heavy use of social media is linked to mental illness

Question

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

Comments

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.

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"I agree that this is in line with the ideas of cultivation theory, which contends that too much television viewing can alter people's perceptions of the world. This idea can also be applied to social media, where extended use may affect users' perceptions and interpretations of the outside world.

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After fact-checking, I agree that this article comes from a reputable source. While some of the vocabularies vary, research shows that social media provided through various mediums can affect mental health.

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Really great catch on the claims of both articles not quite lining up with each other. While I agree that the original author of the fact check did well in finding reputable sources to support their claim, the evidence provided does not combine into sound enough evidence to suggest that heavy use of social media is linked to mental illness. The article included in the original claim, as well as the two included in the fact-check, come from sound sources and provide important information. However, they fail to establish causation.

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The overwhelming amount of life highs people post on social media can also make it feel as though you are missing out. When you are bombarded with content that only shows perfect moments in people's lives makes it easy to feel like you are less than.

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.

Answer 2

An article just published in The Economist suggests how young people aged between 14 and 24 years think that platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter fuel anxiety, depression, and sleep deprivation. Social media had been associated with body image issues, cyberbullying, and "fear of missing out." Besides, research tracked Facebook users over time, finding increased activity was correlated with a decline in mental health. A study conducted by the NCBI approaches these issues by following a scientific structure. The particular psychological mechanisms involved in social media usage were studied, and from these researchers identified heavy exposure to social media as one such factor increasing the risks of developing anxiety and depression due to continuous social comparison, cyberbullying, or addictive nature of the sites. This study also agrees with the findings of The Economist. You can read more about it here. Moreover, it states in The Economist that heavy social media consumption among youth 14-21-year-old individuals is harmful for their mental health. They supported that claim using a 2017 poll conducted by the Royal Society for Public Health, a well-known charity who creates research on behalf of public health. The hyperlink they provided in the article is not available anymore, but was found on their page here. This is also further in agreement with their claims that social media has been associated with sleep disturbance, anxiety, depression, FOMO, bullying, and negative self-image. Other findings in addition to these support these claims: those of UC Davis Health (link), Yale Medicine (link), and the National Library of Medicine (link),. These collective pieces of evidence support the legitimacy in these claims made by The Economist, as they are based upon reliable research and match up with numerous studies about the effects that social media has on one's mental health.

Comments

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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I agree with your comment. The claims in The Economist article, on how social media is affecting our mental health, are well-structured and supported by valid research, such as the 2017 Royal Society for Public Health poll and the study from NCBI. Your explanation, about how social media is the root of sleep disturbance, anxiety, depression, and social comparison due to its addictive and toxic nature, was spot on. Added support from such reliable sources as UC Davis Health, Yale Medicine, and the National Library of Medicine corroborates these findings. Your analysis effectively brings out how those studies support and affirm the argument of The Economist through a broad consensus about the challenge heavy social media use creates in mental health.

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I completely agree with your perspective. The Economist article presents a strong argument about the impact of social media on mental health. It effectively draws on credible research, such as the 2017 Royal Society for Public Health survey and the study from NCBI, to substantiate its claims. Your breakdown of how social media contributes to issues like disrupted sleep, heightened anxiety, depression, and harmful social comparison primarily due to its addictive and often toxic nature was particularly insightful. The additional evidence from trusted sources like UC Davis Health, Yale Medicine, and the National Library of Medicine further reinforces these points. Your analysis does an excellent job of showing how these studies collectively align with and validate the concerns raised by The Economist, emphasizing the widespread consensus on the mental health challenges linked to heavy social media use.

Answer 3

In this article from The Economist, they claim that heavy social media usage is directly linked to mental illness and disorder. To support their claim, they use data from Royal Society for Public Health, and Moment, an app which manages time spent across different apps. I believe this claim to be true, and found the data provided from the Royal Society for Public Health to be especially convincing because it showed that apps such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat all had negative impacts reported in sleep, FoMO, bullying, and body image. As I looked into other sources to investigate this claim, the National Library of Medicine provided an article which also states, "The majority of the cited literature predicts that the likelihood of social media-induced mental health problems is directly proportional to the amount of time spent on these sites, the frequency of usage, and the number of platforms being used. Various possible explanations have been implicated, including a negative impact on self-esteem through unhealthy comparisons, social media burnout, stress, lack of emotional regulation due to social media preoccupation, and development of social anxiety due to decreased real-life social interactions." This further supports how excessive social media usage contributes to the development of psychiatric disorders. I believe this to be especially true amongst teens due to the increasing presence of technology and media in the new generation. The facts presented in the article by the National Library of Medicine closely align with what is stated in The Economist. 

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

Comments

Hi, I agree with you and think you did a wonderful job factchecking. I think that it is important to include specific quotations from the source that reflect what you are trying to get across as you did here. Also, the source you used is very factual which is important when researching whether or not something is truthful. I do feel as if data from an app may be misleading and looking further into who owns the app and whether social media companies are connected to it, and if so how they're connected, is also important. Overall I think you did a great job!

Answer 4

The claim that "heavy use of social media is linked to mental illness" and that "youngsters report problems with anxiety, depression, sleep, and FoMO (Fear of Missing Out)" is well-supported by multiple studies and reputable sources. The Economist article highlights this connection, and further investigation reveals consistent findings across various trusted sources. For instance, Verywell Mind and the American Psychological Association report that extensive social media use is associated with increased risks of anxiety, depression, and poor mental health. Additionally, studies referenced by Lancaster General Health indicate that frequent social media users often experience higher levels of depression and loneliness. Therefore, the evidence strongly suggests that heavy social media use can negatively impact mental health, particularly among young people.

https://www.verywellmind.com/link-between-social-media-and-mental-health-5089347

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2024/04/teen-social-use-mental-health

https://www.lancastergeneralhealth.org/health-hub-home/2021/september/the-effects-of-social-media-on-mental-health

Comments

I completely agree with you and think you did a really good job fact-checking. Including direct quotes from the source really strengthened your argument and helped convey your claim. It’s also great that the source you used is factual and credible, which is so important when determining whether something is accurate. That said, I do think it’s worth considering how data from certain apps might be biased or misleading. Whether there are connections to social media companies, and what those connections might entail could add more to your analysis.

