Research Paper
Peer Comments
Professor Comments
Final
Social Media and Its Adverse Effects Towards Adolescents
When teens and young adults think of social media, it is viewed as a fun way to be social, communicate, and stay in touch with friends and family. It has become a way of life, something most young people refuse to live without. However, it has been proven to be detrimental to the mental health of many users, yet they still continue to use it on a daily basis. Social media is causing mental and social disorders in teenagers and young adults due to the fact that users are connected to it so frequently and oftentimes feel as though they can not go without it. It is in this sense that social networking sites are like a drug; we know it is bad for us, but we must continue to feed our addiction.
One of the most popular social media networking sites used today is Facebook which has been proven to contribute to depression (Moreno). Depression is a serious mental condition that causes a plethora of adverse outcomes; it makes people less social, have low self worth, and experience feelings of hopelessness and inadequacy. Two of the ways Facebook can cause depression is through posting status updates and scrolling through the news feed. How exactly does posting status updates encourages this mental illness in people? People who post negative status updates about their depressive symptoms that receive feedback and attention from their friends are going to be encouraged to post more pessimistic, cynical and despairing updates. S. Shyam Sundar (a professor of communications and co-director of the Media Effects Research Laboratory at Penn State University) states, “The types of actions users take and the kinds of information they are adding to their Facebook walls and profiles are a reflection of their identities.” He continues to discuss how these social networking websites are deeply personal. As for simply scrolling through your news feed, this can cause depression, as well as self-pity and feelings of low self-worth because it forces you to look at the good news people post of their graduations, promotions, marriages, and pictures of people more attractive than you.
Facebook is a social networking site that causes you to constantly compare yourself, and be made aware, reminded, and notified of the successes and triumphs of friends and family (Mientka). I have observed so many of my female friends complain about their weight after scrolling through Instagram and viewing images of "perfect" girls with big boobs, a firm butt, and a tiny little waist. They are comparing themselves to women like the Victoria's Secret models which is absolutely ridiculous. This causes them to set unrealistic standards for themselves when they are beautiful as they are and already at a healthy weight. This is not to say that setting goals for yourself is a bad thing, but I feel that it is important to make sure that you set realistic goals before attempting to improve upon yourself. Everyone's body is different and not every girl can have the body of a Victoria's Secret model no matter what efforts they make. This is what I try to tell my friends who are too hard on themselves about things like body image after being discouraged from scrolling through the Facebook news feed or Instagram. It is cases like this where it is easy to see why social media can be dangerous. When this stream of news is constantly being thrown in your face every time you log on, how could it not hinder your mental health? Social media networking has become an unavoidable part of everyone’s lives all over the world. Therefore, we must use it with caution and be aware of the negative effects it can have. If we acknowledge the fact that there are unpleasant aspects of using social media and learn how to avoid depression and other possible mental illnesses, then we can continue to go about posting status updates and images etc. while maintaining our mental health. Remembering to focus on our own lives, the positive things about ourselves, and the people we love and who love us is one definite way to contribute to maintain a happy and positive attitude.
Unfortunately, it doesn't stop there. The use of social networking websites and applications can cause an even greater array of other personality disorders such as narcissism, paranoia, and antisocial and compulsive behavior. It also causes jealousy, envy, surveillance behaviors, and the inability to tolerate being alone (Nitzburg). It is evident that social media can have serious consequences and instigate passionate, negative feelings in frequent users. The more a person becomes addicted to and regularly uses social media, the more intense and likely these mental issues become. I personally feel that social media is causing so many of these mental issues in users because it is being abused due to the fact that people (teenagers in particular) use it so obsessively. They become addicted to it and begin to shut out the real world because they fear that they might be missing out on something important; they can't stand to be 'disconnected'. This leads people to develop problems like not being able to be alone. By constantly being on social networking sites and connecting with people virtually, people are never truly alone. Therefore, when they are, they begin to fear being alone and develop anxiety. This may not seem like that bad of a consequence, however, setting aside time to be by yourself is highly crucial to obtaining good mental health. Solitude allows you to reboot your brain and unwind, helps to improve concentration and increase creativity, enhance the quality of your relationships with others, and provide you with the opportunity to find yourself and discover who you are as an individual (Carter). Finding yourself is the process of learning who you are as a person, and knowing what you want and where you want to be in life in order to live happily. By spending time alone, you allow yourself to learn about and get to know yourself better and really think about who you are. I believe that alienation is the key to being a creative individual. When you are connected to social websites and applications all the time, you are constantly being influenced by all the images you see and things you read. Therefore, spending time by yourself gives you the opportunity to think deeply for yourself as an individual with no other interferences and influences.
