Millennials'

Download as doc, pdf, or txt
Download as doc, pdf, or txt
You are on page 1of 40

Millennials’ Social Media

Engagement & its Effect on


Mental Health

Lauren Bassett | Elizabeth Dickerson | Thomas Jordan | Lauren Smith


Table of Contents

Executive Summary ……………………………………………………… 2

Literature Review ………………………………………………………… 4

Research Questions ………………………………………………………. 7

Hypothesis ………...………………………………………………………. 7

Research Methods …………………………………...……………………. 8

Research Results | Interview ……..…………………………….………… 10

Research Results | Survey …...………………………………….………… 16

Recommendations ………………………………..……………………… 19

References ………………………………..……………..………………… 21

Appendix A: Qualtrics Online Survey Questions .…………….....……… 22

Appendix B: Interview Guide 1 | Mental Health Expert …………….… 26

Appendix C: Interview Guide 2 | Social Media Expert ...……………… 28

Appendix D: Survey Figures ……………………..……………..……....… 30

1
Executive Summary

This project researches the prominence and frequency of millennial social media
use and its proposed correlation with millennial mental health. Our research focuses on
what social media platforms users use, how frequently users use these platforms, and
the mental and social effect social media use has had on the user (taking note of age
and gender demographics of respondents). Researchers have claimed social media
use may have notable effects on mental health, and we attempt to find patterns and
trends that may point to why this may be and whether or not this is a valid claim.

Our initial research and literature review revealed the importance and prevalence of this
issue in a digital age. Much of our research identified millennials as especially susceptible to
isolation, depression, and mental health disorders as a result of unhealthy and excessive social
media use. One journal went so far as to coin a new disorder: “Facebook Depression” (O’Keefe
et al., 2011). Some research has tied this pattern to egotism, narcissism, and social pressures.
Other research notes the correlation of social media and egotism and narcissism, but argues
that social media use may be the solution rather than the problem. Overall, we found a variety
of sources and opinions that led us to believe that there is significant research based on this
subject, but the findings are not yet finite nor conclusive.

As a group of four millennials, we thought it especially compelling to construct a


research project with our fellow students as the focal point. We thought it interesting to
explore the potential correlation between frequent social media use and millennial
depression and anxiety. Cyberbullying has become an increasingly important subject
as social media has become the new-age marketplace of ideas, and the affect social
media has on mental health cannot be ignored. Researchers have made strides in this
area of study, but surveying the campus environment and fellow University of Georgia
students allows us to understand how prominent an issue this may be and perhaps
what can be done at the local level to take preventative measures.

We conducted our research through a literature review of relative research, an


online survey, and interviews with media and psychology sources. Information on our
literature review can be found in the subsequent section. The survey was conducted
through Qualtrics and was comprised of 24 questions in four categories -- social media use,
depression & mental health disorders, social media & mental health, demographics. Our
interview was comprised of 16 questions in four categories -- mental health disorders,
warning signs & symptoms, common triggers, mental health & social media. We targeted a
variety of students and professionals in both psychology and media fields to gain a holistic
understanding of the relationship between social media and mental health.

Key Findings:
● We cannot conclude social media use causes mental illnesses; however
we can conclude social media use may facilitate and contribute to
symptoms of mental illnesses.
2
● Millennials, more so that other generations and demographics, are likely to
develop these symptoms and suffer from the negative relationship of social
media and mental health.
● Social media can be a potentially negative or unhealthy outlet because of its
demanding and addictive nature, the nature of activities performed on social
media and its contribution to sustaining relationships.
● The symptoms of anxiety and depression, more so than other mental
illnesses, are those correlated with social media use among millennials.
○ Anxiety and depression are the most prevalent mental illnesses
among the millennial generation.
○ The primary symptoms of anxiety and depression include withdrawal
from activities, friend and family, isolation, moodiness, nervous stress
about trivial matters, and an addictive personality.
● Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter are the most popular social
media platform among millennial users. When referencing social media in
this research report, we are most specifically referring to these platforms.

Millennials continue to serve as an important client base for top companies; both well-
established companies and developing companies often tailor a tight focus on “targeting
millennials” and “reaching millennials.” At times referred to as the “Selfie Generation,”
university-aged millennials have an undeniable hold on social media, namely Facebook,
Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. While Google Analytics and research teams at various
companies track online movement to best penetrate customer interaction and advertise
effectively, what may be overlooked is the relationship millennials have with
various social platforms: is this always a healthy, symbiotic relationship?

Our research has led us to conclude that this relationship is not always healthy
and mutually-rewarding. Surveyed millennial users not only spend on average 3+ hours
on social media daily, the hyper-focus on “likes,” “follows,” and “shares” has isolated the
user. Perhaps there is a necessary shift in the future of social media. University
campuses could facilitate campaigns that promote healthy online practices; companies
may have a moral obligation to take into account the isolation and depression that can
result from excessive social media use when designing ad campaigns; parents may
need to treat social media the same as other potentially-addictive outlets such as drugs
and sex, and provide their children with warning and information.

