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SOCIAL MEDIA AND MENTAL HEALTH

Effects of Social Media on Mental Health: A Case Study

Tialena Evans

North Carolina A&T State University

JOMC 303- Mass Communication Research Methods

Dr. Robbie R. Morganfield

December 2, 2020
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Introduction

This research examined the effects that social media has on mental health in young

adults, teens and adolescents. More specifically, this research looked at how extensive use of

social media poses negative effects on users' mental health over time.

The media comes in many different forms, influencing the majority of the population in

the United States in one way or the other. Throughout the years, the advancement of technology

has impacted mass media profoundly. Over the past 15 years, social media has grown to become

one of the most popular forms of media worldwide. Social media consists of websites and

applications that enable users to create and share content or participate in social networking with

others, either locally or universally. It has become very prevalent in the younger community, who

are more susceptible to being influenced by these social platforms. Amelia Strickland of

University of Central Florida documented the following in her research:

“Although social media is accessible to nearly anyone, young adults have been found to be the

most active users. A study found that 84% of individuals ages 18-29 are on Facebook, more than

any other age group” (Smith 2013).

It is important that people understand the compromising effects that social media has on

not only mental health but physical as well, because detriment to mental health can then lead to

detrimental physical capabilities as well. In a study published by The International Journal of

Indian Psychology, Hilal Bashar and Ahmad Bhat examined how social media’s sporadic

enhancement in quantity, quality and utility has caused great concern for parents, researchers and

society regarding the mental health of individuals. The research focuses on how virtual life

isolates individuals from other fellow beings, thereby affecting both mental and physical health,

as well as overall balance. Various studies have reported a link between excessive social media
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use and compulsive disorder. One study revealed that “forty five percent of British adults

experience restlessness when they are not able to access their frequently used social networking

sites” (Bashir). Alongside sleep deprivation, constant use of social media on smartphone and

tablets can cause users to develop chronic neck and back pain. Bad posture from looking down

for long periods of time can be detrimental to the muscular and structural health of the upper

body. Moderate and reduce time spent scrolling through social media platforms and corrected

posture can help holes or even reverse these negative physical effects.

This study is proposing to add statistical evidence of the many adverse effects that social

media use has on young adults in today’s society. The study mainly focuses on the addicting

factors of social media and user’s experience with social platforms and their day-to-day lives.

Literature Review

This review will examine multiple scholarly articles regarding research found on the

effects social media has on mental health. The literature reviewed here will help determine

whether social media platforms, virtual realities and online gaming has a detrimental effect on

the mental health of its users.

In a study published by The International Journal of Indian Psychology, Hilal Bashar

and Ahmad Bhat examined how social media’s sporadic enhancement in quantity, quality and

utility has caused great concern for parents, researchers and society regarding the mental health

of individuals. The research focuses on how virtual life isolates individuals from other fellow

beings, thereby affecting both mental and physical health, as well as overall balance. Various

studies have reported a link between excessive social media use and compulsive disorder. One
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SOCIAL MEDIA AND MENTAL HEALTH

study revealed that forty five percent of British adults experience restlessness when they are not

able to access their frequently used social networking sites (Anxiety 2012). It was also found that

younger generations were found victim to Phantom vibration syndrome (PVS), which is nothing

more than the perception of an addict person regarding the vibration of their cellphone (Drouin,

et al., 2012; Rothberg, et al., 2010). Victims of PVS reflect an obsession of frequent checking of

social messages, thus exhibiting anxiety.

Amelia Strickland of University of Central Florida examined the impact of sedentary

behaviors on mental health, displaced behavior, sleep interruption due to blue light exposure, and

social media's effect on romantic and platonic relationships of teens and young adults. Although

social media is accessible to nearly anyone, young adults have been found to be the most active

users. A study found that 84% of individuals ages 18-29 are on Facebook, more than any other

age group (Smith 2013). Rapid task switching, or multitasking, which is encouraged by social

media, has been linked to a root cause of depression in young adults. According to (Rosen et al.,

2013), “ While multitasking is inherently a human trait, technology has perhaps overly

encouraged and promoted it by our multi-window computer environments, multi-app smartphone

screens and the wide ranging sensory stimulation and distraction offered by high definition,

customizable visual and auditory signals coupled with tactile stimulation through vibrations.

