heavy use of social media is linked to mental illness

Question

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

Comments

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.

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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.

Answer 1

According to Yale Medicine, excessive use of social media could potentially lead to mental illnesses. The article addresses how over time, there has been progressive research showing how the extreme use of social media results in anxiety, depression, stress, and other mood disorders. It emphasizes how the consumption of media at an even earlier age produces more harm as they are being exposed to toxic behaviors and trends at an even younger age and becoming more desensitized to them sooner. Additionally, it articulates how social media creates a prize and reward inducing reaction to posting and getting validation from their viewers, which ultimately can develop an addiction to getting instant gratification.

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