influence of Social Media on Adolescent Suicide: Is It All Bad? Journal

    of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, , 1-6.

    https://www.proquest.com/docview/2713560549?pq-origsite=primo

    Odgers, C. L., & Jensen, M. R. (2020). Annual research review: Adolescent mental health in the

    digital age: Facts, fears, and future directions. Journal of Child Psychology and

    Psychiatry, 61(3), 336–348. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13190

    Saba, R. (2021, October 18). Social-media obsession is bad for mental health and finances:

    Feeling the need to keep up with other people is destructive on several levels. Toronto

    Star; Toronto, Ont. Retrieved October 16, 2022, from

    https://www.proquest.com/docview/2582717725?pq-origsite=primo.

    Shehata, W.M., Abdeldaim, D.E. Social media and spreading panic among adults during the

    COVID-19 pandemic, Egypt. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 23374–23382 (2022).

    https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-17580-6

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