3
Literature Review

Social media continues to grow, evolve and become an integral part of people's’
lives, especially millennials. It is becoming a prevalent channel of social and human
interaction. Due to its personal and addictive nature, it is important to understand social
media’s relationship with mental health. In order to better understand the relationship
between these two subjects, before conducting our own research our team reviewed
relevant existing literature. We explored topics related to this research question, such as
pre-existing mental disorders as well as the frequent use of social media and its correlation
with mental health throughout a series of academic and trade sources.
Because of social media’s growing prevalence, addiction to social media is a growing
area of concern.Social media addiction can be described as “being overly concerned about
social media, driven by an uncontrollable motivation to log on to or use social media, and
devoting so much time and effort to social media that it impairs other important life areas”
(Andreassenet al., 2017). In fact, an article from The Journal of Pediatrics and Child
Health observed social media use and its impacts on children and young people’s
health. The research article collected multiple past studies and found that social
media’s impact on health among children and young adults is greatest in the area of
mental health (Richards et al., 2015).
In an almost 24,000-person study using a voluntary, anonymous online survey, it
was discovered that narcissism and self-esteem play a role in social media addiction.
Narcissists are attracted to channels like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat because
they can receive almost instant gratifying feedback in the forms of likes, views and
comments. This attracts people who are interested in participating in ego-enhancing
activities (Andreassen et al., 2016).
While narcissism was positively related to social media addiction, self-esteem
was found to have a negative correlation; this implies that people with low self-esteem
use social media to increase their confidence or their feelings of self-worth, and to
escape their negative self-perceptions (Andreassen et al., 2016).

4
This study also suggests that people with ADHD have a positive correlation
with social media addiction, possibly because the constant beeping and vibrating
from notifications and the ease of the platforms and the access to them makes social
media attractive to people who are easily distracted or impulsive (Andreassen et al.,
2016). OCD was also found to have a positive correlation with social media
addiction, which was explained by users’ fears of missing out and therefore their
constant checking-in on social media platforms.
While depression is linked to social media use, anxiety was found to have a stronger
correlation. This may be because anxious people have a harder time communicating with
others face-to-face, and so they prefer interactions through the internet (Andreassen et al.,
2016). Additionally, social media is often used by depressed or anxious people to ease their
symptoms, but the negative consequences of social media can in fact increase these feelings,

thus creating a vicious cycle(Andreassen et al., 2016).


Overall, social media perpetuates behaviors associated with users who have
predispositions to mental illness and compulsive disorders. It creates an environment
that encourages feelings of anxiety, depression and obsession and can increase
these feelings in people who already have them, or create these feelings in people
who aren’t predisposed to these conditions.
Researchers have also proposed a new phenomenon: “Facebook depression.” Young
people who spend a lot of time online have noticeably begun to exhibit classic symptoms of
depression. The increased online presence expected of adolescents is thought to be a factor
that may trigger depression in some adolescents. Similar to “classic” depression, “Facebook
depression” may serve as the gateway to social isolation which could foster relationships with
risky self-help websites and blogs “that may promote substance abuse, unsafe sexual
practices, or aggressive or self destructive behaviors” (O’Keefe et al., 2011).
According to an article on Forbes, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of

Medicine published findings from a study on the effects of social media habits on the moods of

users. The team polled 1,787 adults in the U.S. between the ages of 19 and 32. They provided

a questionnaire to the participants asking about their social media use over 10

5
different platforms and then they linked those answers to a depression assessment tool. The
main finding was that frequent social media users are 2.7 times more likely to develop
depression versus those that don't use social media as much. The article lists other studies as
foundations for the main one described. It appears that social media use and depression act in
a vicious cycle, in that social media may cause depression and then increase social media use
to fill that void. The study states that frequent time spent on these platforms leads to feelings of
envy, and distorted perceptions of other people's happiness in relation to their

own (Chowdhry, 2016).


There exist the predominantly negative connotation that millennials are the “selfie
generation,” obsessed with all things related to smartphone technology. Natalie Hendry
discusses the perception of young people as narcissistic and self-obsessed in her study
“Selfies as pedagogy: Young people x mental illness x social media.”.
Hendry points out the moral judgement passed on to those actively engaged in
selfie and social media culture -- judgement passed without ever attempting to engage
with these users and understand their seemingly unrestrained interests and ideas.
Assuming these posts and pictures are nothing more than narcism materialized, with
nothing exceeding its boundaries, users are are robbed of their agency and power. This
idea bullies users into silence and submission (Hendry, 2014).
Hendry compares the young person battling mental illness, who is seen as
exceeding social boundaries, confined to asylum, to the millennial robbed of their
legitimacy because of posting in excess. In this way Hendry’s research argues the
possibility that social media can serve as the problem and the solution: “excess reveals
how selfies may reconnect body and self distance; and how repetition may disrupt
rather than sustain norms related to discipline and labour” (Hendry, 2014). Social media
in excess may actually serve to support an emerging sense of self, bring to light what is
socially invisible, increase intimacy, catalyze positive internal transformation, and share
experiences to trigger growth. This allows social media users to self-empower; users
connected in social media may be able to fight the internal suppression of thoughts and
emotion which may be fueling mental illness and depression (Hendry, 2014).

