Publication 3: Social Media and mental health

Social media is more popular right now than it ever has been, especially with teens and young adults. There are a lot of positive aspects of the platforms but there is also a high risk for mental health issues. Two mental illnesses that social media is highly associated with are anxiety and depression. Over recent years anxiety and depression has been rising in teens by roughly 20% and some sources say that it could be from a wide variety of reasons including a rise in the use of social media. Social media being overused and abuse can cause teens to be disconnected from the real world and what actually is important in their lives.

Not all social media is bad, it does have its positives like keeping in touch with long distance friends and family, a quick source of communication, or even the ability to meet new people. The problem is it’s being overused and used improperly. Teens use social media on average roughly nine hours every day which is dramatically different from how the generations before them spent their time. While on these platforms instead of utilizing the positive aspects they are stuck staring at the glamorous photos their peers are uploading and wondering why they were not invited or wondering why they don’t feel as happy as their friends look. Todays social media is full of bright colors, celebrities, mesmerizing pictures and videos, viral trends, and yet adults wonder why teens seem “glued” to their phones. These social media Platforms were not designed to be used once or twice 5–10 minutes a day. They were designed to keep you scrolling through posts for 5–10 hours a day, but this over use can cause serious harm to a persons well being. Too many people find themselves wondering why their pictures don’t look as good as a famous celebrity, or find themselves comparing the amount of likes they got with their friend. Social media creates a misunderstanding that some peoples lives are completely perfect while putting others down when in reality those photos are not a real representation of what is actually happening in those peoples lives.

Thank you for reading my 3rd post and be sure to tune in next week on publication number 4.

McLean Hospital. “The Social Dilemma: Social Media and Your Mental Health.” Here’s How Social Media Affects Your Mental Health | McLean Hospital, McLean Hospital, 16 Dec. 2020, www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/it-or-not-social-medias-affecting-your-mental-health.

“Anxiety, Loneliness and Fear of Missing Out: The Impact of Social Media on Young People’s Mental Health.” Anxiety, Loneliness and Fear of Missing Out: The Impact of Social Media on Young People’s Mental Health | Centre for Mental Health, www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/blogs/anxiety-loneliness-and-fear-missing-out-impact-social-media-young-peoples-mental-health.

“Anxiety in Teens Is Rising: What’s Going On?” HealthyChildren.org, www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/emotional-problems/Pages/Anxiety-Disorders.aspx.