In the current era, there has been rampant technological advancement resulting in increased social media users. Social media platforms, including Face book, YouTube, Pinterest, Reddit, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Twitter, have enabled people to interact regardless of their geographical location actively. Social media platforms have been developed to allow users to create, upload, and share content. Consequently, there is a growing trend in the number of social media users, with the majority of the users being teenagers (Lenhart, 2012). Uncontrolled social media use can lead to mental health disorders like those that cause anxiety and sometimes fatigue-related psychological conditions, while on the other hand, when social media is adopted in moderation, it can be an essential tool in the teenagers' social development.
Young people are the biggest beneficiaries of these social networking tools since they are advancing and developing in their era. They tend to use these platforms more than the older generation. A report by Allen (2019) found that 81% of teenagers and young people use social media platforms. The reason was attributed to easy access to technological devices that facilitate the use of social media. Social media usage is rampant among the young generation, posing how it might affect their mental health status. A study by Children's digital media center, Los Angeles concluded that social media poses both risks and opportunities for young people (Subrahmanyam & Smahel, 2006). It is critical to analyze and outline the influence of social media on young people's mental and psychological health, both positive and negative.
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The rampant use of social media platforms among youths could generate psychiatric and mental disorders. A study by Siddiqui & Singh (2016) suggested that long hours of social media platforms could result in psychological disorders like anxiety and depression. However, these studies have not been proven true yet by psychiatric research. Social media has opened room for cyber bullying. Since young people make the majority of social media users, they are not spared from this act of cyber bullying. Face book was ranked as one of the widely used social media platform targeted by cyber bullies (Siddiqui & Singh, 2016). This is because social Face book users post their photos and get comments from individuals around the world. Some may give negative feedback on a person's picture (Siddiqui & Singh, 2016). People on social media platforms can be ruthless and emotionally unattached.
Consequently, the comments may have adverse effects on the victim, especially the young people who are majorly concerned with other people's opinions toward them. Adolescents and young adults are in the phase of self-identity and realization. They tend to rely on other people's perspectives toward them in their self-identity process. Hence, when they receive negative comments and feedback on social media regarding their posts or comments, they might identify with negative feedback, thus causing a feeling of inadequacy, low self-esteem, and a lack of confidence (Dion, 2016).
People parade fake lives on social media platforms. This may result in mental disturbances to young people who, most of the time, tend to compare themselves with their peers. It may create a feeling of self-worthlessness when a teenager feels they cannot match their peers' lifestyle portrayed on social media platforms. Additionally, some young people may be blinded by this fake lifestyle portrayed by their peers to the extent that they suffer depression trying to live beyond their means to prove they have a phenomenal lifestyle as well. (Pantic, 2014). The teenagers trying to fake their lives to impress their peers or prove they have an extraordinary lifestyle, tend to exhibit symptoms of constant anger and frustration that can be noticed by the people around them. These are symptoms of an unsettled mental state.
The use of social media can cause addiction, which can lead to mental health disorders. Users tend to be socially active in social networking platforms, which may result in addiction. A study done by Salehan and Negahban (2013) confirmed that social media addiction was common among college and high school students. The participants of this study stated that they experienced an irresistible urge to use social media platforms. They further said that whenever they tried to stay away from their technological devices to control the urge to use social media, anxiety and uneasiness were experienced.
Furthermore, others were engaged on their social media platforms for many hours in that they slept for very few hours, depriving the body and mind adequate rest (Salehan & Negahban, 2013). Lack of rest could lead to fatigue-related mental health disorders (Rasmussen & Laumann, 2020). Additionally, when immediate measures are not taken toward the victims who appear to be addicts of social media platforms, they tend to exhibit similar symptoms to those outlined in alcohol abstinence syndrome. In another study, YouTube was ranked to be the most addictive social media platform; however, it was one of the safest platforms against cyber bullying comparative to its counterpart platforms (Salehan & Negahban, 2013). Anything that tends to interfere with a person's sleeping pattern and sleeping hours is considered harmful to mental wellbeing.
The fact that social media platforms are associated with fake news and inaccurate updates can result in mental disruption. In addition, there has been a significant change in the way news is being sourced in recent days compared to a few decades when people used to depend on television, newspaper, and radio for news. There are different blogs, sites, and platforms where updates/news relies on personal opinions and not factual, thus generating false news. Most of the time, social media tends to offer opportunities for malicious people who create and share information that typically proves to be untrue (Whittaker & Kowalski, 2015). This can cause a state of confusion and trauma to the victim or the loved ones. For instance, sharing fake news relating to the death of a person and the loved ones/family or the victim comes across such news will lead to distress. Face book, being one of the widely used social media platforms, is usually targeted by malicious cyber bullies in the creation and sharing of fake news (Siddiqui & Singh, 2016). The platform tends to post and display horrific contents and images claiming occurrences in particular and specific places, resulting in unreliable and inaccurate updates. A study carried out by Siddiqui & Singh (2016) in one specific private boarding school had some teenagers stating that they would be delighted if specific social networking platforms were banned because they caused increased cases of anxiety. One of the students agreed to be a victim of social media fake news that adversely affected his mental wellbeing. The news reported that his grandparent's neighborhood was on fire and that majority of the houses and property were destroyed with a significant number of casualties.