6
Research Questions

1. Which social media platforms and mental illnesses are most prevalent
amongst millennial users?
2. Is there a clear connection between mental illness symptoms and social
media use among millennials?
3. Are millennials, more so than other generations, susceptible to developing
symptoms of mental illness as a result of social media use?

Hypothesis

H1: There is a positive correlation between social media engagement (Facebook,


Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat) and mental illnesses among millennials.

7
Research Methods | Interviews

Interview Candidates
● Michael Snell
○ A Ph.D student at the University of Georgia, working with Dr.
Keith Campbell, who is the psychology department head
○ Has studied the relationship between social media and mental
health for 4 years
● John Weatherford
○ Lecturer at the New Media Institute at the University of Georgia
○ The New Media Institute is dedicated to understanding media and its
impact on society as well as exploring new, cutting edge technologies

● Jamie Horn
○ Senior Psychology student at the University of Georgia
○ Special focus in depression and mental health

For our qualitative research method, we decided to conduct a series of interviews so


that we could collect insight related to our research questions. Interviews are a great tool for
information gathering because they give a perspective that can’t necessarily be detected
from strictly numbered data, and they help create a more well-rounded picture of the issue.
During interviews, the subject can elaborate on their thoughts and feelings about
questions and issues, and they are more likely to explain their responses in greater depth.
Because we chose to interview candidates with different specialties, we created two
separate interview guides. Because John Weatherford’s background is media intensive, we
asked him questions geared more towards understanding social media (found in Appendix
C). Because Michael Snell and Jamie Horn are well versed in mental illnesses, the majority
of their interview guide focused on mental health (found in Appendix B).

8
Research Methods | Survey

● Qualtrics
● College students
○ Over half (55%) were seniors
● Ages:
○ 18-21: 85% (45)
○ 22-24: 13% (7)
○ Other 2% did not answer
● 70% (37) female, 30% (16) male
● Sample size: 60
○ 53 completed the entire survey

Recruitment
Our quantitative method for our research was a voluntary survey. We used the
online Qualtrics software to collect data. This method allowed us to ask close-ended
questions in a completely anonymous manner. The demographic information included
in our survey is essential for determining the validity and reliability of our results. The
survey was distributed to University of Georgia students, specifically in Grady College,
via email Listservs, Facebook posts, GroupMe messages, and word-of-mouth. Our
survey was live for two weeks and resulted in 60 responses. However, only 53 of the
respondents completed the survey in its entirety.

Analysis
We analyzed the individual responses through the use of the technology provided by

Qualtrics. The exportable reports include filters and cross-tabulation for easy comparison. The

Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) features allowed us to account for the

smaller sample size and project it into accurate data. We were able visualize our results on the

aids provided by Qualtrics. This include charts and bar graphs (found in Appendix D).

9
Research Results | Interviews

1.Which social media platforms and mental illnesses are most prevalent amongst
millennial users?
First, it’s important to define social media. According to Weatherford, “social media is
any technology platform that allows people to connect with one another directly.” He
identifies the four most used and influential social media platforms as Facebook, Twitter,
Snapchat, and Instagram. He also says that online discussion groups can be classified as

social media. Weatherford says that these platforms “are popular… because everyone
wants to connect with people around them, to seek out social connections.”
Facebook has over a billion users, and “was kind of the early leader– everyone’s on
Facebook so everyone has to be on Facebook, even if they don’t love it,” he says. Snapchat
has the most momentum right now, because it’s visual and ephemeral. Instagram has become
the middle ground between the two because it is visual but also permanent. Twitter is generally
the least popular of the four; it’s recently had problems with retention among younger users,
making it a less popular form of expression and communication. Twitter is used overwhelmingly
as a news source, eliminating the social aspect that attracts millennials.

So which mental illnesses are most likely to be affected by these social media
platforms? According to Michael Snell, anxiety and depression are the most prevalent
mental illnesses among the millennial generation. Most of these cases are commonly
stress-induced. Jamie Horn also highlights depression as one of the major mental illnesses
among millennials. According to her, depression can be genetic or triggered by a big life
event such as a death in the family. It can also be caused by a chemical imbalance in the
brain. Horn says that depression can “become your whole life. You can lose touch with your
friends and family.” Fear of missing out, competition between friends, and low self-esteem
all contribute to depression, and social media can inhibit these factors. Horn says that on
social media, “no one posts sad things, all you see are the good things in people’s lives,
and then you think, what am I doing?”. Users compare themselves to the fake projection of
other users, not realizing that their lives are not always how they are portrayed.

