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Leslie Alvarez
Dr. Charity Nelson
ENGL 1302 101
12 September 2022

The Effect of Social Networks in Mental Health

Introduction

Social networks form a crucial part in the daily life of many people today. It can be to

talk with some friends and family, as if it is to work. As is mentioned in these statement “Social

network interactions have therefore come to be regarded as routine relationship practices”

(Lozano Blasco R, Latorre Cosculluela C, Quílez Robres A. 1). In addition, many studies have

been dedicated to demonstrating the impact that social networks have caused in the mentality of

those who are younger. Many believe that it has been negatively affected, while others believe

the opposite. Regardless of the position you have, about if social media affect mentalities in a

positive or negative form, it is a reality that social networks affect the mentality of young people

these days.

Method
A 4-day experiment was conducted to see the reaction of a 20-year-old student for the

Texas A&M International University to being completely cut off from social media and test the

impact that this has in the mentality of the student, such as her performance in school and her

mood of the day. The experiment was conducted during a course of days, from Monday to

Thursday, where she counted on her attendance at classes in school and routine of the day. It is

necessary to know that the student used in the experiment have a routine of waking up at 5:00

a.m. for school. During the experiment, from Monday to Tuesday the student used her social
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networks normally, however, she admitted going to sleep at the time of 2:30 a.m. the next

morning. Then from Wednesday to Thursday, the student separates completely of her social

networks, and admitted that she goes to sleep at the time of 10:0 p.m. on Wednesday and waking

up waking up more motivated on Thursday.

It must be emphasized that a questionnaire was carried out separately from the student

used for the experiment, where they were asked a couple of questions related to social networks,

and the time they spent on them. This research was done separately to further part of the research

where other college students, young people, and adults were used (A total of 12 persons).

Results
The results of this research showed were divided in 3 categories: rest, anxiety, and

productivity, this with the finality of calculate the impact that withdraw from social networks

have in the student used in the research. From Monday to Tuesday the student presented a low

level of rest, a medium level of anxiety, and a very low level of productivity during the days with

social networks. However, from Wednesday to Thursday, when the student left social networks,

the student presented a better academic performance due to the rest, a better mood, and more

productivity during the day.

Mood
6

0
Monday Thuesday Wednesday Thursday

Tired Anxious Productivity

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As an additional information, the investigation realized between the other subjects, show

the time they spend in social networks and how this impact in their life and mental health. The

research with these voluntaries demonstrates that the majority pass a least 6 hours or more in

social networks, but the situation about this information is crucial due their confessions. The

majority admitted have an addiction to their social networks; however, they also admitted that

they will be happier, productive, and less distracted if they withdraw from social media. In

addition, they guarantee that they will be happier if they withdraw from social media forever.

Rest
There were significant findings from the experiment that was conducted that will

recognize how social networks affect the rest of someone and how this will affect their mental

health. Some theories suggests that time spent engaging with social media might displace other

more important activities that might be protective for mental health, such as sleep (Scott, H., &

Woods, H. C. 61) On Monday and Tuesday were a great level of tiredness. The reason relapses

in the student spent more hours in her social networks, sacrificing her sleep. This creates a

disbalance in her sleep schedule, mood, memory, and efficiency in school. The student admitted

that she feels demotivated and tired due to spend more hours in her social networks. However, in

the graph we can see the student have least and least tiredness on Wednesday and Thursday. This

demonstrates how the student have a better rest during the days the student didn’t use her social

network.

Anxiety
The student present certain levels of anxiety, this while using her social networks

normally, it can be considering the amount of normal anxiety a student in university can have.

Nonetheless, the moment this student was withdrawn from social media on Wednesday, it is
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notorious raise in the levels of anxiety in the student. The following statement describes one of

the examples of anxiety created for no using social networks between young people: “It is also

found that younger generation feels restlessness when they were not able to access messages of

their social networking applications apart from their counterparts, giving rise to Phantom

vibration syndrome (PVS)” (Hilal Bashir, Shabir Ahmad Bhat. 127). It can be known with this

finding that young people tend to develop a problem called Phantom vibration syndrome, that

can be described as the imagination that your phone is calling you even if doesn’t vibrate a single

time. This is created thanks to the anxiety and dependency the student has in her phone where

she uses her social networks.

Productivity
Productivity was the last significant finding from the experiment that help us to

understand the benefits of withdrawn from social networks. From Monday to Tuesday, the

student present low levels of productivity, this due for the distraction that her social networks

provide her. Where the student even loses to submit some of her homework. However, from

Wednesday to Thursday, the student presents a high level of productivity, where she was more

give more attention at her classes due of not having her social networks, presenting a better

performance in school. In fact, the student has the time to enjoy some of her hobbies such as

reading and dancing, with this reaffirm she feels more happy and less stressed thanks to have

zero distractions and have the time to focus on what really matter for her.

Conclusion
The data gathered from this experiment help determine that withdraw from social

networks have a notorious impact in mental health. The study showed that the days with were the

subject continue with the usual use of social networks, were presented a great effect for the
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mental health in the student. Such as lack of sleep and lack of concentration affect in a negative

way the mentality of the student. However, the days the subject withdraw completely from social

networks where the days were with a positive result for the mental health of the student, for

example, better performance in school, a good rest, more happiness due have time to do the

things the student like. The information gathered from this experiment its important because

shows the positive outcome that withdraw from social networks have in mental health.

Therefore, young people should consider the positive impact that withdraw from their social

networks would cause in their daily life. It would be difficult, and even impossible not have or

interact with social network, but young people should consider the time they spent in these

networks.

Work Cited
Hilal Bashir, Shabir Ahmad Bhat. “Effects of Social Media on Mental Health: A Review.” The

International Journal of Indian Psychology, vol. 4, no. Issue 3, 2017, pp. 125-131.

10.25215/0403.134

Lozano Blasco R, Latorre Cosculluela C, Quílez Robres A. “Social Network Addiction and Its

Impact on Anxiety Level among University Students.” Sustainability, vol 12, no. Issue 13, 2020,

pp. 1-14.  https://doi.org/10.3390/su12135397

Sarah M. Coyne, Adam A. Rogers, Jessica D. Zurcher, Laura Stockdale, McCall Booth. “Does

time spent using social media impact mental health? An eight-year longitudinal study.”

Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 104, no. 106160, 2020, pp. 1-9.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.106160.
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Scott, H., & Woods, H. C. “Fear of missing out and sleep: Cognitive behavioral factors in

adolescents’ nighttime social media use.” Journal of Adolescence, vol.68, no. Issue 1, 2018, pp.

61–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2018.07.009