The impact of social media on mental health

This paper evaluates the impact of social media on mental health, focusing on the potential mechanisms of interaction between social media and mental health, as well as the possible moderating factors.

It is concluded that social media can have both positive and negative effects on mental health, depending on how it is used and who is using it. The paper recommends further research to investigate the complex relationships between social media and mental health.

The use of social media has become increasingly widespread in recent years, with nearly three-quarters of adults in the United States now using at least one form of social media (Pew Research Center, 2018). As social media use has grown, so too has the concern about its potential impact on mental health. A number of studies have investigated the link between social media use and mental health outcomes such as depression, anxiety, and loneliness (e.g., Andreassen et al., 2016; Orben & Sansone, 2015; Twenge et al., 2017).

The mechanisms by which social media might affect mental health are not fully understood, but there are a few possible explanations.

First, social media use can lead to negative comparisons with others who seem to have perfect lives (“Facebook depression”; O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). Second, the use of social media can be a source of cyberbullying and other forms of online harassment (Hinduja & Patchin, 2010). Third, social media use can be addictive and lead to “FOMO” (fear of missing out), which can trigger anxiety and other negative emotions (Andreassen et al., 2016).

It is important to note that social media use is not always associated with negative mental health outcomes. In fact, some studies have found that social media use can have positive effects on mental health, such as increasing social support and providing a sense of connection (e.g., Lu et al., 2016; Valkenburg & Peter, 2009). It is also possible that the relationship between social media and mental health is moderated by individual differences, such as pre-existing mental health problems or personality traits (e.g., introversion/extroversion).

Further research is needed to investigate the complex relationships between social media and mental health. Longitudinal studies are particularly important in this regard, as they can help to disentangle the causal relationships between social media use and mental health outcomes. Additionally, future research should focus on identifying the moderating factors that influence the relationship between social media and mental health.

References:

Andreassen, C. S., Torsheim, T., Pallesen, S., & Brunborg, G. S. (2016). Association between addictive use of social media and video games and symptoms of psychiatric disorders: A large-scale cross-sectional study. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 30(2), 252-262.

Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2010). Cyberbullying: An overview of the types, consequences, and interventions to mitigate victimization. Adolescence Education, 3(1), 1-14.

Lu, X., Zhao, S., Liu, Y., & Zhou, Z. (2016