heavy use of social media is linked to mental illness

Question

Youngsters report problems with anxiety, depression, sleep and “FoMO”

Comments

The article claims that excessive use of social media can lead to mental illness. The article is from the Economist which is a reputable source to begin with. The article claims that young people ages 14-24 have had worsening mental health while using popular social media websites. The sources used include multiple studies done by researchers who seem reputable. However, some of the links used do not lead to actual pages, so a further search is needed. Overall, the numbers and results used in the article line up with the linked surveys and corroborate the truthfulness of the article.

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This article claims that ages 14-24 have a higher risk of developing mental illness from social media. Linking to increased anxiety, depression, lack of sleep, and fear of missing out on social events. I totally agree to this claim according to Economist as social media portrays a facade to everyone's life, making it feel like what you are doing is never enough. Contributing to the obsession and alteration social media has on people's lives.

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I agree. People can fabricate their lives on social media, making seem as though their lives are perfect. Most people only post their best moments on social media. This can make it seem as though your life is not nearly as cool or fulfilling as everyone else's, and that you are missing out.

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I agree. I feel like it ties into cultivation analysis, where people who watch too much television start to perceive the world differently, and I feel like it can be applied to social media

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Good catch on the numbers lining up! The Economist is solid, but it’s also helpful to remember that correlation doesn’t necessarily mean causation. Mental health issues in teens could have multiple contributing factors, not just social media. Some studies even suggest that how one uses social media ,passively or interactively, impacts mental health differently. Emphasizing this could add depth to the discussion on social media's role in youth mental health.

Answer 1

After looking through articles from The Guardian and Psychology Today, it’s clear that spending a lot of time on social media can negatively affect your mental health. Studies show that people who use social media heavily, especially teenagers, are more likely to deal with anxiety, depression, and feelings of loneliness. The constant comparison to others, cyberbullying, and the pressure to always be online can make things worse.

Even though social media helps people stay connected, The New York Times reports that too much screen time can mess with your sleep and make you feel more isolated. Experts suggest limiting how much time you spend scrolling and focusing on real-life connections instead. It’s all about balance—using social media in moderation is okay, but spending hours on it every day can seriously affect your mental well-being.

Sources:

• https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/feb/11/social-media-use-linked-to-mental-health-issues
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/social-instincts/202002/heavy-social-media-use-tied-to-mental-health-risks
• https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/23/well/family/social-media-teens-mental-health.html

Comments

I appreciate the short and succinct answer you gave. It's very organized information when including what multiple different news sources reported and how they all support the ultimate claim. Maybe including some specific statistics can help support your summary even further.

Answer 2

Teen mental health is absolutely on the decline due to Social Media. Parents and mental health professionals alike are struggling with what to do with the expanding digital world. Many people are resorting to online validation rather than making positive connections face-to-face with others. Overall, research suggests that the younger a person has access to social media, the worse their mental health issues will be. It's much easier for teens to be cruel online now because of the anonymity associated with being online.
This is a good article I found that I believe was not already cited:
https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/it-or-not-social-medias-affecting-your-mental-health

Answer 3

The article from The Economist claims that the "How heavy use of social media is linked to mental illness". I say that this article is true because it highlights research indicating that excessive engagement with platforms can lead to anxiety, depression, and lower self-esteem. Factors such as cyberbullying, social comparison, and the pressure to maintain an idealized online persona contribute to these negative effects. Seeing what other people are posting you experience "FOMO". The article also suggests that the addictive nature of social media can disrupt sleep and decrease real-life social interactions, exacerbating mental health challenges. Overall, it calls for a balanced approach to social media use to mitigate these risks. Doing my research I found this article from UC Davis exploring the impact of social media on mental health, emphasizing both positive and negative effects. While social media can foster connections and support, it can also lead to issues like anxiety, depression, and loneliness, particularly when users engage in social comparison or experience cyberbullying. https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/social-medias-impact-our-mental-health-and-tips-to-use-it-safely/2024/05

Answer 4

I completely agree with that claim. I have linked another article below that also goes over the impacts social media has on our brains and mental behavior. The article points out the fear of missing out (FOMO) that comes with media addiction. This is something that I'm sure everybody can agree is real. FOMO can give people the temptation to check their phones every few minutes to check notifications and updates on friends whereabouts and activities. Social media also creates isolation, a study done at the University of Pennsylvania found that high usage of social media apps like snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram actually makes individuals face an increase in feelings of loneliness and isolation. On top of that there are also factors of cyberbullying which is a big influence on peoples mental healths as about 10 percent of teenagers report being bullied via social media. There are plenty of reasons why social media can have negative effects on the mental health of individuals, especially when the user is on social media for excessive amounts of time. 

https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/wellbeing/social-media-and-mental-health

Answer 5

I completely agree, this article accurately reflects the growing body of research suggesting a correlation between heavy social media use and negative mental health outcomes, especially in younger age groups. Numerous studies, including the Royal Society for Public Health survey, have shown that young people perceive social media negatively in respect to their mental health, contributes to anxiety, depression, and body image issues. Even though correlation doesn't always equal causation, the evidence suggests a strong association. It's important to note that individual experiences may vary, and other factors, such as genetics and life circumstances, can also influence mental health.