10
Snell agrees by stating that research indicates that there are both healthy and
unhealthy ways to use the social media environment, just like any other environment.
One example of how depression can be affected by social media use is in the overload
of information and opinions. Exposing people to many different, contradictory ideas
may make certain individuals uncomfortable which can lead to a perceived loss of their
individuality. This, in turn, contributes to feelings of sadness and loneliness.
Snell adds that millennials are more likely to disclose information to their
friends regarding their mental state. He explains the reasoning behind this: “There is
an element of age matching,” Snell says. “Familiarity breeds liking.” This is important
to note because millennials also often reach out over social media.

2.Is there a clear connection between mental illness symptoms and excessive
social media use among millennials?
According to Horn, symptoms of mental illnesses, such as depression and
anxiety, include: withdrawing from activities, friends and family; being alone a lot;
feeling really sad or moody; feeling very nervous about trivial things; and using
something as a crutch, sometimes even addictively.
Weatherford believes that there is a connection between excessive social media
use and mental illness symptoms, due to various reasons. One reason lies within the
addictive nature of social media use itself. He defines social media addiction as “when
your use of social media is not in your control.” Weatherford says that social media
draws in users because it is a gratifying experience, in fact, it was engineered to be that
way. They visit social media platforms to seek validation, to see if they get “likes,” and
to fuel their desire for popularity, which Weatherford thinks are all “pre existing human
impulses that just have a new outlet.”
Once people are invested in social media, it can negatively affect them due to its

demanding nature. Social media platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter,

use notifications to alert users of activity. Because of the large social networks that people

create through these platforms, activity is almost non-stop. Therefore, notifications are

11
frequent and can disrupt the lives of users. Weatherford references an article he once
read, about a tech professional who had to stop wearing his Apple Watch because the
constant notifications were bothering him. Although Weatherford acknowledges that this
is very possible, he also points out that these notifications are manageable if you
change the settings. Constant notifications throughout the day can cause moodiness
and anxiety; users are upset that their lives are interrupted, and stressed that they have
to keep checking the platforms. It is important for them to tailor their social media
settings to create a healthy balance of notifications, information and use. Because,
according to Weatherford, “everyone wants to connect with people around them, and to
seek out social experiences, and social media is just a platform to do this.”
Snell also cites various research studies that indicate that the addictive nature of
social media platforms can negatively affect users, especially millennials. “Millennials
sleep within six inches of their phones,” Snell says. “So social media is continually on
your mind and in your environment constantly.” Horn agrees with Snell and Weatherford
that social media can be addicting, saying “You get so focused on checking [social
media], so you can become distant with the people you’re close with.”
Another reason that there is a connection between excessive social media use
and mental illness symptoms, concerns the nature of the activities performed on social
media. When a person is on social media, they are typically posting status updates of
their opinions or current things they are doing, or pictures of places they are and the
people they are with. Snell points out that this allows people to create an identity online
that is more positive than their day to day reality.
This identity may make it seem like the person does more socially, has more
money, or has more friends than what is true. Snell says, “You are curating and
controlling the opinion that you want other people to have of you.” Subsequently,
people may spends hours each day comparing their own lives to their curated lives
presented on social media. Horn agrees that if you compare your successes to others’
successes, you may feel sad or moody. You may even spend more time alone, unable
to face everyone else who you perceive as having superior lives.

12
Weatherford thinks that social media can be very useful. He says “it can let you
find communities that can be supportive or align with interests you have.” If there
aren’t people near you with similar interests then you can find them online.
Weatherford also says that a redeeming quality of social media is that “you can
share news once and have everyone be able to read it.” Instead of reaching out to
people individually and notifying them of your life, you can post one message knowing
that everyone has the ability to read it. However, Weatherford says, “Unfortunately,
there are a lot of people who look to leverage the great power of social media to
negatively impact others.” With the benefits of social media also comes consequences;
“One of the big issues of social media is harassment,” Weatherford says. Because
there is such a large audience viewing a user’s life and opinions, there is an equally
large amount of potential critics. If a user does not agree with what you say they can tell
you, and often not in a socially polite way. Criticism and hateful speech can lead to
sadness, moodiness, and even a withdrawal from day-to-day activities.
A third reason for the connection between social media and mental health,
concerns relationships with friends and family. According to Weatherford, social media
lets you stay in touch with friends and family, creating an easy-to-use interface and an
ability to reach out to others with a few keystrokes and a click of a button.
An interesting finding Snell discovered, for millennials specifically, was that greater
use of social media among the generation leads to better relationships with friends, but worse
relationships with their families.Social media is the primary method friends use to
communicate and keep up with each other’s lives. But since there is a greater age variance
among family, this is not as much of an option in the form of communication. So there is more
of a gap in the frequency in which family members talk. It is also more convenient to scroll
through a feed and see pictures of what a friend has been up to on a regular basis rather
than trying to be updated on family members’ lives after months of absence.
Although all three of our interviewees agree that there is a connection between social

media and some of the symptoms of mental illnesses, Horn says that this connection might not

be as strong as we think. “It depends on the person,” Horn says. Basically, each person is

