Chapter # 3

Positive and Negative Impact of Social

Media on Human Behavior
Media and Well-being

Lecture 8, 9,10, 11 and 12

 • Social media can add creativity to our
thinking as people can share their
views and work with others.
• It allows people to explore and
become actively involved without the
The positive fear of rejection.
Impact of Social • Social media connectivity with
families, friends and some
Media government safety organizations, has
resulted in people feeling safe while
moving out.
 • Social media life gives a worldwide
stage to express one’s perspectives
and thoughts with no reservations
or biasness
• It creates an opportunity for real
time correspondence with loved
ones or professionals, and
The positive consequently gives cutting-edge
data otherwise called “statuses”
Impact of while enabling us to discover new
people to meet, both in personal
Social Media and professional lives
• Web based life is a financially
savvy promoting and marketing
medium. It has made a change in
perspective in the manner in which
brands publicize and showcase
items
 • Traditional media (Print media,
Television etc.) was the only medium
until recently to reach people. Not
everyone could share their views and
The positive information with people. Most of the
traditional media channels are in the
Impact of Social hands of big businesses. Social
Media media enriched democracy
equality by enabling everyone to
and

send out their content to a larger

audience.
 • Social media gives voice to minorities
and vulnerable sections. For
example, more and more women are
voicing their opinions through social
media, who were otherwise not
encouraged to speak up due to
cultural norms. Another example is
The positive that differently-abled people are
sharing content to encourage people

Impact of
who have the same problems, and
are voicing their thoughts to
government and society.
Social Media • People are collaborating
good. Tweeting by hashtags, they are
for

pushing governments to do their

duties. Social media has a stake in
improving society. For
example, social media played a great
role in Arab Spring.
Article Discussion on “A Study
on Positive and Negative
Effects of Social Media on
Society”
The Negative Impact of Social Media

Depression

Anxiety

Stress

Body Complex Issues

Insecurities
Dose Social Media Cause Dépression?

Is using social media making our kids unhappy? Evidence is

mounting that there is a link between social media and 
depression.
In several recent studies, teenage and young adult users
who spend the most time on Instagram, Facebook and other
platforms were shown to have a substantially (from 13 to 66
percent) higher rate of reported depression than those who
spent the least time.
Does that mean that Instagram and Facebook are
actually causing depression? These studies show a
correlation, not causation. But it’s worth a serious look at
how social media
 could be affecting teenagers and young adults negatively.
Dose Social Media Cause Dépression?

One reason the correlation seems more than coincidental is

that an increase in depression occurred in tandem with the
 rise in smartphone use.
A 2017 study of over half a million eighth through 12th
graders found that the number exhibiting high levels of
depressive symptoms increased by 33 percent between
2010 and 2015. In the same period, the suicide rate for
girls in that age group increased by 65 percent.
Dose Social Media Cause Dépression?