Answer 6

An article published by the American Psychological Association, reports 41% of teens who spend 4.8 hours on social media a day claim their mental health to be poor or very poor. While 17% of that group have also reported poor body image (https://www.apa.org/monitor/2024/04/teen-social-use-mental-health). According to Very Well Health, the recommended time spent on social media varies from 30 min. - 2 hours a day (https://www.verywellhealth.com/social-media-timing-8573175#:~:text=Although%20there%20is%20no%20set%20timeframe%20for%20how,between%2030%20minutes%20and%20two%20hours%20per%20day.).

While these two statistics are major in the difference, it proves teens with higher social media usage are more likely to face mental health issues like body image and anxiety.

Comments

I agree with this statement because social media has become a toxic culture that promotes hate. While there are positives, the societal expectations when it comes to social media have gotten out of hand. Very good source also.

Answer 7

This article from The Economist claims that heavy social media use is linked to mental illness. To back up their claim they used data published from a survey done by the American Journal of Epidemiology. The data is this survey agrees with their claim, one of the most promising pieces of data in their publication is Figure 1. Figure 1 which shows the trend of mean self-reported mental health score across levels of Facebook use, ultimately finding as steep decline in mental health as Facebook use increases. Further down in the article, they claim that "Nearly 63% of Instagram users report being miserable, a higher share than for any other social network." This is a summary of the data that an app 'Moment' collected and is seen the chart right above. However, the data in the chart shows that the 63% of Instagram users aren't 'miserable' and simply shows them in the middle of the the 'happy' demographic and 'sad' demographic. In summary it seems that the claim in this article is true and that there is a connection between the two, but the actual facts in the article itself vary in degrees of authenticity. 

Answer 8

https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/social-media-teen-mental-health-a-parents-guide#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20research%20study,including%20depression%20and%20anxiety%20symptoms 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10129173/

Both sources back up the claim made by The Economist that heavy social media use is linked to mental health issues. According to the National Library of Medicine, excessive social media use has a proven connection to psychiatric disorders. Their study highlights that prolonged and obsessive scrolling can lead to conditions like anxiety and depression due to increased feelings of isolation, poor self-esteem, or disrupted sleep patterns. An article by Yale Medicine also states that research has found similar results, pointing out that overuse can really amplify mental health problems in teens. Constant comparison with others, exposure to unrealistic expectations, and cyberbullying all combined can worsen issues like depression or anxiety. Both sources emphasize that while social media itself isn't inherently harmful, heavy use is strongly associated with negative mental health side effects and moderation is necessary.

Answer 9

Yes, the use of social media use is linked to mental illness and this is incredibly prevalent in adolescents. In the claim you say “[y]oungsters report problems with anxiety, depression, sleep and “FoMO” which is backed up by an article published by UC Davis Health and an article that Stanford Law wrote in which they site many different credible sources. 

UC Davis health states exactly what the original post stats: that our mental health can be heavily effected by our social media use because social media “fuel[s] anxiety, depression, loneliness and FOMO…” Why does social media do this? It is mostly because we want to be seen and interacted with. We post to have people comment, like, share, etc. When that doesn’t happen “it can impact our sense of self and adequacy” (UC Davis).

Backing up the research of UC Davis, Stanford Law points to a study done by Betel Keels that “…the use of social networking sites is associated with an increased risk of depression, anxiety, and psychological distress.” Stanford Law also points out the American College of Pediatricians study stating that social media has an affect not just on kids mental health, but kids attention as well as aggression. The American College of Pediatricians also points out that social media affects kids self-esteem and depression in very negative ways.

Statistics about the effects that social media has are pointed out by the article provided in the original post. In the article by The Economist it states that data, posted by the Moment app, shows that 63% of Instagram users charted out of the 1 million “report [of] being miserable” after being on the app for just an hour. Shockingly, those who are spending just over half as long, about 37% , reported being happier. 

All signs point to yes the use of social media is linked to mental illness. It can have drastic effects on how we view the world, ourselves, how we feel throughout the day, and our actions. 

Articles:

https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/social-medias-impact-our-mental-health-and-tips-to-use-it-safely/2024/05#:~:text=Mental%20health%20impacts,chemical%22%20linked%20to%20pleasurable%20activities 

https://law.stanford.edu/2024/05/20/social-media-addiction-and-mental-health-the-growing-concern-for-youth-well-being/

https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2018/05/18/how-heavy-use-of-social-media-is-linked-to-mental-illness?utm_medium=cpc.adword.pd&utm_source=google&ppccampaignID=17210591673&ppcadID=&utm_campaign=a.22brand_pmax&utm_content=conversion.direct-response.anonymous&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw68K4BhAuEiwAylp3kojZc-_RSnDsZNcqsrkgak4j9Q8JBp2LzzSAIP-uPjHy9VeuAY_qzBoCFfEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds 

Answer 10

The article linked by this fact check is accurate in that scientific studies like the National Library of Medicine back it. In a study titled "Link between excessive social media use and psychiatric disorders" it shares that "The use of social networks has also been reported to be associated with lower self-esteem, a decreased sense of subjective well-being shortly after its use, and a decrease in the levels of satisfaction with life in the long run". Making this claim true in that mental health declines. But illness may be also correlated to according to another pub med study. This study stated "the incidence of social media-induced anxiety and depression was found to be directly related to the number of social media networks being used". So both parts of this claim are true and the link between heavy usage of social media and mental illness is also strong. 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5904786/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10129173/