IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON

MENTAL HEALTH
Subtitle
Zoya Fatima, Aashmi Jaiswal, Shambhavi Shukla

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Abstract: Teenagers increasingly find it hard to imagine their existence without social media. Practitioners must
be able to determine risk, and social media might be a new factor to account for. Though there is scant empirical
evidence for the assertion, teenage and professional opinion strongly informs the view that there is an
association between social media and mental health. Privacy issues, cyber bullying, and negative impacts on
education and mental health are all risks of this population's use of social media. Ethical use of social media,
however, can increase opportunities for connection and dialogue, improve self-esteem, enhance health, and
access to important medical information. In the face of growing evidence of the negative impact of social media
on teenage mental health, there remains a lack of empirical studies of how teenagers understand social media, or
more specifically as a corpus of wisdom, or how they could use broader contemporary media discourses to make
themselves heard. Youths consume cell phones and other types of media in great numbers, leading to habitual
sleep deprivation, which negatively impacts cognitive functioning, academic performance, and socio-emotional
adjustment. Based on data from a range of cross-sectional, longitudinal, and empirical studies, Smartphone and
social media usage among adolescents correlate with a rise in mental distress, self-harm behaviours, and
sociality. Clinicians can assist teenagers and their families in minimizing the risks of social media and phone use
by employing open, nonjudgmental, and developmentally sensitive strategies, such as education and everyday
problem-solving. Social media can negatively impact our overall wellbeing by fuelling anxiety, depression,
loneliness and FOMO (fear or missing out). These issues are especially prevalent in teens and young adults.

Keywords: Social media, Privacy, Cyber bullying, Evidence, Anxiety, Depression, FOMO.
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1. INTRODUCTION
For many people dealing with the difficulties of mental illness, social media has become an integral part of their
lives. Web and mobile platforms that enable people to connect with others in a virtual and share, co-create, or
exchange different types of digital content, such as messages, information, images, or videos, are collectively
referred to as social media.
Social media's addictive qualities cause dopamine to be released, which activates the brain's reward system. This
"feel-good chemical" is connected to enjoyable pursuits. Our friends and family can "like" what we publish,
which gives us a dopamine boost. However, our sense of self and sufficiency may suffer if we don't receive that
boost or acceptance.
Social creatures are what humans are. To succeed in life, we require the company of people, and the quality of
our relationships greatly affects our happiness and mental well-being. Having a social network can help you
avoid loneliness, reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, increase your sense of self-worth, and even extend your
life. On the other hand, your mental and emotional well-being may be seriously jeopardized if you don't have
strong social ties.
If you find yourself dedicating too much time to social media and emotions like sadness, dissatisfaction,
frustration, or loneliness are affecting your life, it might be a good idea to reassess your online habits and seek a
more balanced approach..

In the 1990s, social psychologist Roy Baumeister initially suggested the displaced behavior theory. Baumeister
suggested that self-control is a limited resource that can be drained over time and that when self-control
resources are low, people are more likely to engage in impulsive or self-destructive conduct. This can lead to a
cycle of bad behaviors and outcomes, as individuals may engage in behaviors that bring short respite but
eventually add to their stress and difficulties.

Currently, the use of social media by teenagers is among their most noticeable traits. Maintaining social
connections with others is a common occurrence, whether at home, in school, or during social events, and
teenagers are frequently engaged with their peers through social media platforms. Teenagers are attracted to
social networking platforms as they enable them to share photos, graphics, and videos on these sites. It also
enables teenagers to make friends, share ideas, explore new interests, and experiment with different forms of
self-expression. Users of these platforms are able to like and comment on posts freely, and they can also share
them without any limitations. Nowadays, teenagers often share derogatory comments on social media platforms.
Teenagers often participate in trolling for fun, unaware of the possible negative effects. Trolling on these
platforms targets body shaming, personal skills, language use, and lifestyle choices, among other aspects. The
consequences of trolling can lead to anxiety, symptoms of depression, stress, a sense of isolation, and suicidal
ideation. The writers discuss how social media affects the well-being of teenagers by reviewing current
literature and offering intervention and preventive strategies at the individual, family, and community levels.

2. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

While there is a "generally correlated" relationship between adolescents' social media usage and
depression, some results have been inconsistent (such as the link between social media usage duration and
mental health problems), and the quality of the data is often subpar . According to several research studies,
given by different authors like : Mehta N (Ed.) stated that -” A state of well-being in which the individual-
realizes his or her own abilities, concern can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and
fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community” his topic was on Mental health as a public
health concern , other author Vega WA Rumbaut RG (1991) wrote research paper on the topic Minority mental
health states that “mental health was originally intended to reflect psychological wellbeing and resilience; in
essence, a satisfactory if not optimal state of being. Now focuses narrowly on mental disorders” and the final
review oh WHO (2004) says “A state of well-being in which the individual definition realizes his or her own
abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a
contribution to his or her community”.
Further investigation is required to gain a deeper insight into this connection and
to create methods that enhance positive mental health results for social media users.

5. METHODOLOGY