CARABALLE, JADSMON G.

OCTOBER 03, 2023

INSTRUCTOR : DR. RAFAEL CARADO

READING REPORT #4
THE BAD EFFECT OF SOCIAL MEDIA TO THE HEALTH

Reference: Stegner, B. (2023). 7 Negative effects of social media on people and

users. MUO. https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/negative-effects-social-media/

Summary of Important Points:

A journal article by Ben Stegner entitled “7 Negative Effects of Social Media on
People and Users”. He says that social media has both negative effects physically and
mentally, wherein it can change your perception of the world and yourself. Ben cited
seven negative effects of social media on people and users. First, “Depression and
Anxiety,” whereby, based on the report, a lot of users had poor mental health,
including symptoms of anxiety and depression. Second, "cyberbullying," wherein
nowadays people can bully others online—anonymously or not. Third, FOMO stands
for Fear of Missing Out. As Ben says, “it is a form of anxiety that you get when
you're scared of missing out on a positive experience that someone else is having”.
Fourth, “unrealistic expectations,” where you have no way of knowing whether this is
all a farce. While it looks great on the surface, that person could be in massive debt,
on bad terms with their significant other, or desperate for Instagram likes as a form of
validation. Fifth, “Negative Body Image,” wherein people online can comment on
your body, and body image is now an issue for almost everyone. Sixth, “unhealthy
sleep patterns" on social media means that spending too much time on it can lead to
poor sleep. Seventh, and the last one, is “general addiction," where, at the end of the
day, social media sites want to keep you scrolling for as long as possible so they can
show you lots of ads and make more money. To conclude, Ben says, "But you're the
one who must decide whether there's more help or harm in it for you personally.”

What do I agree with?

I agree with the idea of Ben Stegner in how he emphasizes what social media can do
for us in our lives as users of it. Indeed, even though social media can help us in many
ways in our lives, we can't deny the fact that it really has an impact and has proved a
lot in our time right now.

What do I disagree with?

I can't disagree with this journal article, because it is real where these seven negative
effects are really happening right now in our time and where we should start curing
ourselves right now.

Reflection/Reaction:
My reflection on what Ben tells us in this article is that it depends on our choice
whether social media can affect us as users. I should be mindful of how and when I
use it. Thus, choose Jesus rather than yourself. In the end, “And if it seem evil unto
you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods
which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the
Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the
Lord.” Joshua 24:15