Social Media: Gateway To or From Mental Health?

 Social Media: Gateway To or From Mental Health?

Image Source: MSU Denver

Social Media: What's Truly On the Other End of the Screen?

    We have all been there--finding ourselves scrolling through social media or texting for hours on end--at least at some point in our lives. Maybe it's intentional, maybe it's not...

    Social media has provided us with many different emotions: laughter, tears, anger. We use it for communicating, sharing our thoughts and media; some have even found ways to make a profit off the content that they post.

    It has become easier to send our friends a meme or gif--an emoji--to show how we feel. "Shooting a text" is quicker than waiting for the phone to ring until someone picks up on the other end. Somehow conversations last longer when they are written versus being spoken. Sure, it's a convenient way to stay in touch, but how "in touch" are we really?

    Platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter--they've all become a part of our daily routines. They have become our outlets, our new sources, our daily routines. Despite its efforts As informative and entertaining social media may be, it can also place us in dangerous situations--becoming one of the multiple stressors that bring individuals severe anxiety, body image issues, and even depression.

Negative Impacts of Social Media

    Although there is no secure data on social media having an impact on individuals (that may lead to depression), there are multiple sources that provide information on how social media has negatively impacted its users. Some easier-to-handle issues are self-absorption and fear of missing out (FOMO), as the majority of content being posted and shared are selfies and pictures of events that we like to share with others. 
    According to the Help Guide, social media has created a number of more serious problems for many:
  • Body image issues ("too fat," or "too skinny"--never "perfect" enough)
  • Isolation (continuously being glued to your screen with no one to truly interact with)
  • Depression and anxiety (the lack of physical, face-to-face contact--not to mention the increase in screen-time--causes individuals to develop mood disorders, putting them at risk for both depression and anxiety)
  • Cyber-bullying (the virtual, "easier" way of harassing others)
    Despite the fact social media has become an easier way of staying in touch with people, it has also become an easier way to falsify ones identity, as well as to bully or pressure others. Registering for social media profiles requires a birth date to prove that users are "of age", however, since there is no needed proof of that age, it is easy for minors to lie about the year they were born, which would make it easier for them to create said profiles. These profiles are then used in ways that they shouldn't be. 

    Aside from lying about their age, individuals may not be so honest about who they are. An interaction with an unknown individual, who may claim to be someone they're not, can be truly dangerous--especially on online dating sites and apps!

    Many individuals use fake names and profiles (along with falsified images) to befriend or follow someone on social media just to harass them. Cyber-bullying is an ongoing worldwide issue. Depending on the extremities of a certain situation, some of these situations can force victims into severe anxiety, eating disorders, and potentially depression. Again, there are no proven facts that only social media is a leading factor in these issues, but it can be one of many larger factors. 

 
            Image Source: verywell mind                                             Image Source: Senate RPC

The Screen Light on the Other End of the Conversation: Positives About Social Media

    It's not all cloudy skies and thunderstorms when it comes to being a part of a social media platform. There are definitely many benefits to engaging on social media. Obviously one of the first positives would be the fact that we could quickly connect with anyone around the world in a matter of seconds. CNN Business contains an article "Leaving Facebook makes people happier but less informed, study says," which covered the topic of people's happiness and mental "stability" without the use of Facebook for four weeks. Researchers stated that they were not trying to prove anything negative or positive about the platform, instead, "Their point, they said, was simply to make people aware of how they’re using social media. In fact, the study also found that Facebook 'produces large benefits for its users,' including being a source of entertainment, a way to be active in communities and a place to socialize," (Garcia 2019). 

    Help Guide's article "teen issues: Social Media and Mental Health," also lists a few positive outcomes from using social media:

  • Communicating and being aware of what is going on with our friends and family in different parts of the world
  • The ability to find new friends and communities by networking with people who share similar interests
  • Support and promote a cause
  • Find emotional support during challenging times
  • Having a creative outlet (in many forms)
  • Discovering sources with new and valuable information
    Looking over these points, one could argue that social media is quite beneficial, and the positives outweigh the negatives. People can find their place online, they can socialize in ways that they may not be able to in person. Social media has opportunities for people of all ages and technological backgrounds, it's just a matter of finding your place within the online community.


Image Source: RISE

Final Verdict?

    Social media was made for people to enjoy in various ways. Only we can be in control of how we use social media (positively or negatively); we cannot control what other individuals post. Although I do believe that there are individuals who create pages, profiles, and even hashtags to make the lives of others miserable, I also believe that social media can be used for good--to do good. 
    There are pros and cons to every aspect of life--social media included! We just need to be better educated on what we can control and what to do when situations may get out of hand. We also need to educate our students and children about the online safety (digital tattoos included) in order for them to have a safe and positive experience on their social media platforms. A positive lesson can provide a positive mindset, which can make all the difference in one's mental health!


Resources:

Garcia, A. (2019, February 1). Leaving Facebook makes people happier but less informed, study says. CNN. Retrieved October 20, 2022, from https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/31/tech/facebook-deactivation-study-happiness-informed/index.html 

Pearce Stevens, A. (2019, December 3). Social media doesn’t, by itself, make teens unhappy or anxious. Science News Explores. Retrieved October 20, 2022, from https://www.snexplores.org/article/social-media-doesnt-make-teens-unhappy-anxious-cyberbullying 

Social Media and Mental Health. (n.d.). HelpGuide.org. Retrieved October 20, 2022, from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-mental-health.htm

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Integrating Technology in the Classroom

Image
Integrating Technology in the Classroom                                                                                  Image Source: Clip Art Craft A Self Evaluation...     Unfamiliar with the frameworks listed in this week's module, I eagerly dove into the resources for to see which of them applied to my teaching and integration of technology in the classroom. Being a millennial, I was introduced to technology early on in school, which is why it has become convenient in my day-to-day life (in and outside of the classroom), as well as why I tend to rely on it so much to execute my daily lessons to my students.    My personal reliance on technology--weekly lesson plans (submitted online to ...
Read more

EDU 777: Reflection 2

Image
Reflection 2 Image here Image Source: Valley Communications The Process & Its Challenges      When I first created the proposal, I was extremely eager to get started on a process that could ultimately change the way our teachers teach, and students learn. Coming up with the first proposal felt fairly easy and straightforward, as I knew the struggles our students face when it comes to certain content areas, and I understand the day-to-day challenges of our teachers wanting to implement technology efficiently. Unfortunately, with technical issues, we know that those challenges can be even more difficult when we don't have the correct and necessary resources to ensure that our lessons are effective for students. I kept all of those issues in mind when I wrote up the original proposal.      As the process of the project dug deeper and deeper, I, personally, began to feel the pressure as I found it quite challenging to find the information necessary to ...
Read more

About Me

Image
     About Me                                                                       Image Source: Blog Author   My name is Teresa B. Skupien. I am a 4 th year teacher at a private middle school/junior high in Oak Lawn. I teach English Language Arts for grades 5 thru 8, as well as 8 th grade Reading. Early on in my road to education, I knew I wanted to teach English to high schoolers, but when the opportunity came around to teach at this school, I felt that it was a sign for me to get started on my career. Although I have faced many challenges along the way: reteaching myself content for grades 5-8, adjusting to a new set of standards, and mentally preparing myself to teach 10- to 14-year-olds—I wouldn’t have had it any other way! I may have taught my stud...
Read more