13
different, and while some may be able to handle the risks that come with social media
use, others may not be. She also thinks that while excessive social media use and
mental illnesses are correlated, she does not believe that one causes the other. “It’s
more of a trigger, especially if you’re predisposed to depression,” Horn says. “Think
about girls with body issues, for example. If they see all of these images of beautiful
girls, that could trigger negative feelings about themselves.”
John Weatherford has a similar sentiment, saying “technology is a tool, it’s what
you do with it (that matters).” He acknowledges that social media is correlated with
anxiety, because of its demanding nature and the need for validation that it creates,
but he believes that social media is just an outlet for these feelings, not really a cause.
Their main point is that while social media can sometimes cause symptoms of mental
illnesses, it doesn’t necessarily cause that mental illness to develop.

3.Are millennials, more so than other generations, susceptible to developing


symptoms of mental illness as a result of excessive social media use?

Weatherford explains that millennials in particular use social media because


they are so focused on social interaction. According to him, “teenagers are the
heaviest users because your friend group is at the core of what you’re doing–your
friends are everything–that’s the focus of life at that time.”
If social interaction is a top concern, then it can be easy to start using a social
interaction platform such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or Twitter, excessively.
Once this happens, social media becomes the focus of that person’s life, and they think
about it and how other people perceive them on it, instead of focusing on building real
relationships. Millennial users in effect retreat from real human relationships in order to
spend more effort on virtual ones.
Snell says that millennials are more reactive than previous generations. If their social

media lives contain positive comments and feedback, then they are happy. However, if they

14
receive bad feedback or experience other negative effects on social media that week,
then their grades are more likely to go down and exhibit more depressive symptoms.
In addition, these same negative occurrences on social media, such as losing
followers or getting into arguments, can increase symptoms of depression. Snell says that
millennials can have a greater suicidal ideation, become really depressed, seek out friends
that are also depressed, and engage in risky behavior such as experimenting with drugs. In
the same regard, millennials have different responses to stressful workloads than previous
generations. This corresponds directly to higher levels of anxiety or depression. Snell
explains that this is the cause behind a cycle of negative emotions.
Snell says that for college students specifically there is a lot of pressure to join
groups. If a person joins many groups and is exposed to many different ideas, they
become more well-rounded and accepting of others. Likewise, if they only join one
specific group, the person normalizes a single expected behavior. They adopt the
attitude of the group, and if many members are unhappy, that becomes true for the new
member as well. Snell cites an example for the male experience. “Males undergo a lot
of pressure to join groups that reinforce masculinity and treatment of females,” Snell
said. “At this point, they are easily pliable and psychologically polarized so they adopt
certain viewpoints on relationships and ways of life.”
This can lead to symptoms of depression or anxiety later on when they leave the
group and must determine their own expectations. Horn agrees that the college
environment contributes to mental illness symptoms. “The pressure of succeeding and
doing well in classes, that competition can affect mental health,” she says. “When you
see how well everyone else is doing, you wonder what you’re doing with your life.”

15
Research Results: Survey

As Figure 1 shows, the gender distribution of our survey results skews heavily
towards females. Specifically, there are 16 male respondents and 37 female respondents
for a total of 53 respondents. Figure 2 shows that there are 46 white respondents, four
African-American respondents and three Asian respondents. The age demographic, as
shown in Figure 3, shows that the age distribution heavily skews towards younger
respondents; 45 respondents are between the ages of 18 to 21, seven respondents are
between the age of 22 and 24, and one respondent is at or above the age of 32. Figure 4
shows that the respondents are overwhelmingly seniors, followed by juniors.
What these demographic results show is that our largest respondent demographic
was white, female and within the age of 18 to 21. This same demographic is also the
largest student demographic within Grady College’s Public Relations program.
In terms of specific social media platform usage, Figure 5 shows that the top
three most commonly used social media platforms are Facebook (28 percent),
Snapchat and Instagram (26 percent each). Twitter is fourth (12 percent) and Pinterest
is fifth (6 percent), followed by Tumblr (1 percent) and Other (1 percent).
Figure 6 shows the daily usage of respondents. Respondents are most likely to
devote two to three hours of their day to social media use (59 percent), followed by four
to five hours (22 percent) and zero to one hour (10 percent). What these results show is
that a majority of respondents (about 90 percent) are likely to devote at least two or
more hours of their day to social media.
Figure 7’s results show that a plurality of respondents (46 percent) agree or
strongly agree that they use social media as their primary means to maintain contact
with friends. These results in particular express social media’s importance to our
respondents as a means to remain in contact with friends.
Figure 8 and 9 shows respondents sleep patterns. In Figure 8, the results are

somewhat inconclusive with 31 percent of respondents expressing that they no difficulties

falling asleep while 37 percent agree they have some difficulty falling asleep. With those

