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.

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