In a research study published by Sage Journals, Michelle O’Reilly and her fellow

colleagues focused on how adolescents themselves perceive social media. Three themes were

identified in a thematic analysis that suggested adolescents perceived social media as a threat to

mental wellbeing, those being of which: (1) it was believed mood or anxiety disorders, (2) it was

viewed as a platform for cyber bullying and (3) the use of social media was often framed as an
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SOCIAL MEDIA AND MENTAL HEALTH

addiction. A review of studies on cyber bullying showed a medium prevalence of 23%, with

social media being the main platform (Hamm et al., 2015).

A commentary published by the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education studied

the overall student health and wellness in higher education. Pharmacy and other health

professions colleges in particular have recognized that well-being is important for students

preparing for high-stress health care careers. This awareness has prompted universities and

colleges to proactively address risk factors for stress, depression and anxiety, and educate

students about the importance of sleep, nutrition, exercise and hobbies. Eiser, a prominent

“generations” researcher, connects the growing demands for “safe spaces” and campus speech

restrictions to a generation who communicates and socializes primarily online. She explains that

most of the “threats” this generation has received have come through social media and texts, and

therefore, they are more likely to associate “words” with violence.

Although social media holds a negative connotation to its effects on mental health, there

are a few positives that it holds. Munmun De Choudhury of the Georgia Institute of Technology

and Sushovan De of Arizona State University examined a highly popular social news and

entertainment media site, Reddit. It is relatively different from Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Reddit takes on the format of a forum, rather than a person blog. This study found that reddit

users in the mental health community forums share quite explicit information about mental

health issues. The use of throwaway accounts in the subreddits that they studied indicates that the

feature of anonymity allows users to express their views and thoughts relatively freely. This is

something that may be viewed as extreme or unacceptable to the mainstream. The anonymity

feature allows users to feel more comfortable expressing personal details and allows them to
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SOCIAL MEDIA AND MENTAL HEALTH

release some stress they may be holding in. They can also chat with others online for comfort

who may share the same feelings. Also many health professionals reply to questions or concerns

one may have.

Social media also gives teens and young adults a platform to post about a range of topics

such as their accomplishments, future goals and aspirations, or even their family playing an

especially prominent role. In a survey conducted in 2018 on “Teens’ Social Media Habits and

Experiences”, it was found that 49% of teens so they post their accomplishments and 44% post

about the family. Social media also has 17 humility to connect with others and share their lives

through Photos videos and status updates. Teams generally believe social media helps them

deepen friendships and connect with others.

And a study at the University of Pittsburgh, it was found that there was a correlation

between time spent on social media apps and negative body image feedback. Teens who had

spent more time on social media had 2.2 times the risk of reporting eating and body image

concerns, compared to others who spent less time on these platforms.

Many parents' concerns with social media are that it would affect their children's

performance in school. The desire for instant gratification is seen as a negative impact that these

online platforms can have on sleep and sleep quality in teens and adolescence. Data from

qualitative studies have shown that when using social media compulsively, it can damage

sleeping patterns. The University of Glasgow found that young people found it difficult to relax

following night time social media views, reducing their brains ability to prepare for sleep.
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Methodology

Mixed Methods

A mixed methods strategy utilizing surveys and open ended questionnaires was used for

this research. Survey research is defined as "the collection of information from a sample of

individuals through their responses to questions" (Ponto, 2015). This type of research allows for

a variety of methods to recruit participants and collect data. As it is often used to describe and

explore human behavior, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological

research (Ponto, 2015).

Search Strategy

Google was used to search for news articles to help assist with forming questions

regarding the effects of social media on overall health. The words that were used for the original

search included: social media, negative effects, mental health, physical health, positive effects,

addiction.