In my own experiences with social networking sites, I personally struggle with jealousy. I have become extremely envious of other people and find myself wanting all the things they have that I don't. I get extremely caught up in looking at all the fascinating and interesting pictures other people post and desperately wish I could be living their lives instead of mine. When I am browsing through social media, I completely lose my ability to appreciate and feel good about myself and my own accomplishments. It is virtually impossible to focus on positive aspects of myself and my own life when I look through my news feed and it is filled with status updates like "Just got booked for another photo shoot for CoverGirl today! My life is sooo great!" or "I have the best boyfriend in the world, we are too perfect for each other. LOL," or "FOUND $100 ON THE STREET TODAY!!!! IM SOO LUCKY OMG :D:D:D!!!" I am still working on overcoming jealousy; though I have definitely made progress, I still struggle with it from time to time. The best advice I can give to others struggling with jealousy due to social media is to learn how to take control over your attention. When I find myself experiencing feelings of despair and jealousy, I redirect my focus from the social media streams immediately and distract myself with something more productive and less destructive.
There is no quick fix to these kinds of issues that arise from frequent use of social media. It is going to be a struggle, and a journey that will help people learn more about and accept themselves for who they are as people. In my opinion, social media does not have to be a bad thing; if we can learn to control it and not let it control us, it can be a truly beautiful and incredible technological device. Eric Schmidt once said, "The Internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn't understand, the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had." He is absolutely correct. It is an experiment and people should and will find their own ways to work social media in a way that will not be harmful or detrimental to their health. A non-breathing, unfeeling, cold, hard electronic device does not deserve to take away anyone's happiness; take charge of your own happiness and make your life as positive as it can be.
These are serious mental and social issues that people, particularly young adolescents and teenagers, face on a day-to-day basis. These problems that may result from using social networking websites and applications must be acknowledged so that users of social networking websites can learn about the different types of consequences that may occur, as well as how to discourage them from happening in the future. If you know anyone, a family member, a friend, or even a stranger, who is suffering from mental or social disorders due to social media, get them help as soon as possible. Even simply listening and talking to them can make a monumental impact on how they perceive things. I hope that people will take something away from this essay so that users of social media can use as a safe and fun way to communicate and socialize with friends and family from this day forth.
Works Cited
Carter, Sherrie B. "Psychology Today." 6 Reasons You Should Spend More Time Alone. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2012. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/high-octane-women/201201/6-reasons-you-should-spend-more-time-alone>.
Mientka, Matthew. "Facebook And Social Media Activity Reflects Self-Esteem."Medical Daily. N.p., 15 Sept. 2013. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. <http://www.medicaldaily.com/facebook-and-social-media-activity-reflects-self- esteem-study-finds-256832>.
Moreno, Megan A, Lauren A. Jelenchick, Katie G. Egan, Elizabeth Cox, Henry Young, Kerry E. Gannon, and Tara Becker. "Feeling Bad on Facebook: Depression Disclosures by College Students on a Social Networking Site." Depression and Anxiety. 28.6 (2011): 447-455. Print.
Nitzburg, George C, and Barry A. Farber. "Putting Up Emotional (facebook) Walls? Attachment Status and Emerging Adults’ Experiences of Social Networking Sites."Journal of Clinical Psychology. 69.11 (2013): 1183-1190. Print.
Rosen, L.D, K Whaling, S Rab, L.M Carrier, and N.A Cheever. "Is Facebook Creating ''iDisorders''? the Link between Clinical Symptoms of Psychiatric Disorders and Technology Use, Attitudes and Anxiety." Computers in Human Behavior. 29.3 (2013): 1243-1254. Print.
When teens and young adults think of social media, it is viewed as a fun way to be social, communicate, and stay in touch with friends and family. It has become a way of life, something most young people refuse to live without. However, it has been proven to be detrimental to the mental health of many users, yet they still continue to use it on a daily basis. Social media is causing mental and social disorders in teenagers and young adults due to the fact that users are connected to it so frequently and oftentimes feel as though they can not go without it. It is in this sense that social networking sites are like a drug; we know it is bad for us, but we must continue to feed our addiction.
One of the most popular social media networking sites used today is Facebook which has been proven to contribute to depression (Moreno). Depression is a serious mental condition that causes a plethora of adverse outcomes; it makes people less social, have low self worth, and experience feelings of hopelessness and inadequacy. Two of the ways Facebook can cause depression is through posting status updates and scrolling through the news feed. How exactly does posting status updates encourages this mental illness in people? People who post negative status updates about their depressive symptoms that receive feedback and attention from their friends are going to be encouraged to post more pessimistic, cynical and despairing updates. S. Shyam Sundar (a professor of communications and co-director of the Media Effects Research Laboratory at Penn State University) states, “The types of actions users take and the kinds of information they are adding to their Facebook walls and profiles are a reflection of their identities.” He continues to discuss how these social networking websites are deeply personal. As for simply scrolling through your news feed, this can cause depression, as well as self-pity and feelings of low self-worth because it forces you to look at the good news people post of their graduations, promotions, marriages, and pictures of people more attractive than you.