16
results in mind, Figure 9 overwhelmingly shows that roughly 75 percent of
respondents remain asleep once they fall asleep.
To gauge how our respondents viewed social media, we asked multiple questions
concerning respondents’ relationship with social media. Of our 59 total respondents, only 53
answered whether or not they have experienced cyber bullying, a form of online harassment.
This could be due to the sensitive nature of the question. As expressed in Figure 11, of the 53
that answered, 44 (83 percent) answered that they have never experienced cyber bullying while
9 respondents (17 percent) have experienced cyber bullying.

As seen in Figure 10, respondents were asked to rate on a scale of one to five
if “they believed social media use interrupted their life.” Thirty-nine percent of
respondents answered that they neither agree nor disagree with this statement. Thirty-
seven percent of respondents agree with this statement while twelve percent strongly
agree. Twenty-four percent disagreed with this statement while seven percent strongly
disagreed with this statement. These results show that a slim plurality of respondents
are neutral; however, of the respondents that did have an opinion, a plurality (37
percent) agree that social media affected their daily lives.
While more respondents believe social media affects their daily lives than not,
respondents generally believe that social media does not lead to other problems in their
lives. Specifically, when asked to rate on the same one to five scale whether or not
social media has led to other problems in their lives, a clear majority of respondents (66
percent) disagree with the question while just 11 percent agreed that social media has
led to other problems in their lives.
According to Figure 12, 27 percent of our respondents feel sad or anxious. Figure 13

shows that 28 percent of our respondents have felt sad or anxious while using social media

while nearly 40 percent of respondents do not. Figure 15 shows that respondents are less

unified as to whether or not more followers and likes equates to a happier individual. Of the

respondents, 40 percent agree with this question, while 16 percent feel the exact opposite. The

plurality is neutral when asked if more followers and likes brings happiness.

17
The results from Figure 16 reinforce that our respondents are clearly interested
in other users and their activities on social media. Of the respondents, 79 percent agree
or strongly agree with the question while 20 percent feel neutral; however, no
respondents disagree with the question. This shows many the respondents are aware
of others’ activity on social media.
Figure 18 is particularly important, given that the majority (55 percent) of
respondents are unaffected or very unaffected when asked if social media has led to
other problems in their lives. This idea is reinforced by the results of Figure 17; roughly
60 percent of respondents are unaffected by others unfollowing them or disliking their
own social posts. While the results from Figure 18 are important, Figure 19 shows that
55 percent of respondents do feel the need to check social media regularly for fear of
missing out, while 24 percent do not experience any fear of missing out.

18
Recommendations

It is obvious that there are severe limitations to the research available on this
topic. It consists of proposed thought that is rarely carried out into a quantitative study.
While we know that social media use is on the rise, as is mental illness among young
people, the relationship between the two is mostly unproven. However, this has a
substantial impact on how people seek treatment. In addition, social media is a
phenomenon that took over everyday life within a matter of a few years. When
something has a global impact like that, it can be challenging to conduct research that
will keep up with the changing nature of the platforms.
Within our own research, we had limitations with regards to our sample for
our survey. Ideally, we would obtain a large sample size representative of our target
age range but more diverse in gender and race. However, as discussed in the
demographics of our survey results, we received answers from mostly white females
aged 18-21. This can be explained by our reach and distribution. This is reflected in
much of the student base of Grady College.
Future research should explore how social media can be a part of a person’s life
in a healthy way versus when it becomes addictive and unhealthy. This could easily
become a longitudinal study following students from middle school all the way to
college. Even on a small scale, the indications this study may present can teach us how
to prevent and treat depression and anxiety among this young people. Importantly, it
can help for school professionals and parents to identify symptoms earlier in children’s
lives so they can seek help. Technology and social media are only going to become
greater parts of daily life, so now is the time to explore its impact on the younger
generation. As we deviate from interpersonal communication to centrally virtual
communication, it is important to ensure that people continue to maintain the mental
health and socialization improved by friendship and face-to-face interaction.
Even from the small scale of our research on a college campus, it is important to note

the consistency of the responses from the survey and the verification from the interviews.

