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Adriana Rodríguez Bustelo

Group

Word count: 1359

Is social media considered to be dangerous to people’s mental health?

Humans are social creatures that require the company of others in order

to advance in life. The idea of being socially connected to other people might

help reduce stress, anxiety, and sadness. However, when lacking social

connections, one’s mental health can suffer serious risks. Although social media

has many great and pleasant aspects, it can also contribute to mental health issues

(Karim, 2020). Using social media activates the brain’s reward center by

releasing dopamine, otherwise known as a “feel-good chemical,” which is linked

to pleasurable activities such as sex, food, and social interaction. For this reason,

social media is known for its reinforcing nature. These platforms were designed

to be addictive and are directly associated with anxiety, depression, and physical

illness. According to the Pew Research Center, 69% of adults and 81% of teens

in the U.S. use social media (McLean Hospital, 2022). This means that a large

amount of the population is at risk of feeling anxious, depressed or ill over the

use of social media. In this essay I will argue how social media’s toxicity is

detrimental to people’s mental health.

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Nowadays, people prefer to have a conversation through an app such as

Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, etc. instead of having a normal conversation face

to face. It seems to me that because of this, we are losing the ability to form in-

person relationships, human connections, and interactions, which, in my opinion,

helps keep us mentally healthy. According to the Displaced Behavior Theory,

people who spend much time in sedentary positions, such as lying down, sitting

or simply being on social media, have less time for face to face interactions. Face

to face interactions have proven to be protective against mental health problems

(Karim, 2020). Human beings need face to face contact in order to be mentally

healthy. Eye to eye contact with someone who cares about you is one of the

easiest ways to reduce stress and boost moods (Robinson and Smith, 2021).

However, social media enables a way for people to communicate and keep in

touch with their friends and family around the world. Also, it is a way for humans

to meet new people, make new friends, and join different communities in which

they share similar interests. Nevertheless, several studies demonstrate that the

prolonged use of social media platforms, such as Facebook, may be related to

negative signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress (Karim, 2020).
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A term described as FOMO, which translates to “fear of missing out,” is

one of the side effects of the overuse of social media. This concept is defined as

“a pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences

from which one is absent and it is known by the desire to stay continually

connected with what others are doing” (Edmonds). I feel as though often now

teenagers spend hours upon hours on social media focused on what others are

doing and how they are living their lives. The fear of missing out on the latest

trend or gossip or the fear of not learning about the latest piece of information

firsthand and having to be filled in by a friend later on. This fear of missing out

creates an addiction to social media, which disturbs sleeping schedules, which

results in poor academic performance and negative effects on mental health. The

idea that one is missing out on several things can impact self-esteem, it could

trigger anxiety and, in the end, fuel even greater social media use (Robinson and

Smith, 2021). On the other hand, according to Kellie Zeigler, FOMO may

motivate people to step out of their comfort zone. Kellie Zeigler sets the

following example: When trying to decide whether one should attend a birthday

party after a long day of work, all someone can think about is the effort it takes

in getting ready and attending. A little bit of FOMO may motivate you to go.

“You’ll go have a great time and be re-energized by the interactions you have

there,” says Zeigler (Winick, 2020). Additionally, Lauren Cook proposed that

watching other people succeed may encourage us to try our best and reach for
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more. According to a British study held in the year 2018, the use of social media

decreases, delays and disrupts sleep which, consequently, is associated with

depression, memory loss and poor academic performance.

In my opinion, keeping up with the news and with what is happening in

the world is a good way of staying informed, but it may become overwhelming

to some. Not only is constantly watching tragic news detrimental to one’s mental

health, but some news coverage on social media may be misleading or

exaggerated and that may cause someone to be unnecessary alarmed or anxious

about an event. According to Jonathan S. Comer, when a disastrous event occurs,

the wave of images that appear on social media can have a psychological impact

on people, especially children, whether they are directly in the line of danger or

watching from afar. By simply watching a news coverage on social media about

a disastrous event can raise a child’s anxiety which can then trigger responses in

their brain that may put them at risk of developing post-traumatic stress

symptoms (Comer, 2022). Being exposed to such information can trigger

symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder such as loss of sleep, intrusive

thoughts about the experience, memory impairments or severe emotional

distress. Around 10% of those who are directly exposed to traumatic situations
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develop symptoms severe enough to fulfill the PTSD diagnostic criteria. The

media presented is designed in a way that attracts viewers and keeps them

engaged. This is more common for the content that is shown on social media,

which it is often more graphic than a typical broadcast on a regular news outlet.

