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Allie Mack

Prof. Porter

English 1201

8 March 2022

How Does Social Media Affect Mental Health?

At the end of 2021 it was estimated that the average American spends about 145 minutes

(about 2 and a half hours) on social media per day. While young adults ages 16-24 average

around 3 hours on social media a day (Djordjevic). With this much time spent online surfing

different platforms and being exposed to a plethora of content, can social media affect mental

health?

The spike in interest in social media began in the early 2000’s, with myspace being the

leading platform and the first to reach a million monthly users. Since myspace we have seen

other sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, to name a few popular platforms.

Currently on average the leading platforms are Instagram (500 million daily users), with

Facebook and Twitter close behind and Pinterest (Djordjevic).

Social Media can have many negative phycological effects, specifically on young kids,

ages 18 and under. The platforms Instagram and Snapchat, with the most daily users, allow and

promote users to alter their pictures, changing their faces and bodies to fit the standard of beauty

(Magner). The constant comparison to the perfect body, that was achieved through editing, can

have negative effects on impressionable youth who want to meet those unattainable expectations.
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Like Magner, Hjetland and Johnsen agree that social media has a negative effect. Focusing

more on the youth's desire to fit in and fomo, the fear of missing out. In this study it was found

that adolescence will prioritize their social appearance and status over their real lives, putting off

sleep, school, and time with family. While each motive for being active on social media differed,

there was a trend in lack of sleep and slipping grades with more time spend on social media

(Hjetland & Johnsen).

In contrast to Manger, Hjetland and Johnsen, positive effects of social media is presented

by Baytiyeh. The idea that social media brings people together is stressed in this book. During

armed conflicts or a disaster, social media can be used to have positive effects, through offered

support from around the world, fundraisers, and donations to help those in need. The impact of

social media can help speed the world of misfortune and give those in need the recourses to help

get them back on their feet (Baytiyeh).

Social media has its positives and negatives, Bekalu from the Harvard school of public

health talks about the balance of good and bad when dealing with social media. Routine social

media has both good and bad outcomes. Obsessively checking apps and feeling left out when not

logged into socials can have negative effects of one's mental health. But using social media to

respond to content sent by a friend or check up on loved ones has a positive effect on one's

mental health (Bekalu).

The use of social media clearly influences mental health. Exposure to so much content,

drastically different people, and constantly changing information can be overwhelming. The

effects on teenagers and adolescents differs from adults and seniors, as social media plays a

bigger role in the lives of younger generations. While the use of social media can be positive, as

it allows you to connect with others from distances and see many different ideas, cultures, and
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people around the world. It can also cause negative cognitive thinking, as what we see online is

not always real. Social media effects everyone's mental health but has a more negative effect on

younger kids and young adults.

Bibliography

Baytiyeh, Hoda. “Social Media's Role in Peacebuilding and Post-Conflict Recovery.” Taylor &

Francis, American University of Beirut, 25 June 2019,

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10402659.2019.1613599. Accessed 9 March. 2022

Bekalu, Mesfin Awoke. “Social Media Use Can Be Positive for Mental Health and Well-Being.”

Hsph.harvard.edu, Harvard School of Public Health, 6 Jan. 2020,

www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/social-media-positive-mental-health/. Accessed 9

March. 2022.

Djordjevic, Milos. “How Much Time Do People Spend on Social Media in 2021?” Letter.ly, 26

Apr. 2021, letter.ly/how-much-time-do-people-spend-on-social-media/

Hjetland, Gunnhild Johnsen, et al. “How Do Norwegian Adolescents Experience the Role of

Social Media in Relation to Mental Health and Well-Being: A Qualitative Study.”

Shibboleth Authentication Request, Gale, 13 May 2021, https://go-gale-

com.sinclair.ohionet.org/ps/retrieve.do.

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%7CA665468255&searchId=R1&userGroupName=dayt30401&inPS=true. Accessed 9

March. 2022

Magner, Melissa. “Social Media's Effect on Mental Health: How America's Youth Are More

Vulnerable to Its Negative Implications.” Scholar Commons, Santa Clara University, 4

Sept. 2018, https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/engl_176/20/ Accessed 9 March.2022