Data Collection

A total of 56 participants ranging from the ages of 18 to 26 were recorded in the survey

questionnaire. Google Forms was used to collect the responses and convert them into charted

data in order to be analyzed. A total of eight questions ranging from open ended, closed ended,

and numerical ranging questions were asked.

The survey consisted of the following questions: 1. Do you think social media is

addictive? 2. How often do you use social media? 3.Do you believe that you are addicted to

social media? 4.Have you ever experienced Phantom Vibration Syndrome? (the false feeling or
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SOCIAL MEDIA AND MENTAL HEALTH

perception of your cell phone vibrating from a notification) 5. Do you believe the excessive use

of social media has caused you to experience any negative effects on your mental health?

(Depression, negative comparison, OCD, anxiety, stress…etc) 6. Do you believe the excessive

use of social media has caused you to experience any negative effects on your physical health?

(Lack of sleep, aching neck/back… Etc.) 7. Check all boxes that apply and regards to how social

media has negatively affected you, if any. (stress, depression, anxiety, negative comparison to

others, OCD, insomnia, aching neck/back, other, none of the above) 8.Could you permanently go

without social media in the future?

Results and Analysis

The data collected showed a negative correlation between social media use and the effects it

has on health. All eight questions supported The theories that were discussed in the review of

literature. The data below shows the numerical findings.

It can be concluded from analyzing the results of the survey that young adults ages 18

through 26 are more susceptible to being negatively affected following the excessive use of

social media in their day-to-day lives. Almost 70% of people said that they use social media

every day, constantly. This data draws together the statistic recorded that over 96% of the same

people say social media is addicting. The data also shows that 84% of people believe that the

excessive use of social media has produced a negative affect on their mental health such as

anxiety, depression, OCD, negative comparison to others, and stress.

Future research studies to oppose this study could be made by collecting and analyzing

data projecting the positive effects of social media and young adults and adolescents. Once

completed, the comparison and correlation positives to mental and physical health could be made

and argued.
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References

Anderson, Monica, and Jingjing Jiang. “Teens and Their Experiences on Social Media.” Pew
Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech, 28 Nov. 2018,
www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/11/28/teens-and-their-experiences-on-social-media.

Bashir , Hilal, and Shabir Bhat. “Effects of Social Media on Mental Health: A Review .” The
International Journal of Indian Psychology , 2017, doi:10.25215/0403.134.

Cain, Jeff. “It’s Time to Confront Student Mental Health Issues Associated with Smart Phones
and Social Media.” American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 2018,
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6181159/pdf/ajpe6862.pdf.Choudhury,

Edmonds, Rhys. “Anxiety, Loneliness and Fear of Missing Out: The Impact of Social Media on
Young People’s Mental Health | Centre for Mental Health.” Centre for Mental Health,
www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/blogs/anxiety-loneliness-and-fear-missing-out-impact-social-
media-young-peoples-mental-health.

Hurley, Katie. “Social Media and Teens: How Does Social Media Affect Mental Health?”
Psycom.Net - Mental Health Treatment Resource Since 1996, 17 Nov. 2020,
www.psycom.net/social-media-teen-mental-health.

Munmun, and Sushovan De. “Mental Health Discourse on Reddit: Self-Disclosure, Social
Support, and Anonymity.” Reddit, www.sushovan.de/research/reddit-icwsm.pdf.

Ponto, Julie. “Understanding and Evaluating Survey Research.” Journal of the Advanced
Practitioner in Oncology, Harborside Press, 2015,
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4601897/.

Strickland, Amelia, "Exploring the Effects of Social Media Use on the Mental Health of Young
Adults" (2014). HIM 1990-2015. 1684

“Teens and Their Experiences on Social Media.” Pew Research Center: Internet, Science &
Tech, 28 Nov. 2018,
www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/11/28/teens-and-their-experiences-on-social-media.