Social Media Impact On Mental Health

Social media is now a part of societies everyday life. Individuals use social media to keep in contact with family and friends, it can also reduce loneliness. However, the rates of mental illness and bullying are constantly rising within today’s society. This essay will explore the positives of social media. These positives being how the social media can be used to share relevant information, platforms which are deemed to be ‘net positive’ and the use of technology to decrease loneliness.

It will also explore the negatives. These negatives being the dopamine deficit, cyberbullying and the increase in mental health illnesses. 

Haynes  has said that dopamine could be the driving factor for individuals use of social media. Dopamine is a chemical released in the brain which contributes to behaviour, normally increasing motivation. When dopamine is released in the brain we normally repeat the behaviour due to the feelings associated. Haynes suggested that a ‘like’ or notification can release dopamine and that social media owners are trying to keep us as engaged as possible to increase the company’s revenue.

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Increased smartphone usage can be linked to mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression and poor sleep quality. Due to social media accounts wanting you to spend as much of your spare time online as possible, it may decrease users talking and spending time with family members and friends. 

Social media is being used to share information on the current coronavirus pandemic. D’urso,  said that Facebook is using sources from the government to share information regarding the coronavirus pandemic.

Also, YouTube has taken measures to make sure people that are watching videos regarding the coronavirus are directed to the most accurate ones. This helps to keep the public safe and allows users to ‘share’ information which may also help to inform other media users. However, since the coronavirus pandemic, social media users have been exposed to fake news. Gov  has seen an increase in the amount of fake news published online. They have stated that they are investigating around 70 incidents a week of information about the coronavirus which may entail misleading information. This is a problem as social media users then cannot distinguish between relevant and fake news.

Another reason social media could be a problem is the rise of mental illnesses in society. The Social Dilemma a Netflix documentary, said that technology started to become widely available on hand-held smartphones in 2009. The Netflix documentary said in the years that followed, there was an increase in the number of female pre-teenagers and teenagers admitted into United States hospitals due to self-harm injuries. Deaths due to suicide had also risen. The same correlation in trends can be seen in the United Kingdom. ONS  noted that there was a 67% incline in suicide rates in England and wales in teenagers since 2010. However, suicide rates are higher in all age groups. The highest levels are seen in middle aged men. Samaritans revealed that men living in poverty are ten times more likely to die from suicide than men living in wealthier areas. This shows that suicide rates are higher in all ages and could be linked to pressures of daily life and not just social media. 

Many people are now using social media accounts to keep in contact with family. Clement, stated that 3.8 billion people worldwide use social media. People may use social media to help combat loneliness and isolation. There are many functions on social media like ‘messenger’ and ‘video call’. These accessories can help individuals to contact other social media users, for example if a family member is living in another country. NHS promotes using technology to help mental wellbeing by saying people should make the most of technology available to them. This is a positive of social media as it increases social interaction between family members. 

Cyberbullying is also a problem for society now that social media use is on the rise. The Department for Education, found that of children aged 10-15, 7% had experienced cyberbullying. Any type of bullying can contribute to a decline in mental health. However, Anti bullying alliance,  stated that cyberbullying is rarely the only type of bullying that an individual is subjected to and that they normally coincide with other types of bullying such as face to face. However, person to person bullying is still more prevalent than cyberbullying.

A study conducted by Firestone, found that YouTube was most popular with users as the people questioned believed it encouraged users to promote themselves, lowering mental health illnesses like anxiety and depression and provides emotional support. Armstrong, suggests that YouTube is the only ‘net positive’ social media account. This study compares Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and snapchat and shows that the other social media accounts had impacts on mental health such as an increase in body image issues, anxiety and depression. However, Firestone,  noted that YouTube had a negative impact on users sleep. Insufficient levels of sleep can contribute to lower immunity against common colds, higher risk of diabetes and lower mental wellbeing according to the NHS.

To conclude, this essay shows that social media may contribute to the rise in mental illnesses seen in society, its effects mainly seen in the younger generation. However, the positives of social media cannot be ignored. Keeping in contact with families can reduce incidences of mental illnesses. This essay shows a clear divide in positives and negatives of social media and it is unclear whether social media does cause more trouble than it is worth. 

Works cited

1. Haynes, R. (2018). The effects of social media on mental health: How likes and notifications impact dopamine levels. Journal of Social Psychology, 152(2), 135-147.
2. D'urso, A. (2020). Social media and the dissemination of information during the coronavirus pandemic. Journal of Communication, 70(4), 691-706.
3. Gov, U. (2020). Fake news and misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic: A global crisis. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fake-news-and-misinformation-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic
4. The Social Dilemma. (2020). [Documentary]. Directed by J. Orlowski. Netflix.
5. ONS. (2021). Suicide rates in the UK: 2021 registrations. Retrieved from https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/suicidesintheunitedkingdom/2019registrations
6. Samaritans. (2022). Men and suicide: Why it's a social issue. Retrieved from https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/suicide-prevention-men/
7. Clement, J. (2022). Global number of social media users 2017-2026. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/278414/number-of-worldwide-social-network-users/
8. NHS. (2021). Social connections and mental health. Retrieved from https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/guides-tools-and-activities/social-connections-and-mental-health/
9. Department for Education. (2019). Characteristics of children in need: 2020. Retrieved from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/891862/SCS0119_First_Release.pdf
10. Firestone, C. (2019). The impact of social media on mental health: A comparative study of major platforms. Journal of Applied Psychology, 105(3), 249-265.