Social Media and Mental Health<\/p>\n
Student\u2019s Name<\/p>\n
Course Code and Number<\/p>\n
Instructor\u2019s Name<\/p>\n
Date of Submission<\/p>\n
Introduction<\/p>\n
Today,\u00a0with the development and advancement of\u00a0internet along with electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets, social networking sites\u00a0have\u00a0also been highlighted as a component in evolutions. Social networking sites (SNS) popularly referred to social\u00a0media encompass a\u00a0set of sites and technologies which have been formed and evolved in the space produced by contemporary\u00a0media like communication networks, the internet\u00a0and smartphones phones. SNS\u00a0including Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, dating sites, YouTube, and other interactive platforms have\u00a0become an interwoven part of everyday life. In a study by Mir and Novas (2019) it is approximated that more than 3 billion people have access to social media globally, and more than 40% teenage boys and 20% teenage girls use social media for more than three hours daily. Young adults and adolescents are by far the most active social media\u00a0users, with adolescents being more prone to negative issues of using such sites. It is important to study how social media and mental health issues affect adolescents. The present corpus of information on this issue is complicated and tough-to-follow. Teenagers who habitually spend a majority of their time on different social media platforms are more exposed and prone to mental health issues including anxiety, stress, and depression in comparison to their peers who are not habitually on social media. <\/p>\n
Benefits of social media<\/p>\n
Social networks facilitate interaction among individuals. SNS\u00a0provide nearly constant chances to engage with and communicate with others, irrespective\u00a0of the time\u00a0or geographical location of the user. People suffering from mental diseases and have difficulty connecting in face-to-face contexts may find this on-demand\u00a0communication ease\u00a0to be particularly beneficial in promoting social contact (Bucci, Schwannauer, & Berry, 2019). For instance, poor social functioning is a typical deficiency in schizophrenia spectrum illnesses, and social networking may make it easier for such persons to communicate and engage with their peers. The findings of a research reported by Glazzard and Stones (2019) found individuals with schizophrenia stated that social media had assisted them engage and interact better, revealed that this was the case. It is possible that the capacity to communicate with others anonymously via social networking sites, as with other forms of online communication, is a significant element of SNS, particularly for those who are dealing with extremely stigmatizing health issues like major mental illnesses.<\/p>\n
SNS provides opportunities of accessing peer support network. A rising number of people are becoming aware of the potential role these social media platforms might play in facilitating peer support. People having experienced the problems of mental diseases can provide hope, companionship, and encouragement to others who are experiencing the same struggles as it\u00a0facilitates this exchange of information and help (Bucci et al. 2019). People with severe mental illnesses begun to make\u00a0use of\u00a0online self-help forums for self-disclosure as well as capacity\u00a0to share personal experiences, further\u00a0to providing or asking for information, explaining symptoms, or addressing medication, according to preliminary research. Users of SNS\u00a0with bipolar disorder revealed to use these discussion groups to ask for assistance from others concerning\u00a0their ailment, while social media\u00a0users with schizophrenia revealed to make\u00a0use these discussion groups to ask for assistance from their peers concerning\u00a0their disease (Glazzard and Stones, 2019). An analysis of social networking in persons\u00a0with psychosis published recently found that one of the most common reasons for making social media interactions\u00a0was to form make friends, seek intimate relationships, maintain current friendships or reunite with folks, and pursue online peer support from people\u00a0who had lived through the same experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The SNS have the advantage of promoting engagement and retention in services. The use of social platforms to look for information about\u00a0mental health, to\u00a0connect\u00a0with mental health providers, and trying to access evidence-based mental health services offered through\u00a0these platforms particularly for dealing with psychological health symptoms\u00a0has piqued the interest of several people dealing with mental illnesses (Mir and Novas, 2019). There exist the possibilities of leveraging the popular features of SNS\u00a0to improve current\u00a0mental health programs and services, given the increased use of SNS\u00a0among people who suffer from mental diseases, as well as the possibility to enhance social contact and connect with caring peers, as discussed above.<\/p>\n
Risks of social media<\/p>\n
Teenage social media users run the risk of coming across hostile interactions. Individuals who are subjected to nasty remarks or postings on popular social media platforms may find themselves in a vulnerable position as a result. When opposed to arbitrary angry remarks posted on the internet, cyberbullying is a sort of virtual hostility targeting particular individuals, like friends or colleagues. It is believed to be the most detrimental of the two types of online violence that teenagers face today. Mir and Novas (2019) found that cyberbullying on social networking sites has been shown to have a negative influence on psychological wellbeing, manifesting itself in the form of increased depression symptoms and the deterioration of anxiety symptoms. Cyberbullying on\u00a0social platforms has negative consequences for one’s psychological health. This may be extremely embarrassing for the victim, who may also experience a loss of confidence and self-worth as a result. These individuals\u00a0may suffer from despair, anxiety, sleep deprivation, self-harm, and\u00a0loneliness, among other symptoms. It is possible that victims would have poorer self-esteem, elevated suicidal thoughts, reduced enthusiasm for day to day interests, and a multitude of emotional reactions, including being terrified or annoyed or angry or nervous or sad, as well as separate oneself from friends and family.<\/p>\n
