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Amiyah Campbell

Professor Strehle

English 1201

21 March 2021

How Does Social Media Contribute to Our Mental Health?

Social media is one of the largest platforms used by everyone around the world,

especially by young people. It allows people to do many things like stay up to date with the

world, see what’s trending, and communicate with others. People are in desired need of the

companionship of others and being socially connected can ease stress, depression, boost

self-worth, and provide comfort. However since a lot of people consume so much social media

on a daily basis, it can interfere with reality and lead us into developing bad habits.

A large number of studies, for instance, one newly organized by the University of

Michigan, suggest that the increase in using Facebook contributes to anxiety and depression.

(Csorba and Slaney) Noa Gafni Slaney, in her article, believes that people are engaged in

activities less for their own intrinsic value, but instead are more focused on how others will view

them on social media. Constantly posting on social media and wanting public approval can

diminish the real concept of the things we share. (Csorba and Slaney)

Social media also increases the possibility to see unrealistic (filtered) pictures. (Sperling)

Apps may provide different filters such as teeth whitening, face smoothing, or blemishing.

Having the advantage to use these filters can make it hard for teens to know what’s real and what

is not, which can affect them physically and emotionally. People feel the need to post because of

the attention they get from it. (Sperling) This issue can create an addiction to social media and

will take us away from what is real and what is only a “virtual life.”
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Many young people use social media daily having a greater impact on the platform,

which can also increase the impact on their mental health. Social media is able to keep people

engaged because of the unknown outcome and the desired outcome of a post. (“The Social

Dilemma: Social Media and Your Mental Health”) The article titled “Like’ It or Not, Social

Media’s Affecting Your Mental Health.” states that 69% of adults and 81% of teens in the U.S.

use social media. That puts a large amount of the population at a high risk of feeling anxious or

depressed. (“The Social Dilemma: Social Media and Your Mental Health”)

Social media can also affect physical health, the connection between the mind and the gut

can turn anxiety and depression into nausea, headaches, and muscle tension. Social media

increases the chance for a harmful exchange to happen. Young females who use social media

express aggression by prohibiting others and commenting hurtful remarks under others' posts.

An article written by a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Mental Health Weekly

Digest, explains how there has not been supporting evidence to prove that the amount of time

spent on social media actually affects the mental health of young people. The News Reporter

believes people should focus on the individual's behavior rather than assume that social media is

the root of all personal problems. (Mental Health Weekly Digest, p. 124) She and her colleagues

asked 467 different young adults a variety of questions that revolve around their level of social

anxiety, how good their relationship is with their parents, and the amount of social support they

have in their life. (Mental Health Weekly Digest, p. 124)

The article “Social Media and Mental Health.” written by Lawrence Robinson and

Melinda Smith has a different approach. They talk about how the excessive use of social media

can stir up feelings of anxiety, depression, isolation, and FOMO. They emphasize that humans

are social creatures and in-person contact with other human beings triggers hormones that
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alleviate stress and make us feel happier, healthier, and more positive. (Lawrence and Smith)

With technology, spending too much time engaging with social media can actually make people

feel more lonely and isolated and heighten mental health problems such as anxiety and

depression. (Lawrence and Smith)

Social media can have a physical effect on the brain as well. As stated in “The

Psychology of Social Media.” written by a Psychologist at King University, a Christian academic

community, states that “likes” on any platform like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter causes

“activation in brain circuitry implicated in reward.” (“The Psychology of Social Media.”) That

just means when social media users receive positive feedback, their brains fire off dopamine

receptors, which is facilitated in part by the ventral tegmental area (VTA).

People have certain situations that motivate them to post. The reason why we post is

because of the love and belonging we feel or because of esteem, when we get a significant

amount of likes it makes us want to post more. Social media can become a literal addiction

because of the dopamine that is released into your system when you receive “likes” and

“follows” from peers on social media. (“The Psychology of Social Media.”) Social media

stimuli can affect the brain’s decision-making and emotional processing functions.

Although social media can cause unwanted feelings to arise, social media can help people

to easily engage with things they care about and are able to share them with others that have

similar opinions. It can help people find their outlet for their creativity and self-expression. To

reduce the chances of anxiety, depression, or loneliness you can distract yourself from the

distraction, instead of always reverting back to social media find ways to use your time

elsewhere. (“The Social Dilemma: Social Media and Your Mental Health”) Steps you could also

do is reduce your time online, to do so you can disable notifications or do not use any devices
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while laying down in bed. You can also express gratitude by taking time for reflection or

practicing mindfulness. (Lawrence and Smith) Social media can be an enjoyable experience if

used properly and responsibly, making sure it doesn’t get in the way of real-world situations.
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Works Cited

Csorba, Emerson, and Noa Gafni Slaney. "Are we too wired?" New York Times Upfront, vol. 149,

no. 12, 24 Apr. 2017, p. 22+. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,

https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A492535637/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=0e24a

a7e. Accessed 18 Mar. 2021.

“Like’ It or Not, Social Media’s Affecting Your Mental Health.” Mclean Hospital, 4 Nov. 2020,

https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/it-or-not-social-medias-affecting-your-mental-h

ealth

"More time on social media is not linked to poor mental health." Mental Health Weekly Digest,

20 Nov. 2017, p. 124. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,

https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A514957485/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=c0fd3

957. Accessed 18 Mar. 2021.

Robinson, Lawrence, and Melinda, Smith. “Social Media and Mental Health.” HelpGuide, Sept.

2020,

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-mental-health.htm#:~:

text=However%2C%20multiple%20studies%20have%20found,about%20your%20life%

20or%20appearance.

“The Psychology of Social Media.” King University Online, 19 Sept. 2019,

https://online.king.edu/news/psychology-of-social-media/#:~:text=When%20social%20m

edia%20users%20receive,in%20part%20by%20the%20VTA.&text=Outside%20of%20th

e%20rewards%20systems,making%20and%20emotional%20processing%20functions.