Article Analysis Essay on Social Networks Use Disorder

The paper is a summary of an article that will appear on Mc Master Daily News. The article chosen is a study by Hussain et al. (2020) on depression and anxiety symptoms resulting from Social Networks Use Disorder (SNUD) with a specific focus on China. Why China? According to Hussain et al. (2020), most studies in the past have focused on the impact of SNUD among Western populations, while SNUD studies in China have been neglected. Hence, this has created a gap in knowledge, given that approximately a in excess of one billion Chinese citizens are on Chinese social networking sites (SNS).

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Human beings are very social creatures. Often, we need the championship of other people to succeed in life, and the strength of our connection has a significant effect on our happiness and mental health. In the current world, most of us depend on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat, to find and connect (Hussain et al., 2020). However, the technology that was designed to unite people, spending too much time on social media sites can make people isolated and worsen mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety. With the increasing number of users on social media, depression, and anxiety is on the rise. For example, China boasts one of the most active social networking environments worldwide, with in excess of 300 million users. The number of active social media users rose to 480 million in 2014, while by December 2018, the number had increased to 829 million users. Hence, the main objective of Hussain et al. (2020) in the systematic evaluation was to detect and assess research that explored Chinese SNS application and the relationship between SNUD and symptoms of anxiety and depression.

The use of SNS can have both positive and negative well-being. According to Hussain et al. (2020), studies conducted showed that non-problematic application of SNSs could increase outward locus of control, improved online social communication abilities, and increased satisfaction in life. Also, SNS can enhance social concatenation among people and can enable the distribution of concepts between individuals and enterprises without any geographical limitations. However, the passive application of SNS can be problematic. Passive use of SNS can lead to mental health issues, especially when users start engaging in social comparison techniques. Current studies show problematic SNS we or extreme overuse might present unique potential mental health issues.

Hence, to examine particular online activities for example problematic SNS use, Hussain et al. (2020) employs a comprehensive search method. The method identified pertinent research in PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, PubMed, and CNKI. The importance of viewing literature on SNUD and its linkage with depression and anxiety is because most of the studies in the Western sample have associated psychopathological symptoms to SNUD. Hence, analyzing SNUD and associations to psychopathological symptoms from the Eastern perspective gives a complete balance to the issue.

Hussain et al. (2020) state that the search strategy yielded 35 potential studies, however after inclusion-exclusion criteria, 13 studies were identified, which were further trimmed to ten, which were incorporated in the full review. The findings from the ten studies reported an association of SNUD with depression and anxiety. Eight of the ten studies associated the severity symptoms of SNUD with depression. Besides, four studies found a link between SNUD and anxiety. Hence, from the research, it can be concluded that there is an association between SNUD and depression symptoms. One of the limitations of the study by Hussain et al. (2020) is that majority of the studies assessed employed self-report techniques and were cross-sectional, hence, rendered it challenging to recognize underlying relationships. Nonetheless, the outcomes of the study can enlighten on deterrence and mediation on SNUD in China and other Eastern cultures.

Reference

Hussain, Z., Wegmann, E., Yang, H., & Montag, C. (2020). Social Networks Use Disorder and Associations with Depression and Anxiety Symptoms: A Systematic Review of Recent Research in China. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00211