On the other hand, social media has become one of the main sources of news due

to the rapid spread of information. Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, and Instagram

Stories are among the most popular news sources, with around 68% of internet

users receiving their news via these apps. It is an excellent tool for getting

important information out into the world very quickly. “At the touch of a button,

journalists are able to spread the news in an instant” (Gadol, 2019). Despite of

this information, I still believe that the news reported on social media is ten times

more misleading than that shown on a news channel and being given false

information about important events that affect our day to day lives can have a far

worse impact on people’s mental health.

I find that using social media can have different effects in how we

perceive our body and on our body image which, consequently, may lead to the

development of an eating disorder. I feel as though society is letting social media

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shape our concept of beauty. According to research, being exposed to social

media can contribute to being dissatisfied with one’s body and with disordered

eating. When being exposed constantly to pictures online, there is obviously

going to be a connection to how people compare and perceive their own bodies.

Unrealistic expectations of how your body should look can result from a bad

body image, which can lead to unhealthy eating habits and disordered eating

(Fleps, 2021). Social media, on the other hand, can have a beneficial impact on

body image and encourage body positivity. Individuals can become more

accepting and appreciative of their bodies by viewing body-positive content on

social media platforms. Furthermore, social media can help you connect with

others and form a body-accepting community (Fleps, 2021). Nonetheless,

according to studies, there is a link between time spent on social media and

having a negative body image. When participants were scrolling through

appearance-related content on Instagram, such as accounts of a fitness instructor

or model, the association was even stronger. People on social media are

constantly presenting the best version of themselves. By regularly exposing

oneself to the ideal body type on social media, you might harm your body image

by constantly comparing yourself to unattainable expectations. In addition, users

also have access to photoshop and filters, which contributes to the false body

image (Fleps, 2021).

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References:

Comer, Jonathan S., and Anthony Steven Dick. “Disaster news on TV and social
media can trigger post-traumatic stress in kids thousands of miles away – here’s
why some are more vulnerable.” The Conversation, 7 February 2022,
https://theconversation.com/disaster-news-on-tv-and-social-media-can-trigger-
post-traumatic-stress-in-kids-thousands-of-miles-away-heres-why-some-are-
more-vulnerable-173627. Accessed 28 March 2022.

Edmonds, Rhys. “Anxiety, loneliness and Fear of Missing Out: The impact of
social media on young people’s mental health.” Centre for Mental Health,
https://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/blogs/anxiety-loneliness-and-fear-
missing-out-impact-social-media-young-peoples-mental-health. Accessed 28
March 2022.

Fleps, Bella. “Social media effects on body image and eating disorders.”
Illinois State University, 21 April 2021,
https://news.illinoisstate.edu/2021/04/social-media-effects-on-body-image-and-
eating-
disorders/#:~:text=Social%20media%20can%20then%20hurt,into%20the%20u
nrealistic%20body%20image. Accessed 28 March 2022.

Gadol, Lauren Brooke. “The Pros and Cons of Social Media Reporting.” The
Click, 19 December 2019, https://theclick.news/the-pros-and-cons-of-social-
media-reporting/. Accessed 28 March 2022.

Karim, Fazida et al. “Social Media Use and Its Connection to Mental Health: A
Systematic Review.” Cureus vol. 12,6 e8627. 15 Jun. 2020,
doi:10.7759/cureus.8627.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7364393/

Robinson, Lawrence, and Melinda Smith. “Social Media and Mental Health.”
HelpGuide, October 2021, https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-
health/social-media-and-mental-
health.htm#:~:text=The%20positive%20aspects%20of%20social%20media&te
xt=Social%20media%20enables%20you%20to,raise%20awareness%20on%20i
mportant%20issues. Accessed 28 March 2022.

“The Social Dilemma: Social Media and Your Mental Health.” McLean
Hospital, 21 January 2022, https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/it-or-not-
social-medias-affecting-your-mental-
health#:~:text=When%20people%20look%20online%20and,loss%2C%20and
%20poor%20academic%20performance. Accessed 28 March 2022.

Winick, Kate. “The Upside To FOMO.” PSYCOM, 17 August 2020,

https://www.psycom.net/FOMO#:~:text=%E2%80%9CIf%20FOMO%20helps
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%20you%20motivate,not%20having%2C%E2%80%9D%20says%20Zeigler.
Accessed 28 March 2022.