19
They only continue to indicate how important social media is. The biggest takeaway
from our research should be that social media and mental health are interwoven and
as such preventive measures should be taken.

20
References

Andreassen, Cecilie Schou, Billieux, Griffiths, Kuss, Demetrovics, Mazzoni, and


Pallesen. “The Relationship Between Addictive Use of Social Media and Video
Games and Symptoms of Psychiatric Disorders: A Large-Scale Cross-Sectional
Study.” Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 30 (2016): 252-06. American
Psychological Association. Web. 15 Oct. 2016.

Andreassen, Cecilie Schou, Ståle Pallesena, and Mark D. Griffiths. “The relationship between
addictive use of social media, narcissism, and self-esteem: Findings from a large
national survey.” Addictive Behaviors 64 (2017): 287-293. Elsevier. Web. 15 Oct. 2016.

Chowdhry, Amit. (2016). “Research Links Heavy Facebook and Social Media
Use to Depression.” Retrieved from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/amitchowdhry/2016/04/30/study-links-heavy-
facebook-an d-social-media-usage-to-depression/#6dd9b9f47e4b

Hendry, Natalie. “Selfies as pedagogy: Young people x mental illness x social media.”
(2014). RMIT University, and the Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre.
Web. 15 Oct. 2016.

O’Keefe, Gwenn Schurgin, Kathleen Clarke-Pearson, and Council on Communications and


Media. “The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families.”
Pediatrics: Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics 127 (2011):
800-804. American Academy of Pediatrics. Web. 15 Oct. 2016.

Richards, D.; P.H.Y. Caldwell, and H. Go. “Impact of social media on the health of
children and young people.” Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health 51 (2015):
1152-1157. Paediatrics and Child Health Division of Royal Australasian
College of Physicians. Web. 15 Oct. 2016.

21
Appendix A: Qualtrics Online Survey Questions

This survey will take approximately 10 minutes of your time. All responses will be kept
confidential, and none of your responses will be linked to you. Your participation in this study
will help us better understand the correlation between social media use and mental health
issues for millennials. No risks are involved, and your participation is completely voluntary.
You may refuse to answer any question that makes you uncomfortable, and you may
withdraw from the survey at any time. If you have any additional questions about this
study, please contact Dr. Juan Meng at 706-542-2173 or jmeng@uga.edu.

Do you agree to participate in this study in this study by answering the following questions?
● Yes
● No

Social Media Use

1.What social media platforms do you use most


often? Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Pinterest
Snapchat
Tumblr
Other (please list below)

2.How frequently do you use social media each


day? 0 - 1 hour
2 - 3 hours
4 - 5 hours
5 - 6 hours
6 + hours

3.Do you feel like social media interrupts your life or causes you to miss out on other
things? 1 strongly disagree....5 strongly agree (Likert scale)

4.Is social media a main way for you to keep up with your friends?
1 for not at all...5 the only way (Likert scale)

22
Depression/Other Mental Health Issues

5.Do you ever have trouble falling


asleep? 1 never...5 always

6.Once asleep, do you have trouble staying


asleep? 1 never...5 always

7.How many hours of sleep do you average per


day? 0-3 4-7

7-10
11+

8.Do you feel sad or anxious?


1 never...5 most of the time

9.Do you ever turn to alcohol or other substances to feel


better? 1 never...5 most of the time

10.Do you see yourself as equally worthy and deserving as other


people? 1 not at all...5 completely

11. How interested are you in other people and activities?


1 not at all...5 completely

Social Media and Mental Health

12. Do you ever feel sad or anxious while using social


media? 1 never...5 all of the time

13.How does it affect you when someone unfollows you or doesn’t like your post? 1
not at all...5 very affected

14. Have you ever experienced any form of cyber bullying?


Yes...no

15. In your view, do you think people are happier when they have more followers or likes?

23
1 not at all...5 completely

16.In your view, do you think people with many followers, likes, or profile interactions are
more popular?
1 not at all...5 completely

17. Do you think that YOUR popularity or status is based on followers and likes?
1 not at all...5 completely

18.Do you often feel the need to check social media or that you are missing out when you
haven’t checked it in a while?
1 not at all...5 completely

19. How often do you feel personally offended by things you see on social media?
1 never...5 all the time

20.Do you think your use of social media has led to other problems in your
life? 1 not at all...5 completely

Demographics

21. Are you male or female?


● Male
● Female

22.What race do you identify as?


● White/Caucasian
● Asian/Pacific Islander
● Hispanic/Latino
● African American/Black
● Native American/American Indian
● Other

23.How old are you?


