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

The Economist article highlights the relationship between heavy social media use and mental health issues among young people aged 14-24, noting how platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter contribute to increased anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances. The piece gains credibility by referencing research that tracks Facebook users over time, finding a clear correlation between high activity and mental health declines. This aligns with findings from a peer-reviewed study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), which explores similar concerns in depth. The NCBI study identifies specific mechanisms, such as social comparison, cyberbullying, and the addictive nature of social media, that lead to heightened risks of anxiety and depression. The Economist's conclusions are reinforced by this structured scientific approach, lending credibility to its claims about the mental health impacts of social media use.

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

Answer 2

Studies have shown that frequent use of social media can lead to increased levels of anxiety, depression, and psychological distress. For example, a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research found that adults who frequently post on social media are at a higher risk of developing mental health problems compared to those who passively view content.

https://www.jmir.org/

Comments

I think you did a good job in finding a study published as a journal as those tend to be well researched, but to make your argument stronger, providing a quote could make what you sau be more trustworthy and show what part of the journal you believe connects with this specific claim.

Answer 3

This is a true statement in the sense that it is shown to be linked to mental health illness. It comes from a reputable source that has studies and data to back it up. Additionally, I found another couple sources that say the same that are reliable. Yale Medicine and the National Library of Medicine both provide studies that conclude that the use of social media for more than 3 hours per day have been show to negatively impact mental health. According to the studies, most common  mental health issues that are linked to excessive use of social media are anxiety and depression. This is a true claim that there is a link.

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/

Answer 4

Heavy use of social media is increasingly linked to mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Research indicates that social media platforms, with their constant stream of curated content, can lead to negative self-comparisons and body image concerns. A study by Twenge et al. (2017) found that adolescents who spend more time on social media report higher levels of depression and anxiety. Social media use also disrupts real-world social interactions, contributing to feelings of isolation (Kuss & Griffiths, 2017). Furthermore, the addictive nature of these platforms encourages excessive use, which can worsen mental health conditions over time (Fuchs, 2017). A key issue is the pressure to seek validation through likes and comments, which can create emotional dependency and low self-esteem (Rosen et al., 2013). In conclusion, while social media has benefits, its overuse poses significant risks to mental health.