Social media can be an excellent platform for one to be updated on what is happening around; however, the platforms lack the consideration of sensitive news, which may result in a state of mental interference. The social networking platforms share all the news regardless of the level of their sensitivity. Some updates tend to be intimate as their exposure and mishandling in the social media platforms may cause harm to the people or the loved ones related to the updates. The social media platforms tend to display photos and updates that are sensitive. Studies by Pantic (2014) have shown that the platforms do not have the correct measures to relay that news in appropriate ways to the public, even in the case of real news. Sensitive and intimate news require specific approaches in giving their updates. This results in a minimized negative impact on a person's mental wellness. The social media platforms do not take any considerable measure in relaying sensitive updates, thus leading to the disruption of an individual mental state. For instance, an accident may have occurred, and someone took the pictures of the victims involved and shared them on social media platforms. The family of the loved ones who had no idea of the situation may come across such news, resulting in shock and adverse mental disruption. People have no idea how others react and respond to specific news or the extent of mental damage it will have.
Social media engagement tends to reduce the mental ability to generate interpersonal face-face interaction. Studies have asserted that children who are introduced to social media tend to have a reduced ability to converse at an early age and have successful cooperation with peers in school (Pantic, 2014). Since such people are used to spending most of their time on social media, it limits their physical and social interaction with other people and might have some challenges in making friends on a face-to-face basis (Grabowicz, Ramasco, Goncalves, & Eguiluz, 2014). They encounter a hard time making friends and having the ability to express themselves confidently. In their teenage years, they may experience challenges in establishing relationships, as they tend to spend most of their time alone because they shy away from physical and social interaction (Pantic, 2014). Excessive use of social media affects teenagers' psychosocial mind development; therefore, they grow to be antisocial (Pantic, 2014). The inability to establish physical interactions may lead to loneliness and depression in later life because ones they are faced with challenges, they may not have a close person with whom they can easily open up to, due to their antisocial nature. As much as people can interact through social media, it can never be a substitute for face-to-face interaction and the mental health wellbeing associated with it.
When used in the right moderation, social media compliments critical aspects of social interactions. New research works have indicated that social media can facilitate mental health wellbeing when adopted in complementarity with normal physical interactions (Pells, 2017). The recent contradicting studies suggest that when people engage in a social media interaction, they tend to develop resilience as they encounter the negativity in the social media platform. This results in the mental wellbeing of the affected individual. In the case of a new encounter with different challenges either in the platform, the individual will have the ability to navigate through the negative dynamics with mental health stability. Restricting a young one from accessing the social media platforms will deprive a child of an opportunity to acquire essential skills like resilience, which are beneficial in cyberbullying (Pells, 2017). Organizations such as the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) have surveyed the impact of technological devices and advancement on the people, especially the youths, who constitute the highest social media platform users. The analysis of this survey discovered that social media platforms are vital tools that enhance socializing skills and emotional help and support (Allen, 2019). Additionally, some individuals suffering from mental problems could get help and support from support groups in social media, constituting people who have had similar psychological problems and professionally experienced with mental health management.
In conclusion, the technological advancement and rampant use of social media platforms have an impact on the mental and psychological wellbeing of a person, both positive and negative, especially on the young people who make up a higher percentage of social media users. Inappropriate use of social media might lead to some mental health issues in teenagers and young people, including social media addiction. Social media can be an excellent platform for one to get updated on what is happening around; however, the platforms lack the consideration of sensitive news, which may result in adverse mental disorders and the general wellbeing of an individual. Social media platforms also limit the mental ability to generate face-to-face interaction and conversation. Contrary to the negative impacts of social media on young people's mental health, social media tools can enhance a person's mental and general welfare. Social media tools have various advantages. They were primarily designed for the welfare of society to connect the whole world, so the geographical location would no longer hinder human interaction and communication. However, it is essential to consider all the adverse reports pointed out in the various studies and to incorporate measures to minimize the effects. The parents, guardians, teachers, and individuals should realize the impact of social media on the mental and psychological wellbeing of the young people and establish measures on how they can resolve and help them to navigate through these mental disruptions. People using social media should be responsible for avoiding cyberbullying and negative comments that may hurt an individual's mental and general health welfare. Besides, one should be considerate about the other people when displaying sensitive pictures and intimate news/updates that may be traumatizing to the affected people, fake news, or sensitive news, which may result in trauma and distress to the other people. Social media, when utilized in the right approach within the proper moderation, can be a useful tool for teenagers in social and educational aspects.
References
Allen, S. (2019, September 20). Social media’s growing impact on our lives. American Psychological Association. http://www.apa.org/members/content/social-media-research
Siddiqui, S., & Singh, T. (2016). Social media its impact with positive and negative aspects. International Journal of Computer Applications Technology and Research , 5 (2), 71-75.
Salehan, M., & Negahban, A. (2013). Social networking on smartphones: When mobile phones become addictive. Computers in Human Behavior , 29 (6), 2632-2639.
Pantic, I. (2014). Online social networking and mental health. National center for biotechnology information. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4183915/
Pells, R. (2017). Moderate use of social media 'builds resilience and wellbeing in young people,' report suggests. The Independent. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/social-media-wellbeing-young-people-moderate-use-report-epi-facebook-twitter-a7815316.html