Answer 5

This article titled, How Heavy Use of social media is linked to mental illness claims that users between the ages of 14-24 are most likely to be negatively impacted by social media. One of the first surveys they review explains the effects social media. Stating that social media gave them an "extra scope for self-expression and community-building" but in return included negative effects like anxiety, depression, deprived sleep, bullying, worries of body image, and FOMO(fear or missing out). It provides two graphs examining the different age groups and others showing its positive/negative effects on their health. the article also dates back to survey's in relation to their claim. The third one for example was published by the American Journal of Epidemiology where it compared the negative associations of Facebook to the positive impacts of offline interactions, providing tables and graphs in return. The article overall does a really great way of providing lots of data that corresponds to their claim, all in which can be factual to believe. According to an article at UC Davis (medically reviewed by Dawn Bounds, an Assistant Professor at the UCI Sue and Bill Gross School of Nursing), they claimed, "social media can negatively impact our overall wellbeing by fueling anxiety, depression, loneliness, and FOMO(fear or missing out)." Also stating the these issues were found in teens and young adults. The article also provided its own information on the mental health impacts and in return suggested ways to use social media safely. Its another valuable source of information that can further on back this article.

Sources: 

Survey - https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Association-of-Facebook-Use-With-Compromised-A-Shakya-Christakis/5270606dec382cfd50e925467ba35dac44654fc1

UC Davis: https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/social-medias-impact-our-mental-health-and-tips-to-use-it-safely/2024/05

Answer 6

I find the claim valid and correct, as the article, by many different sources, including personal surveys, successfully pointed out how overconsumption of social media impacts one's self and mind. The surveys given in the article show the tendency of people to feel more worthless with the time they spend on such platforms, hence overall well-being is lowered. Although the article may be a bit dated, The Economist is a British publication that has been issued weekly since the 1800s and is known for its articles written by experienced journalists; the topics covered are international. 

To add on, in another more current article titled Teens Are Spending Nearly 5 Hours Daily on Social Media. Here Are the Mental Health Outcomes. Below is an updated article with fresh data relevant for this year alone. Research showed US teens, who spent at least four hours a day on social media, were substantially more likely than others to struggle with various mental conditions, such as depression or anxiety, which in any case tends to be accentuated due to the comparability in which people feel about highly curated and generally unrealistic photos. These findings align quite closely with the claim in the article, reinforcing the idea that excessive social media consumption can have serious implications for mental health. By combining data from The Economist with this more recent source, one can see that the correlation between heavy social media use and negative mental health outcomes is well-supported.                                            

The article referenced ~ (Teens are spending nearly 5 hours daily on social media. Here are the mental health outcomes)

Answer 7

The detrimental effects of excessive youth social media use are examined in an article from The Economist, which highlights how the platform worsens problems like depression, anxiety, insomnia, bullying, problems with body image, and FOMO (fear of missing out). Similar results are found by additional research, such as the Columbia Psychiatry study "Smartphones, Social Media, and Their Impact on Mental Health," which supports The Economist's claims. Similarly, a Stanford University publication emphasizes the rising alarm about social media addiction and its close link to mental health issues. Additionally, this article cites many studies from various sources that demonstrate the detrimental effects of excessive social media use on mental health.

https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf

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

Comments

From personal experience and factual data, your claim that media can have a negative effect on mental health is true. Because young teens can be swayed into thinking in a certain mindset, it is easy for them to become depressed or develop other mental illnesses over time.

Answer 8

An article from The Economist argues that excessive social media usage among young people (ages 14-21) can have a detrimental effect on their mental health. To support this claim, the article references a 2017 survey conducted by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), a public health organization known for its research with a credible reputation. This RSPH websites (https://www.rsph.org.uk/our-work/campaigns/status-of-mind.html) findings are consistent with the article’s claims. The study highlights connections between social media use and issues such as poor sleep, anxiety, depression, FOMO, bullying, and negative self-image.Also, the article cited two other studies, both of which were credible and accessible through links. (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,reward%20center%20by%20releasing%20dopamine.), Yale Medicine (https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/social-media-teen-mental-health-a-parents-guide), and the National Library of Medicine (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9915628/). 

Answer 9

The claim that heavy use of social media can be linked to an increase in mental illness is correct. Specifically, younger people often struggle with anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and an increase in the fear of missing out (FOMO) due to an excessive use of social media. The article provided a study by the Royal Society of Public Health, which is a trusted independent public health protection service primarily in the UK, as well as worldwide. The RSPH found that people 14-24 years old associate social media platforms with negative effects on mental health. However, the RSPH also acknowledged that social media could have positive effects, such as fostering self-expression and creating a space for community building. I compared this to another health organization's findings. Mass General Brigham is a hospital which specializes in mental health. They agree with the initial claim, stating that social media use is linked to anxiety, depression, disrupted sleep, and physical ailments like headaches and nausea. However, it is important to realize that issues arise differently between different people. Too add, social media can create positive outcomes in moderation.  https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/it-or-not-social-medias-affecting-your-mental-health 

Answer 10

I believe that is true, After looking at the article, it is very trustworthy and makes a lot of sense.

Comments

Do you have any evidence as to why you find this source trustworthy? Did you do any outside research? That might make your factcheck stronger and more accurate.