 Smartphones were introduced in 2007, and by 2015 fully

92 percent of
 teens and young adults owned a smartphone. The rise in
depressive symptoms correlates with smartphone
adoption during that period, even when matched year by
year, observes the study’s lead author, San Diego State
University psychologist Jean Twenge.
 Over that same time period there was a sharp spike in
reports of students seeking help at college and university
counseling centers, principally for depression and
anxiety. 
Visits jumped 30 percent between 2010 and 2015.
 ●
One of the biggest differences
in the lives of current
teenagers and young adults,
compared to earlier
generations, is that they spend
much less time connecting with
Social Media their peers in person and more
time connecting electronically,
cause of principally through social
Depression media.
●
Some experts see the rise in
depression as evidence that the
connections social media users
form electronically are less
emotionally satisfying, leaving
them feeling socially isolated.
 ●
“The less you are connected with human
beings in a deep, empathic way, the less
you’re really getting the benefits of a social
interaction,” points out Alexandra Hamlet,
PsyD, a clinical psychologist at the Child
Mind Institute. “The more superficial it is,
the less likely it’s going to cause you to feel
connected, which is something we all need.”
●
Indeed, one exception to the depression
correlation is girls who are high users of
Social Media cause social media but also keep up a high level of
face-to-face social interaction. The Twenge
of Depression study showed that those girls who interact
intensely offline as well as through social
media don’t show the increase in depressive
symptoms that those who interact less in
person do.
●
And there are some teenagers who aren’t
successful in connecting with peers offline,
because they are isolated geographically or
don’t feel accepted in their schools and local
communities. For those kids, electronic
connection can be lifesaving.
 ●
Another possible source of depression
may be what teenagers are not doing
during while they’re spending time on
social media, including physical activity
 and things that generate a sense of
accomplishment, like learning new
skills and developing talents.
●
“If you’re spending a lot of time on
your phone, you have less time for
Social Media cause activities that can build confidence, a
of Depression sense of achievement and
connectedness,” explains Dr. Hamlet.
●
Kids who are spending a lot of time on d
evices
 are not getting much in return to make
them feel good about themselves, she
adds. “Yes, you get a little dopamine
burst whenever you get a notification,
or a like on a picture, or a follow
request. But those things are addicting
without being satisfying.”
 ●
Another thing disrupted by social media
is the process of doing homework and
other tasks that require concentration.
It’s become common for teenagers to
engage with friends on social media at
the same time they are studying. They
take pride in being able to multi-task,
but evidence shows that it cuts down
on learning and performance.
Disrupted ●
“Basically, multitasking isn’t possible,”
concentration Dr. Hamlet notes. “What you end up
doing is really just switching back and
forth between two tasks rather quickly.
There is a cost to the brain.” And with
poorer concentration and constant
interruption, homework takes
substantially longer than it should,
cutting into free time and adding to
stress.
 ●
Some of the ways in
which social media use
impacts mood may be
indirect. For instance,
one of the most common
Sleep deprivation
contributors to
and depression
depression in teenagers
is sleep deprivation,
which can be caused, or
exacerbated, by social
media.
 ●
Research shows that 60 percent of
adolescents are looking at their phones in
the last hour before sleep, and that they
get on average an hour less sleep than
their peers who don’t use their phones
before bed. Blue light from electronic
screens interferes with falling asleep; on
top of that, checking social media is not
necessarily a relaxing or sleep-inducing
Sleep deprivation activity. Scrolling on social media, notes
Dr. Hamlet, can easily end up causing
and depression stress.
●
Social media can have a profound effect
on sleep,” adds Dr. Bubrick. “You have
the intention to check Facebook or
Instagram for 5 minutes, and the next
thing you know 50 minutes are gone.
You’re an hour behind in sleep, and more
tired the next day. You find it harder to
focus. You’re off your game, 
and it spirals from there.”
Social Media and Anxiety
 ●
The rapid growth of social media over the last
decade has established an entirely new medium
for human interaction. Online platforms such as
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have allowed
people in every corner of the world to be
connected 24/7. By 2021, it is forecast that
there will be around 3 billion active monthly
users of social media. From the statistics
alone, it’s clear that social media has become
an integral (and to a large extent,
unavoidable) part of our lives.
Social Media and ●
One implication of social media’s rapid rise,
that of its relationship with young people’s
Anxiety mental health, has gathered a significant
amount of attention in recent years. Research
has created a wide evidence-base supporting an
association between social media use and
mental health, and although still emerging, new
evidence has painted a broad picture of the
main impacts. The popularity of social media as
a medium of communication for young people
needs to be carefully examined, as it may
indeed come to play a more detrimental role
than we might have thought.
 ●
So-called ‘social media addiction’ has
been referred to by a wide variety of
studies and experiments. It is thought
that addiction to social media affects
around 5% of young people, and was
recently described as potentially more
addictive than alcohol and cigarettes.
Its ‘addictive’ nature owes to the
degree of compulsivity with which it is
Social Media and used. The ‘urge’ to check one’s social
Anxiety media may be linked to both instant
gratification (the need to experience
fast, short term pleasure) and
dopamine production (the chemical in
the brain associated with reward and
pleasure). The desire for a ‘hit’ of
dopamine, coupled with a failure to
gain instant gratification, may prompt
users to perpetually refresh their social
media feeds.
 ●
What is dangerous about this
compulsive use is that, if gratification
is not experienced, users may
internalise beliefs that this is due to
being ‘unpopular’, ‘unfunny’ etc. A
lack of ‘likes’ on a status update may
cause negative self-reflection,
prompting continual ‘refreshing’ of the
page in the hope of seeing that another
Social Media and person has ‘enjoyed’ the post, thus
Anxiety helping to achieve personal validation.
Although these perceptions may not
actually reflect one’s image in the eyes
of others, the absence of gratification
may amplify feelings of anxiety and
loneliness. A recent study conducted by
the OECD, for instance, found that
those who used social media more
intensively on average had lower life
satisfaction.
 ●
Social media can also heighten anxiety by
increasing users’ ability to keep up to date with
the activities of their social circles. The popular
concept of Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) refers to 
‘a pervasive apprehension that others might be h
aving rewarding experiences from which one is a
bsent’
 and is ‘characterised by the desire to stay
continually connected with what others are
doing’. FOMO has been linked to intensive social
media use and is 
associated with lower mood and life satisfaction.
