The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health: Is Regulation Necessary?

Social media has become an important part of our everyday life, and its complexities, as well

as what many believe to be its demerits have led to talks about imposing regulations on social

media usage. However, these regulations are not without their cons either, as they lead to loss

of innovation, reduced connectivity, and also become an impediment to freedom of

expression. The increase in social media usage during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 is

further proof of its importance. According to research by Stacy Jo Dixon published on

Statista, the average time users in the US spent on social media in 2020 was 65 minutes daily,

an increase from the 56 minutes recorded in the previous year (Dixon, 2023, para 1). This

increased usage is linked to social support provided by these platforms during the pandemic

and helped to reduce the social isolation and loneliness that the pandemic and resulting

lockdown caused people. Although several studies link increased social media usage with

depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems, the COVID-19 pandemic showed that

social media can also be harnessed for providing mental health support, as several users

turned to social media for emotional support during the crisis. So, despite concerns about the

impact of social media on mental health, imposing regulatory measures would impede the

freedom of expression, social connectivity, and the mental health support that these platforms

offer, outweighing any potential benefits of such regulations.

Social media allows people to exercise their rights to freedom of expression. Freedom of

expression is a fundamental human right important to the progress of any society, especially

under a democratic government. However, before the advent of social media, many people

struggled to find their voices and express themselves how they wanted to be heard. In this

way, social media platforms have helped to democratize communication, providing

individuals from diverse backgrounds with unprecedented opportunities to express

we’ve seen users on different social media platforms voice their opinions on different civil

and civic issues, mobilize for social causes, and hold individuals and institutions accountable.

For instance, the Black Lives Matter movement in the US and the End SARS movement in

Nigeria are two civil movements that started on social media and gained global recognition

for their fight against systemic racism and for preserving the lives of a teeming youth

population respectively. None of this would have been possible with social media regulation

in place. The ability to express oneself freely on social media is not merely a privilege but a

crucial mechanism for civic engagement and democratic participation, and regulation robs

users of this (Slutskiy, 2020). With their freedom of expression, citizens can demand

accountability and transparency from their elected leaders and hold them to their words.

Without this ability to speak freely and critique or challenge authority, the potential for abuse

of power by those in authority increases.

Social media also play a vital role in creating social connections and building communities.

We live in a digitally connected world, and this is made obvious by the importance of social

media in our daily conversations. Beyond its use for creating and sharing content, social

media is how we connect, communicate, and build communities where individuals from

different walks of life, regardless of their geographical location, can come together,

exchange ideas, and forge meaningful connections based on shared interests and hobbies

(Ellison et al., 2014). People can make new acquaintances and stay in touch with old friends

and families across the globe, fostering a sense of closeness and intimacy, even in the

absence of physical proximity. Beyond individual relationships, social media also allow

people to feel a sense of community and belonging, and this is important for people who are

marginalized and would ordinarily fit in nowhere. The presence of communities, groups, and

forums on these platforms allows people with like minds to share their passions and interests.
Communities like this provide support for one another, allowing people to be themselves and

feel accepted for who they are. This is a crucial lifeline for individuals and groups, such as

the LGBTQ+ community, that are marginalized and discriminated against in their daily lives,

as they can find somewhere they feel welcome and supported, and have a sense of belonging

that’s lacking in their lives. Social media provides a platform for people to find their tribe and

cultivate meaningful relationships without the location barrier. However, this may not be

possible with regulations due to the many barriers and restrictions that will be put in place.

Social media provides mental health support for people living with mental disorders. These

platforms can serve as a gateway to a plethora of mental health resources, such as informative

articles, self-help guides, and online therapy platforms, capable of making life easy for people

with mental illnesses. Studies show that people with mental illnesses appear to be active on

social media sharing their personal experiences, seeking information and treatment options

for their condition, and giving and receiving support from other people in a similar situation

(Naslund et al., 2020, p. 2). For individuals who may not have access to traditional mental

health services due to financial, geographical, or logistical barriers, social media offers a

lifeline. Online support groups, forums, and communities provide a safe space for individuals

to seek advice, share their experiences, and connect with others who understand what they are

going through. Hence, while many authors point out a link between social media usage and

mental illnesses in the users, people living with these disorders benefit from social media,

using it for increased social interactions, access to peer networks, and engagement and

retention services (Naslund et al., 2020, p. 4,5,6). Regulating social media on the basis of

how it affects people’s mental health will therefore be counterproductive.

Regulation is important to protect children and other vulnerable demographics. According to

the article, ‘Children and Adolescents and Digital Media,’ by Reid et al., there's a link
between excessive exposure to media and viewing TV in early childhood and delays in

cognitive, social, emotional, and language use (Reid et al., 2016, p. 6). The study also noted

that there is a link between tobacco or alcohol usage, and inappropriate sexual behaviors in

teenagers and their exposure to TV or movie content where these behaviors are showcased (p.

8). Hence, a crucial step in protecting this young and vulnerable population from harmful

content and bullying that affects their mental health is to regulate the media. It's also worth

noting that regulation can help curb the spread of misinformation and disinformation on

social media, which can contribute to anxiety, stress, and confusion among users. According

to Reviglio and Agosti (2020), social media algorithms are created to autonomously explore

strategies that are manipulative and detrimental to social media users (p. 3). So, another

crucial point to note is that regulation can hold social media platforms accountable for the

content they host and the algorithms they use, ensuring that they prioritize user well-being

over engagement metrics. Social media platforms should be held accountable for the

algorithms that they use and the content hosted on their platforms, and this can be achieved

through regulation, as it helps in auditing social media algorithms.

