Claim : Social Media does more harm than good

Question

Recently I have deleted all social media accounts and find myself less distracted and happier. Social media may promote negative experiences such as Inadequacy about your life or appearance. I suggest that those who spend a toxic amount of time obsessing over social media, to take a break. 

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-mental-health.htm#:~:text=The%20negative%20aspects%20of%20social%20media&text=However%2C%20multiple%20studies%20have%20found,about%20your%20life%20or%20appearance.

Comments

I agree that social media can do more harm than good, especially in this generation with the increased use of social media. In a recent study conducted by a professor at MIT Sloan, college-wide access to Facebook led to an increase in severe depression by 7% and anxiety disorder by 20%. I also personally agree that social media makes me question my life or appearance because I find myself comparing myself to others.

https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/study-social-media-use-linked-to-decline-mental-health#:~:text=Facebook%20access%20leads%20to%20more%20anxiety%20and%20depression&text=College%2Dwide%20Facebook%20access%20led,depression%20among%20students%2C%20researchers%20found.

---

I agree that the social media does more harm than good. With the widespread popularity of social media and its use, it is no longer simply a communication software. Dependence on social media can lead to a decrease in self-esteem and vanity.

---

I agree that social media has negative affects on mental health and can be a distraction but there are some social benefits. Some social benefits can be staying connect/communicate with old friends and or relatives. Being an active user of social media I believe there are both negatives and positives but there may be more negatives attributes than positive.

---

@riapatel16 @Eva Di @mariagrimaldo1 in the future, please "answer" the claim rather than "comment" on it.

@riapatel16 nice explanation and source, but you still need a rating (see the sidebar of this page).

@Eva Di I like that you commented on this with your opinion, but fact-checks need evidence, sources links, an explanation, and a rating.

@mariagrimaldo1 I like that you commented on this with your personal experience and opinion, but fact-checks need evidence, sources links, an explanation, and a rating.

Answer 1

I agree that social media does more harm than good. According to Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, social media sets unrealistic standards for body image and popularity and creates a platform for cyberbullying and exclusion.

https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/public-health-now/news/just-how-harmful-social-media-our-experts-weigh

Comments

Good job fact-checking this claim and including an explanation and source link as well as a quote. Don't forget to add a rating.

Answer 2

Although Social Media has many times been seen as extremely negative, at the same time it has countless amounts of benefits as well. These include relationship building, education yourself and communication skills improvement. And with that so much more!

People just need to start learning how to use it the right way!

Check out this article to find out more!

https://www.internetmatters.org/resources/social-media-advice-hub/social-media-benefits/

Comments

Nice job debunking the claim. Don't forget to add a rating such as "false, misinformation" or it might be "opinion" if there are are many opinions and thoughts on the topic and no clear indication whether social media does more harm than good.

Answer 3

I do not believe that social media does more harm than good. While too much of literally anything is not good for a person, the opportunities social media creates are something that can not be recreated. With social media rising more and more in popularity the more Opportunites will be available.  https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/10-jobs-that-pay-you-to-be-on-social-media-0117

Comments

Nice job debunking the claim. Don't forget to add a rating (see sidebar of this page) such as "false, misinformation" or it might be "opinion" if there are are many opinions and thoughts on the topic and no clear indication whether social media does more harm than good.

Answer 4

Yes, I belive this is in fact true. When analyzing your article chosen, there was not a specific citation or quote that backed up or supported any claims within the article. However, after doing a deep dive I found countless studies done and posted by trustworthy organizations that support the claims stated above. 

The NIH posted a writing backing up the claim that, "Recent studies have shown that individuals with mental disorders are increasingly gaining access to and using mobile devices, such as smartphones (Firth et al., 2015; Glick, Druss, Pina, Lally, & Conde, 2016; Torous, Chan, et al., 2014; Torous, Friedman, & Keshavan, 2014)." Furthermore they stated "Initial studies from 2015 found that nearly half of a sample of psychiatric patients were social media users, with greater use among younger individuals (Trefflich, Kalckreuth, Mergl, & Rummel-Kluge, 2015)."

We can see here a direct study done that links your statement to the truth in the outside world and furthermore you can find countless recent studies done that will back up these statements.