heavy use of social media is linked to mental illness

Question

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

Comments

Absolutely social media can affect your mental health in a negative way. It gives us so much information both positive and negative that it can be too much for our brains to process.

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During the evolution of social media and the normalization of it within our culture, mental health problems have increased. According to an article published by Stanford, "the 12-month prevalence of major depressive episodes among adolescents increased from 8.7% in 2005 to 11.3% in 2014 (Mojtabai, et al., 2016)." During this time period, we also saw an increase in social media use. According to an article published by the Pew research center, social media usage went from 7% in 2005 to 67% in 2015. These numbers correlate with the rising reports of mental health issues.

Sources:
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2015/10/08/social-networking-usage-2005-2015/

https://law.stanford.edu/2024/05/20/social-media-addiction-and-mental-health-the-growing-concern-for-youth-well-being/#:~:text=The%20link%20between%20social%20media%20and%20mental%20health%20issues%20has,et%20al.%2C%202020).

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totally agree with you! social media has become such a toxic yet amazing place for many. There's constantly so much information being thrown at us that it makes it hard to not let it take such a big toll on our day to day lives.

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I 100% agree with you because through ought the years, generations have taken in social media and now all kids/teenager or adults are on social media. Social media does have its positive perks but most definitely has its negative ones. Some people base themselves to hold up this persona but it isn't who they are or they post hurtful things to hurt others which is wrong.

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An interesting claim to the rise of social media. Do you think the author's age contributes to their stance on this subject matter? It is interesting to see how Facebook's founding president admitted to it.

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I agree with the statement because kids nowadays compare themselves to super models and influencers. They see that they don't look just like them so they become unhappy with themselves. Social media could be used as a weapon as well, posting something negative about someone, tarnishing their name. Social media is dangerous and should be regulated by parents.

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I completely agree with this claim as from experience I have had the lack of focus and sometimes laziness and sadness caused from social media. By scrolling everyday ones mind can't take the mental stress of getting likes and dislikes and follows it ultimately oddest have a positive affect on the mental state. According to a Yale Medicine article "Over the last decade, increasing evidence has identified the potential negative impact of social media on adolescents. According to a research study of American teens ages 12-15, those who used social media over three hours each day faced twice the risk of having negative mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety symptoms." https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/social-media-teen-mental-health-a-parents-guide#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20research%20study,including%20depression%20and%20anxiety%20symptoms.

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While this fact check holds promise, I think it could use a little work. While you clearly did research and included two reputable sources, I think saying they coincide totally to explain how social media is related to mental illness is slightly misleading. The article from the Pew research center says nothing about mental health at all, it more so splits up the increase in social media use by demographic, and while the Stanford article does say there is a connection between social media use and mental health issues, it says this directly folliwng that statement, :"The associations, though not by itself proof of causation, at least some reason for concern."

I think that sums up the proof you presented for this factcheck. It cannot be used as direct evidence, or at least, it is not strong by itself. While I think your sources are goos and are almost there, seeing as they relate strongly to the issue at hand, they do not quite tie together the threads the claim of social media causing a decline in mental health is trying to. Another article or study having data with a stronger correlation may help this fact-check.

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I agree with you. Social media has given us such big opportunities of learning although it has also given us mental health issues. Some people tend to use social media to take out their stress and feelings, which could be good or bad.

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

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.