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Laura Gibson

Professor Dean Leonard

English 1201

21 March 2021

How Does Social Media Negatively Affect Its Users?

Social media is a very popular component of the world today. Considering so many

people use social media, it is important to be aware of the effect that social media has on its

users. While social media has some positive effects on its users, it also has negative effects.

These negative effects contribute to issues in the everyday lives of people such as issues with

academic performance, and mental health. It is vital to understand the negative effects social

media can have on its users.

Social media has grown drastically since the beginning of social media, which is around

the year of 2004 (Ortiz-Ospina). Facebook, the most used social media platform out of all social

media platforms, has grown its number of users from 1.5% of the population in 2008 to 30% in

2018 (Ortiz-Ospina). With social media growing so rapidly over time, it is important to be aware

of the possible negative effects.

Research has shown that social media creates negative effects on the academic

performance of students. A common negative effect that social media creates is distraction. In a

study conducted at the University of Sharjah on the effects on health and academic performance

by social media, 74.8% of participating students in the study stated that they check their phones

during lectures in school (S. A. Rahman et al. 713). This distraction of the social media platforms

on phones does interfere with paying attention to academics. It has also been noted in research

that during assignments, students can become less aware of their tasks due to the distraction of
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social media (Swarnam 3). In a study performed at the University of Sharjah on the effects on

health and academic performance by social media use, it was found that 51.6% of participating

students admitted that social media distracts them from their study time (S. A. Rahman et al.

713). While distraction is created by social media from academic tasks, a source that highlights

this distraction issue, also highlights how social media can be helpful in education. Social media

also can be used as a tool to keep students updated on tasks for classes, and for students who

have a harder time expressing their ideas in an in-person class setting (Akram et al. 350). Despite

this positive aspect of social media where students are kept up to date, there is still the negative

effect of distraction from academics.

Social media also negatively affects academic performance by affecting the quality of

schoolwork and grades. In a study conducted on students, it was shown that students that use

social media have less time for their schoolwork, creating lower grades (Cao et al. 5). The

quality of schoolwork done by students is also affected negatively by social media creating

issues with grammar. In a study performed at the University of Sharjah on the effects on health

and academic performance by social media use, 41.6% of students stated that their constant use

of social media created negative effects on their grammar and writing skills (S. A. Rahman et al.

713). In another study on the effects of social media on society, it was discovered that the

common use of slang and abbreviations in social media affects the grammar used in schoolwork

by students (Akram et al. 351).

Grades are affected by grammar issues caused by social media use, but also by whether

work is turned in on time or not. 42% of students in a study done on the effects of social media

on health and academic performance at the University of Sharjah admitted that they turned work

in late due to their use of social media. (S. A. Rahman et al. 713). Also in a study done on the
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positive and negative effects of social media on society, it was found that “Sometimes students

are not able to deliver their work in the specified time frame as their time wastes” (Akram et al.

315). While social media is viewed as only having negative effects on education by most

research, a study done on the positive and negative effects on society by social media highlights

that despite the negative effects of the drop in grades due to late work and distraction caused by

social media, social media can be a beneficial way for students and instructors to prepare for

assignments (Akram et al. 350).

While studying certain sources, it is evident that social media also has negative effects on

the mental health of its users. Feelings of isolation and loneliness are common due to social

media use. In an article by the American Psychiatric Association on the effects of social media

on mental health, a poll is described where 67% of adults in America agree that “social media

usage is related to feelings of loneliness and social isolation (“Americans are Concerned about

Potential Negative Impacts of Social Media on Mental Health and Well-being”). In a report

written on the effects of social media use on individuals in India, it is stated that social media

decreases the in-person connections that individuals make, creating feelings of loneliness among

society (Swarnam 3). This same source also highlights that despite social media creating

loneliness and isolation due to social media usage, it also helps people to make connections

virtually (Swarnam 3).

Social media also contributes to mental health disorders. In a report written on the effects

of social media on individuals in India, it is stated that the result of a lack of in-person interaction

due to social media can lead to “social anxiety, avoidance behaviors, problems with self-esteem

and depression” (Swarnam 3). In a research article on the effects of social media on mental

health on individuals in Sweden, it was noted that an increase of time using Facebook correlated
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with a negative mood afterwards, and that this could lead to depression if there is consistent

social media use (Scott et al. 2). In the same research article, it was noted that a study concluded

that there is a positive correlation with depression and frequent Instagram use (Scott et al. 2).

While there is the negative effect of mental disorders from social media, a report written on the

effects of social media on the mental health of individuals in India concluded that the mental

health of individuals is improved by social media through the positive feedback and

encouragement that can be received from other users of social media, showing that not all effects

of social media on mental health are bad (Swarnam 3).

There are many common misconceptions about the effects of social media. The negative

effects of social media are focused on more than those that are positive. Many of the sources

listed not only highlight the negative effects of social media, but the positive effects as well.

These positive effects include how social media can be used as a tool to keep students prepared

for schoolwork (Akram et al. 350), social media can help to create virtual connections between

individuals (Swarnam 3), and that social media can also improve the mental health of individuals

by the positive encouragement and feedback that users receive from other users through social

media (Swarnam 3).

In attempting to answer the research question of how social media negatively affects its

users, it is evident that social media does have negative effects. These effects include effects on

education and academic performance, and effects on mental health. While there are more

possible negative effects, these effects are evident.

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Works Cited

Akram, Waseem, and R. Kumar. International Journal of Computer Sciences and Engineering ,
2017, A Study on Positive and Negative Effects of Social Media on Society.

“Americans Are Concerned about Potential Negative Impacts of Social Media on Mental Health
and Well-Being.” American Psychiatry Association, 20 May 2019,
www.psychiatry.org/newsroom/news-releases/americans-are-concerned-about-potential-
negative-impacts-of-social-media-on-mental-health-and-well-being.

Cao, Guangming, and Qingfeng Tian. Journal of Research On Technology In Education, 2020,
Social Media Use and Its Effect on University Student’s Learning and Academic
Performance in the UAE.

Ortiz-Ospina, Esteban. “The Rise of Social Media.” Our World in Data, Sept. 18AD, 2019,
ourworldindata.org/rise-of-social-media.

Rahman, Syed Azizur, et al. 2020, Effects of Social Media Use on Health and Academic
Performance among Students at the University of Sharjah.

Scott, Emily Stella, et al. BCM Public Health, 2020, Investigating the Effect of Social
Networking Site Use on Mental Health In an 18–34 Year-Old General Population; a
Crosssectional Study Using the 2016 Scania Public Health Survey.

Swarnam, Sweta. Symbiosis International, Effect of Social Media Use on Mental Health during
Lockdown in India.