International English Communication

WS 2022-2023

Draft of final paper

1. Name of student: Anastasiia Borodina
2. Topic of the paper: Social media and mental well-being
3. Description of the topic, preliminary ideas about the topic (different opinions, current
debate) and why you think this topic is relevant for social media users, particularly in your
country (400 words max.). Please enter your text here:

The first thing that needs to be said is that social media became have become an inseparable part of
our life. It is undeniable, that social network brings lots ofmany benefits such as opportunities to
make new acquaintances or build communities of like-minded people. However, in some cases,
social media can cause a number of psychological problems with mental state. In the final paper, I
will examine the advantages and disadvantages of using social media and its effect on mental health
to provide information about the risks of using the Internet to form safe behavior of people in the
network space of Ukraine.

The public in general tends to believe, that it is easier to find people with similar views using social
media, due to the fact that people feel more comfortable and relaxed communicating online rather
than doing it in real life. Therefore, social media helps shy people to find new friends and experience
less stress interacting with them.

Nevertheless, one must admit that excessive use of social networks can lead to social exclusion,
mainly when a person feels a lack of social belonging or a deficit of full-fledged relationships in real
life. What is more, by spending hours on social networks, people’s real life is increasingly moving
online. According to it, bullying on the Internet can reach alarming proportions, leading to depressive
disorder among users. To illustrate this point, I want to mention the research conducted by UNICEF,
which claims that in Ukraine about 50% of people at least once were victims of cyberbullying.

Consequently, I strongly believe the topic «Social media and mental well-being» is relevant
particularly in Ukraine due to the fact that the number of registered Ukrainian accounts in social
media is growing and today it stands at over 40 million. For this reason, it is necessary to understand
both the positive and negative aspects of using it.

4. Sources you will use:

Explanation: The basis of any academic paper is to find out what other people have already
said about the topic (your sources) and to present and evaluate this material. For this draft, give the
author and title of 2 sources you found that are relevant to your topic. Remember: sources have to be
reliable, relevant and recent. Review the worksheet “sources.pdf”.

Source A:
Brown, J. (2018). Is social media bad for you? The evidence and the unknowns.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180104-is-social-media-bad-for-you-the-evidence-and-the-
unknowns
 
Source B:
Pavlova, D. (2018). HBSC "Health and behavioral orientations of student youth"
https://hbsc.org/network/countries/ukraine/

Good draft!
International English Communication
WS 2022-2023

In your final paper try to write in a more formal (less spoken) language.

Grade: 1.0