Social Media and We have become more aware of what we are
Anxiety missing out on, for example, seeing photos of
friends having a good time together in one’s
absence. ‘Always on’ communication technology
can cause feelings of anxiety, loneliness and
inadequacy through highlighting these activities,
compelling users to stay continually engaged and
up to date due to fear of not being involved.
Humans are social beings who desire group
interaction, therefore perceived exclusion can
have damaging psychological impacts. Indeed,
studies from the USA have found a robust
association between intense social media use,
fear of missing out and both depression and
anxiety.
 ●
From another angle, online platforms may
also have the potential to damage mental
wellbeing through promoting unreasonable
expectations. Social media has been linked
to poor self-esteem and self-image
through the advent of image manipulation
on photo sharing platforms. In particular,
the notion of the ‘idealised body image’
has arguably been detrimental to self-
Social Media and esteem and image, especially that of
young women. The 24/7 circulation of
Anxiety easily viewable manipulated images
promotes and entrenches unrealistic
expectations of how young people should
look and behave. When these expectations
are inevitably not met, the impact on self-
esteem can be damaging, to the disturbing
extent that the Royal Society of Public
Health recently found 
9 in 10 young females say that they are un
happy with the way they look
.
 ●
The rise of social media has been a
fundamentally multifaceted
phenomenon, the statistics suggesting
that it will come to play an increasingly
dominant role in our lives. The evidence
suggests that social media use is
strongly associated with anxiety,
loneliness and depression. Whether it is
causal or just a correlation will need to
Social Media and be further examined by researchers,
mental health policy stakeholders and
Anxiety the social media industry. In the
meantime, we must think very carefully
about how we can manage its impact on
mental health, for instance, through
integrating social media 'lessons' into
subjects in school, the use of
behavioural economics and increased
signposting efforts by social media
firms.
 Article Discussion
“Social media, young people
and mental health”
Psychological Stress and Social Media Use
 ●
It makes sense to wonder if the use of digital
technology creates stress. There is more
information flowing into people’s lives now
than ever — much of it distressing and
challenging. There are more possibilities for
interruptions and distractions. It is easier now
to track what friends, frenemies, and foes are
doing and to monitor raises and falls in status
on a near-constant basis. There is more social
pressure to disclose personal information.
These technologies are said to takeover
Social Media and people’s lives, creating time and social
pressures that put people at risk for the
Stress negative physical and psychological health
effects that can result from stress.
●
Stress might come from maintaining a large
network of Facebook friends, feeling jealous of
their well-documented and well-appointed
lives, the demands of replying to text
messages, the addictive allure of photos of
fantastic crafts on Pinterest, having to keep up
with status updates on Twitter, and the “fear
of missing out” on activities in the lives of
friends and family
 ●
Researchers from Lancaster University,
the University of Bamberg and Friedrich-
Alexander Univeristät Erlangen-Nürnberg,
writing in Information Systems Journal,
found that users were seeking distraction
and diversion within the Facebook
platform as a coping mechanism for stress
caused by the same platform, rather than
switching off and undertaking a different
Social Media and ●
activity.
Professor Monideepa Tarafdar, Professor
Stress of Information Systems and Co-Director of
the Centre for Technological Futures at
Lancaster University Management School,
who co-authored the study, said: "While
it might seem counter-intuitive, social
media users are continuing to use the
same platforms that are causing them
stress rather than switching off from
them, creating a blurring between the
stress caused and the compulsive use."
Body Image and Social
Media
 ●
Quoted the definition of body image
given by jody lightstone as: “body image
involves our perception, imagination,
emotions, and physical sensations of and
about our bodies. It‟s not static- but ever
changing; sensitive to changes in mood,
environment, and physical experience. In
other words it is how you feel others
perceive you, what you believe about
Definition your physical appearance, how you feel
about your body, and how you feel in
your body.
●
Body image by schilder in her book as
“the picture of our own body that we form
in our mind, that is to say, the way in
which the body appears to ourselves”. In
his book he defined body image as “a
person‟s thoughts, perception and
feelings about his or her body”
 ●
It can be precisely defined as “a
person‟s negative thoughts and
feelings about his or her body‟‟.
According to body image
dissatisfaction refers to “a
Body image discontentment with the shape and
size of one‟s body and appearance.
dissatisfaction and Specifically, it is the “experience of
media negative thoughts and esteem about
one‟s body”. (26) Observed that
women who are exposed to more
thin ideal media develop positive
attitude toward thin body attainment
and negative body image.
 ●
Found that body image dissatisfaction is linked
to increased media exposure where thin body
images are portrayed heavily on media make
individuals especially females vulnerable to
reject this idea. In her article media influence on
body image discussed that we found media
images of unattainable bodies on each tool of
communication right from print to digital ads. It
is impossible for a person to with draw his or
Body image her self from continuous bombardment of these
messages. as a result of this repetition we
dissatisfaction and develop a body image dissatisfaction especially
media females as they are told to be thin, maintain a
body shape , tone ,hair make up and structure in
fitness magazines.
●
Discussed that due to globalization of media,
body image of western society which is based on
thin women and muscular men is spread
throughout the world which is solely based on
cosmetics, diet and fashion. Supported by mass
media, these body image ideals leads toward
serious health issues.
 ●
“Social Media creates a false body
image because so many
celebrities/influencers post pictures
of bodies that aren’t humanly
achievable, they just Photoshop
them,” senior Sammy O’Connell said.
●
Are people really going to post the
Body image worst picture of themselves for
everyone to see online? Of course
dissatisfaction and not. That one “perfect” picture was
media probably taken 20 or more times,
and only the best one was posted.
●
Every picture is filtered, edited, and
fixed to make it look aesthetically
pleasing. It’s a non-stop cycle. Let’s
all be honest, not everyday is filled
with great food, sunshine, and fun
events.
 ●
“Your body, acne, or any flaw can
be fixed. These photos are taken a
million times over and lead to girls
comparing themselves,” sophomore
Mary McKendry said.
Body image ●
Not only does it allow everyone to
hide their flaws behind the screen,
dissatisfaction and it is also turned into a competition
media between people online. Only
wanting to satisfy our followers, it
becomes our main objective to
keep up the facade and post
pictures we think others want to
see.
 Article Discussion
“Body image dissatisfaction as social issue
created through fear marketing in personal
care products”
Social Media Insecurities
 “The reason we
●