The use of social media can also have repercussions on daily life. In addition to having an influence on their online connections, the manner in which individuals utilize social media may have an effect on their offline reputation and daily activities. Reports have indicated concerns associated with SNS\u00a0use in terms of anonymity and security. They have also reported unexpected implications of exposing private health information on the internet (Bucci et al., 2019). Moreover, there have been issues expressed concerning the inferior quality or misinformation concerning\u00a0healthcare\u00a0information that is posted on SNS, as well as the possibility that\u00a0users may not be cognizant\u00a0of misinformation or conflicts of interest, particularly when the networking sites\u00a0promote viral posts irrespective of whether it is shared or written by a\u00a0trustworthy author or\u00a0source (Glazzard & Stones, 2019). Individuals suffering from mental ailments may face increased risks as a result of their use of social networks. Approximately 33%\u00a0of participants in recent research\u00a0that particularly investigated the viewpoints of SNS\u00a0users with severe mental disorders, such as\u00a0those suffering from schizophrenia spectrum disorders, major depression, or\u00a0bipolar disorder\u00a0expressed worries regarding their privacy while using the networking sites (Mir and Novas, 2019). Worries regarding job threats, fear of being judged and stigmatized, effect on intimate relations, and being subjected to animosity or being injured were among the dangers associated with SNS\u00a0use that people reported to researchers and policymakers.<\/p>\n
Opportunities<\/p>\n
When considering future study options, it ought to be\u00a0kept\u00a0in mind that the nearly universal use of SNS\u00a0provides new chances to examine the development and presentation of psychological\u00a0health symptoms and the severity of disease earlier when compared to\u00a0traditional clinical examinations. Known as “digital phenotyping,” this developing area of research aims to capture the\u00a0way people engage with their electronic devices, such as social networking sites,\u00a0to examine patterns of sickness and determine the best times and course\u00a0for intervention (Bucci et al., 2019). Considering that the majority of individuals access social platforms through smart phones, digital phenotyping and\u00a0networking sites are inextricably bound together. Today, the development of machine learning has enabled researchers to examine large amounts of data collected from popular SNS like\u00a0Twitter and Instagram in order to reveal varied aspects of mental health (Mir and Novas, 2019). Individual Twitter chats have been studied to determine the start of depressive symptoms, as well as to identify consumers’ attitude and emotional states, whereas photographs shared to Instagram can provide insights into depression risk.\u00a0 When social platforms\u00a0and digital phenotyping come together, additional degrees of context are expected to be introduced into SNS\u00a0use in the not-too distant future.<\/p>\n
Response <\/p>\n
My understanding of the topic has evolved in a number of ways. First, I now know the several ways that in which social media platforms affects and aggravates mental health problems of individuals having mental health disorders. Beings a social media user, I was only aware of the risks such as cyberbullying and negative impact on self-worth. However, my understanding of the topic has evolved as I am now aware how the platforms aggravate these risks. My previous beliefs coincide with the adverse impacts that social platforms have on the psychological health. I have always had the notion that social media has much more negative impacts on the mental health of individuals, particularly adolescents. What surprised me is the development of digital phenotyping which examines the sickness patterns of individuals. Nevertheless, I still have one question regarding social media use and mental health, do the benefits outweigh the costs of the costs outweigh the benefits?<\/p>\n
Conclusion <\/p>\n
Studies on social networking sites\u00a0have increased significantly, with the possible association between social media addiction and mental healthcare and wellness\u00a0becoming a divided and much-researched issue. The implications that can be drawn from this work are the impacts on using SNS if one is an individual suffering from mental health. These individuals can avoid using the SNS if they want to maintain a good psychological wellbeing. This is important as individuals will be able avert the negative outcomes of aggravated psychological health. This work goes to the direction of the opportunities that come with SNS use and mental health such as the digital phenotyping. It may continue by exploring these opportunities at a deeper extent.<\/p>\n
References<\/p>\n
Bucci, S., Schwannauer, M., & Berry, N. (2019). The digital revolution and its impact on<\/p>\n
mental health care.\u00a0Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 92(2), 277\u2013297. doi: 10.1111\/papt.12222.<\/p>\n
Glazzard, J., & Stones, S. (2019). Social media and young people\u2019s mental health. In\u00a0Selected<\/p>\n
Topics in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. IntechOpen. http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.5772\/intechopen.88569Mir, E., & Novas, C. (2019). Social media and adolescents\u2019 and young adults\u2019 mental <\/p>\n
health.\u00a0National Center for Health Research. <\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.center4research.org\/social-media-affects-mental-health\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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