Regulating social media usage does not improve the user’s mental health. In an article

reviewing several studies to determine the effectiveness of social media use intervention on

mental health, Plackett et al., (2023) found that the interventions restricting social media

usage or imposing full abstinence on users may not be as beneficial for the user’s mental

well-being compared to therapy-based interventions. The interventions reviewed in this study

used established approaches, such as CBT-based techniques and counseling to encourage the

subjects to be more mindful and reflect on how their activity on social media affects their

emotions, thoughts, and actions. Overall, the findings from this study suggest that healthcare

professionals, public health bodies, and mental health charity organizations should adopt and

encourage therapy-based approaches to managing mental health instead of focusing on

suggest that strictly reducing social media usage doesn’t offer substantial benefit to a

person’s mental well-being, hence, social media regulation may not effectively address the

root causes of mental health issues associated with social media. Rather than impose

restrictions and regulations on social media usage, promoting individual responsibility and

digital literacy may be more effective in mitigating the negative effects of social media than

regulation. This ensures that every individual is well-trained on the pros and cons of social

media use, especially how it affects their mental health, and they take responsibility for

preventing the negative impacts of social media. This way, more people are protected from

the demerits of social media and can continue to enjoy its merits without the negative impact

that imposing regulations can have on people.

Social media have become an important part of our lives, and that cannot be taken away.

While there may be concerns about how it negatively impacts the users’ mental health,

imposing regulatory measures also has detrimental effects, such as impeding the freedom of

expression, social connectivity, and the mental health support that these platforms offer, and

this outweighs any potential benefits of the regulations. While much is being said about the

impact of social media on mental health and the need for regulation, there is also evidence

pointing out that social media helps people living with mental disorders. Ultimately, personal

responsibility is key to mitigating the negative effects of social media usage. Users should be

mindful of how they use social media by ensuring it isn't affecting their mental health, and

seek support when needed. This is a more effective ‘regulation’ than government-imposed

regulations.
Reflection Questions
1. How much time did you spend revising your draft? What revision strategies did
you use, and which worked best for you? (2-3 sentences)

I started by reading the feedback and then the draft and highlighted the places that
needed the most revisiting based on the feedback. Highlighting them allowed me to
go over each one and make the necessary changes, and then I checked with the
feedback for correctness. I made sure to take breaks in between working on the
draft so that I have fresh eyes each time I go back to it. Cumulatively, it took me
over 15 hours to completely revise my draft.

2. List three concrete revisions that you made and explain how you made them.
What problem did you fix with each of these revisions? Issues may be unity,
cohesion, rhetorical appeals, content, or any other areas on which you received
constructive feedback. (4-5 sentences)

The major revision that I made was completely rewriting my first three body
paragraphs with newer points to support my argument based on the feedback I got.
Another feedback was contextualizing my supporting sources and ensuring that i
don’t write a cited sentence after another but each cited sentence is explained by the
following sentences. Lastly, I used 13 sources in my initial draft, so I had to reduce
the number of sources to 7 based on the feedback. This was to ensure my essay
doesn’t rely too heavily on source support.

3. What did you learn about your writing process or yourself as a writer? How has
your understanding of the research process changed as a result of taking this
course? (2-3 sentences)

One major lesson I’ve learnt from this process is the importance of having strong
points and developing them well enough to support my thesis. I’ve also learnt from
the feedback and revision process that your research is only as good as your
knowledge of the topic. So, the first step to writing a good essay is to understand
the topic completely.
References
Dixon S (2023, December 18) Social media use during COVID-19 worldwide - statistics &

facts. Statistita. Retrieved April 17, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/topics/7863/social-

media-use-during-coronavirus-covid-19-worldwide/#topicOverview

Ellison, N. B., Vitak, J., Gray, R., & Lampe, C. (2014). Cultivating social resources on social

network sites: Facebook relationship maintenance behaviors and their role in social capital

processes. Journal of computer-mediated communication, 19(4), 855-870.

Naslund, J. A., Bondre, A., Torous, J., & Aschbrenner, K. A. (2020). Social media and

mental health: benefits, risks, and opportunities for research and practice. Journal of

technology in behavioral science, 5, 245-257.

Plackett, R., Blyth, A., & Schartau, P. (2023). The Impact of Social Media Use Interventions

on Mental Well-Being: Systematic Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25,

e44922.

Reid Chassiakos, Y. L., Radesky, J., Christakis, D., Moreno, M. A., Cross, C., Hill, D., ... &

Swanson, W. S. (2016). Children and adolescents and digital media. Pediatrics, 138(5).

Reviglio, U., & Agosti, C. (2020). Thinking outside the black-box: The case for “algorithmic

sovereignty” in social media. Social Media+ Society, 6(2), 2056305120915613.

https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120915613

Slutskiy, P. (2020). Freedom of expression, social media censorship, and property rights.

Blanquerna School of Communication and International Relations, (48), 53-67.