● 18-21
● 22-24
● 25-28
● 28-31

24
24. What year are you in school? (if applicable)
● Freshman
● Sophomore
● Junior
● Senior
● Other

25
Appendix B: Interview Guide 1 | Mental Health Expert

Hello, I am _____, and I am enrolled in a senior-level class called “Public Relations


Research.” This interview aims at further understanding mental health and its relation to
social media use. Because you are a professional in the field of mental health, I would like
to ask you a few questions about mental illnesses, their warning signs and symptoms,
common triggers, and your thoughts on the correlation between social media and mental
health. None of the questions will ask you about personal issues, and your responses will
be kept confidential. The interview will take 30-45 minutes of your time. It will be recorded
and transcribed. Your participation in this study will help us better understand mental health
and help us uncover if it has a correlation with social media use. No risks are involved and
your participation is completely voluntary. You may refuse to answer any question that
makes you uncomfortable and may withdraw from the interview at any time.

Background:
● Please tell me about your current job and how long you’ve been involved in the
field of mental health.

Section 1: Overview of mental disorders


1. How would you define mental illnesses?
2. What are the most (do you think) common mental illnesses for people ages
18-27 (millennials)?
3. How would you characterize those illnesses?
( : Could you describe them please?)
4. Why are they common with this age group?

Section 2: Warning signs and symptoms


1. What are the warning signs and/or symptoms of these mental illnesses?
(from professional’s answer in section 1)

26
2. What should someone do if they see a friend exhibiting these signs?
3. Are some people predisposed to certain mental illnesses?

Section 3: Common triggers


1. What behaviors and activities can trigger these mental illnesses?
2. Do you believe social media use (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat) can
trigger these illnesses?
3. Research has suggested social media is addictive. To what extent do you believe
that addiction and addictive behaviors, of any nature, contribute to mental health?
4. In your opinion, are there any factors about the college environment that
contribute to mental health?

Section 4: Correlation with social media


1. How do you feel about the evolution of social media (Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, Snapchat) within the past 10 years?
a. (Probe: Do you think the direction of social media development is
positive, negative,
or in between)
2. In your opinion, within the past 10 years have there been any noticeable changes in
the amount of reported mental health illnesses or the types of illnesses themselves?
a. (: What about within the millennial generation specifically?)
3. Do you think that social media use is correlated with mental health?
a. (: Can you please elaborate?)
4. Do you think that social media addiction can be classified as a mental illness?
a. (Probe: If so, why? If not now, do you think it will be in the future?)
5. In your opinion, are there ways to use social media safely to prevent mental
illnesses from developing?

27
Appendix C: Interview Guide 2 | Social Media Expert

Hello, I am _____, and I am enrolled in a senior-level class called “Public Relations


Research.” This interview aims at further understanding mental health and its relation to
social media use. None of the questions will ask you about personal issues, and your
responses will be kept confidential. The interview will take 30-45 minutes of your time. It will
be recorded and transcribed. Your participation in this study will help us better understand
social media and help us uncover if it has a correlation with mental health. No risks are
involved and your participation is completely voluntary. You may refuse to answer any
question that makes you uncomfortable and may withdraw from the interview at any time.

Background:
● Please tell me about your current job and you experience working with social media.

Section 1: Overview of social media


1. How would you define social media?
a. (: Could you provide examples of what is and isn’t social media?)
2. Why do you think social media has become so popular amongst the
millennial demographic?
3. What do you think are the most popular social media platforms?
a. (: Why do you think these are the most popular?)
4. What do you think are positive and negative aspects of social media?
5. How do you feel about the evolution of social media (Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, Snapchat) within the past 10 years?
a. (Probe: Do you think the direction of social media development is

positive, negative, or inbetween)

Section 2: Addiction

28
6. Do you think that people can be addicted to social
media? a. (Probe: Have you seen this occurring?)
2. What do you think qualifies as an addiction to social
media? a. (Probe: When does use become addiction?)
3. Why do you think people can become addicted to social media?
4. Do you think certain age demographics are more likely to become addicted to
social media? Why or why not?

Section 3: Common triggers


1. What behaviors and activities can trigger excessive social media use?
2. Do you believe social media use (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat) can
trigger mental illnesses, or is correlated with mental illness?
3. Research has suggested social media is addictive. To what extent do you believe
that addiction and addictive behaviors, of any nature, contribute to mental health?
4. In your opinion, are there any factors about the college environment that
contribute to excessive social media use?
5. In the past 10 years, there have been increasing rates of depression and
anxiety among young people, especially the millennial generation. In your
opinion, what are the underlying causes contributing to these rates?
a. (Probe: Specifically related to social media?)

Section 4: Correlation with social media


1. Do you think that social media use can exacerbate mental illness symptoms?
a. (: Can you please elaborate?)
2. Do you think that social media addiction can be classified as a mental illness?
a. (Probe: If so, why? If not now, do you think it will be in the future?)

3. In your opinion, are there ways to use social media safely to prevent mental
illnesses from developing?
a. (Probe: If so, what would you suggest?)

29
Appendix D: Survey Figures

30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39

You might also like