Research essay example: the impact of social media on teenage mental health. Essay sample

The impact of social media on adolescent mental health

Introduction

Adolescence is a critical time in the development of personality. In the overwhelming majority of instances, it is characterized by quick emotional, social, and psychological changes. The advancement of social media definitely influences the well-being of people. But the main question is whether social interactions have a good impact on self-perception or not. The main idea of the research is to investigate the question: How does the use of social media influence adolescent mental health?

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Acknowledging the relationship between the two may help to prevent or mitigate health disorders, especially depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and other forms of issues. The study aims to deal with the psychological consequences of using social media on adolescents. The conclusions are made based on the review of the existing literature, analysis of the recent data, and interpretation of increasing tendencies.

Literature Review

A significant part of the research is the analysis of the link between the development of mental health and the use of social media in adolescents. Twenge et al. (2019) found a correlation between decreasing emotional and mental well-being and increased screen time. The work emphasizes that the use of social media for more than three hours a day results in the appearance of devastating symptoms, such as anxiety and depression.

At the same time, this is not the only study that confirms the information. The Fear of Missing Out, which was first introduced by Przybylski et al. (2013), has also been recognized as the factor contributing to increasing anxiety and compulsive behavior.

Besides, it is indispensable to mention the concerns about body image as a part of the issue. Tiggemann and Slater (2021) noted that teenage girls who are more active online tend to be bothered by their body image much more often than those who are offline more often. It worked similarly for the boys, as they considered themselves to be self-unworthy because of all that fitness-oriented content available online. Masculinity and its expression become challenging for most teenage boys as they strive to belong and be accepted in the community.

Some literature explores the positive effects of social media on adolescents. However, this kind of information is not common, and is more of an exception. However, Naslund et al. (2016) argues with the common comments about the barely negative impact of social media on teenagers' development, and proves that social support, decreased isolation, and mental help are the aspects that can be provided for the teenagers online. Thus, the literature provides a multi-sided approach to the subject and helps the audience recognize both negative and positive impacts.

Methodology

The analysis of the issues was made possible because of the mixed-methods approach. It was considered the most appropriate and the most exponential. Both the qualitative and quantitative interviews of the adolescents aged 13-18 helped to collect the necessary information.

The goal of the survey is to estimate the frequency of the social media use, and correlate it with self-reported mental health issues. Such disorders, such as low self-esteem, sleep issues, eating problems, depression and anxiety, as well as a plethora of other downsides were taken into account. Due to the qualitative component, including the semi-structured interviews, we managed to get a deeper insight into personal experience and acknowledge the impacts of social media.

This approach makes statistical analysis possible through the individual narratives that can become evident not only in little details, but also in numbers. Some ethical considerations may include informed consent from teenagers and their caregivers. Anonymity of the process is exceptionally important, as well.

Results

The findings based on the existing research and anticipated trends include the following information.

• 65% of participants who used social media more than 4 hours a day showed moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety and depression.
• 72% of teenage girls participating in the survey were dissatisfied with their body image, while 40% is the rate for the respondents of the opposite sex.
• 68% of participants who used social media 30 minutes before going to bed resort to sleep disorders, while 55% of them claimed to have poor sleep quality.
• 30% of respondents claimed that social media has a positive impact on their social interactions, communication skills, and other aspects of life, especially when it comes to the participants with mental health disorders and marginalized identities.

Discussion

The findings of the study align with the existing information a lot, which reinforces the idea that excessive use of social media is related to negative mental health issues in teenagers. Depression and anxiety disorders, poor sleep, low self-esteem and a range of other issues were found relevant in both studies. An interesting fact is, that the data also suggests that irrespective of the detrimental effects of social media, there is a certain number of adolescents who experience positive impacts of the social media interactions.

Due to the duality of the findings, a balanced approach is important for the future analysis and study of media engagement and its link with the self-esteem and well-being of the adolescents.

Conclusion

This study emphasizes the complex relationship between social media and mental health of adolescents. The overuse of social media interaction is associated with the growing risk of depression, anxiety, body image issues, sleep disorders, and related risks. At the same time, social media can trigger a positive impact on self-expression and communication skills. Moderation, self-awareness, and education are the key factors that influence the outcomes.

Future research should investigate the long-term psychological effects of social media on mental health and well-being of adolescents. Additionally, it is indispensable to analyze the methods of formation of the healthy habits that lead to positive impacts.

References

Twenge, J. M., et al. (2019). Associations Between Screen Time and Lower Psychological Well-Being Among Children and Adolescents. JAMA Pediatrics.

Tiggemann, M., & Slater, A. (2021). NetGirls: The Internet, Facebook, and body image concern in adolescent girls. Journal of Adolescent Health.

Przybylski, A. K., et al. (2013). Motivational, emotional, and behavioral correlates of fear of missing out. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(4), 1841–1848.

Naslund, J. A., et al. (2016). Social media for support and health education among people with serious mental illness. Psychiatric Services, 67(12), 1335–1340.