struggle with
insecurity is
because we
Social Media
Insecurities compare our
behind-the-scenes
with everyone
else’s highlight
reel.”
 ●
We live in a world where we
frequently see the edited version of
people’s lives. Facebook
friends seem to be forever sharing all
their wonderful moments.
●
YouTube videos capture the
incredible talents of otherwise
average looking people. It’s awe-
Social Media inspiring… and, unfortunately, it is
Insecurities also often demoralizing. You may
find it difficult not to compare
yourself to it all, thinking: Their lives
are amazing! They have such talent!
And as for my life and me… well, I
just don’t match up. This is a trap
for many people. But there are ways
to avoid it, or at least break free…
and they are well worth learning.
 ●
The key to avoiding or escaping such
insecurities is to fully understand and
appreciate what it means to be
human. All people have strengths and
weaknesses. They struggle with
feelings of sadness, hurt, loneliness,
and many other vulnerable emotions.
And just because people don’t
highlight their struggles doesn’t mean
Social Media they don’t exist. You can choose to
Insecurities see this by looking around in your
daily life. Allow yourself to observe
that you are not alone and that
others struggle like you do. People
often don’t advertise their struggles,
so you need to look closely and be
open to seeing them. Then, once you
can truly feel that you are not alone,
offer yourself some compassion.
 ●
Having self-compassion isn’t
permission to give up and accept
yourself as inferior. Rather, it means
recognizing that your struggles are
understandably difficult and shared
by others. It also involves staying
connected with a larger sense of
yourself—one that includes your
Social Media strengths, values, and interests.
Insecurities When you pay attention to these
parts of yourself that you appreciate,
you will naturally feel better about
you. You will want to do what’s best
for yourself. In fact, if you stop for a
moment now and think about what
you value in yourself, you will feel a
small boost in your sense of well-
being (Go ahead. Give it a try!).
 • You can also lessen the hold insecurities have on
you by looking for people who have worked to
overcome their struggles. Using them as role
models, you can learn how to accept your personal
weaknesses or “flaws” while also focusing on what
you do well. There have been plenty of role models
out there both in the public eye – think Stephen
Social Hawking, Helen Keller, Ray Charles – as well as in
your everyday life… if you pay attention.
Media • When you redirect your energy and attention to this
Insecuri more positive perspective, you will notice moments
ties when you are free from self-criticism. But you will
also notice that those thoughts and distressing
feelings return. When this happens, it’s up to you
to decide how to respond. You can fall back into
old patterns and stay stuck; or you can choose to
regroup and refocus.
 • Instead of finding “evidence” to prove your
inferiority, choose to remind yourself that you
are not alone—you struggle just as every other
human does, even if they don’t highlight it on
Facebook. Really seeing the truth of this can
help you to rally, bringing up your morale.
Social Ultimately, you will feel more secure and self-
Media assured, knowing in your heart that you are not
the only one with behind-the-scenes struggles.
Insecuri Then you can feel free to celebrate your
ties highlight reel!
How to minimize negative effects of social media
use
While we don’t yet have conclusive evidence that social media use
actually causes many things, we do have plenty of warning signs that it may
be affecting our kids negatively. So it’s smart for parents to check in
regularly with kids about their social media use, to make sure it’s positive
and healthy, and guide them towards ways to change it, if you think it’s not.
Move social apps off your home screen. Having this extra step to open them
can reduce the urge to check social media as soon as you get on your phone.
Schedule specific times to check social media or set a timer to limit yourself
to 20-30 minutes.
Put your phone on silent. When we aren't hearing a tone or vibration every
time we get a notification, we're less likely to get distracted.
Take a break from social media or limit the number of apps you use. Try
sticking to apps that you use the most to communicate with people.
Steps you can take to insure healthy social media use:

Focus on balance: Make sure your kids are also engaging in social
interaction offline, and have time for activities that help build
identity and self-confidence.

Turn off notifications: App developers are getting more and

more aggressive with notifications to lure users to interrupt
whatever they’re doing to engage constantly with their phones.
Don’t let them.

Look out for girls at higher risk of depression: Monitor girls who
are going through a particularly tough time or are under unusual
stress. Negative effects of social media can have more impact when
confidence is down.
Steps you can take to insure healthy social media use:

Teach mindful use of social media:  Encourage teenagers to be

honest with themselves about how time spent on social media makes
them feel, and disengage from interactions that increase stress or
unhappiness.

Model restraint and balance in your own media diet: Set an

example by disengaging from media to spend quality family time
together, including phone-free dinners and other activities. Kids may
resist, but they’ll feel the benefits.

Phone-free time before sleep: Enforce a policy of no smartphones

in the bedroom after a specific time and overnight. Use an old-
fashioned alarm clock to wake up.
Media and Well-being
How does social media affect your well-
being?
Social media can increase happiness and nurture your social circle.
But depending on who you are, social media can potentially also
make you unhappy and more isolated.

Internet was initially used for contact with strangers, it has later
become a platform where people develop and cultivate their
already existing relationships. And while most of the initial
research in this field concluded with Internet mostly having
negative impacts on social life and well-being, more recent
research focusing on social networking sites like Facebook and
Instagram find that users of such sites have increased social
capital, social support, sense of community and improved well-
being.
Connections between online communication, social life
and well-being
In the early years of the Internet you saw tendency towards
online communication simply substituting ordinary face-to-face
interactions. However, it is clear now, that social networking
sites like Facebook and Instagram can have positive effects on
our social life. It can make it easier for us to keep track of
existing acquaintances, and easier to have access to
information relevant to one’s social life. Social media can also
help us develop relationships with people that are far away
geographically," says Fulvio Castellacci.
Narcissism and Superficial
Relationships
The negative aspects associated with social media use – such as
increased narcissism, superficial relationships and increased
stress – particularly if the platforms are used with high
frequency and for excessive amounts of time.

Greater access to information can also present new risks as

individuals now have the possibility to compare themselves to
many other users worldwide. Reference groups are now
expanding to include a wider social circle as well as the world
itself. However, the content of the communication between
participants in social media plays a major role in determining
the effect on well-being. If the interaction is positive in nature,
so is likely the effect.