Facebook is a social networking site that causes you to constantly compare yourself, and be made aware, reminded, and notified of the successes and triumphs of friends and family (Mientka). I have observed so many of my female friends complain about their weight after scrolling through Instagram and viewing images of "perfect" girls with big boobs, a firm butt, and a tiny little waist. They are comparing themselves to women like the Victoria's Secret models which is absolutely ridiculous. This causes them to set unrealistic standards for themselves when they are beautiful as they are and already at a healthy weight. This is not to say that setting goals for yourself is a bad thing, but I feel that it is important to make sure that you set realistic goals before attempting to improve upon yourself. Everyone's body is different and not every girl can have the body of a Victoria's Secret model no matter what efforts they make. This is what I try to tell my friends who are too hard on themselves about things like body image after being discouraged from scrolling through the Facebook news feed or Instagram. It is cases like this where it is easy to see why social media can be dangerous. When this stream of news is constantly being thrown in your face every time you log on, how could it not hinder your mental health? Social media networking has become an unavoidable part of everyone’s lives all over the world. Therefore, we must use it with caution and be aware of the negative effects it can have. If we acknowledge the fact that there are unpleasant aspects of using social media and learn how to avoid depression and other possible mental illnesses, then we can continue to go about posting status updates and images etc. while maintaining our mental health. Remembering to focus on our own lives, the positive things about ourselves, and the people we love and who love us is one definite way to contribute to maintain a happy and positive attitude.
Unfortunately, it doesn't stop there. The use of social networking websites and applications can cause an even greater array of other personality disorders such as narcissism, paranoia, and antisocial and compulsive behavior. It also causes jealousy, envy, surveillance behaviors, and the inability to tolerate being alone (Nitzburg). It is evident that social media can have serious consequences and instigate passionate, negative feelings in frequent users. The more a person becomes addicted to and regularly uses social media, the more intense and likely these mental issues become. I personally feel that social media is causing so many of these mental issues in users because it is being abused due to the fact that people (teenagers in particular) use it so obsessively. They become addicted to it and begin to shut out the real world because they fear that they might be missing out on something important; they can't stand to be 'disconnected'. This leads people to develop problems like not being able to be alone. By constantly being on social networking sites and connecting with people virtually, people are never truly alone. Therefore, when they are, they begin to fear being alone and develop anxiety. This may not seem like that bad of a consequence, however, setting aside time to be by yourself is highly crucial to obtaining good mental health. Solitude allows you to reboot your brain and unwind, helps to improve concentration and increase creativity, enhance the quality of your relationships with others, and provide you with the opportunity to find yourself and discover who you are as an individual (Carter). Finding yourself is the process of learning who you are as a person, and knowing what you want and where you want to be in life in order to live happily. By spending time alone, you allow yourself to learn about and get to know yourself better and really think about who you are. I believe that alienation is the key to being a creative individual. When you are connected to social websites and applications all the time, you are constantly being influenced by all the images you see and things you read. Therefore, spending time by yourself gives you the opportunity to think deeply for yourself as an individual with no other interferences and influences.
In my own experiences with social networking sites, I personally struggle with jealousy. I have become extremely envious of other people and find myself wanting all the things they have that I don't. I get extremely caught up in looking at all the fascinating and interesting pictures other people post and desperately wish I could be living their lives instead of mine. When I am browsing through social media, I completely lose my ability to appreciate and feel good about myself and my own accomplishments. It is virtually impossible to focus on positive aspects of myself and my own life when I look through my news feed and it is filled with status updates like "Just got booked for another photo shoot for CoverGirl today! My life is sooo great!" or "I have the best boyfriend in the world, we are too perfect for each other. LOL," or "FOUND $100 ON THE STREET TODAY!!!! IM SOO LUCKY OMG :D:D:D!!!" I am still working on overcoming jealousy; though I have definitely made progress, I still struggle with it from time to time. The best advice I can give to others struggling with jealousy due to social media is to learn how to take control over your attention. When I find myself experiencing feelings of despair and jealousy, I redirect my focus from the social media streams immediately and distract myself with something more productive and less destructive.
There is no quick fix to these kinds of issues that arise from frequent use of social media. It is going to be a struggle, and a journey that will help people learn more about and accept themselves for who they are as people. In my opinion, social media does not have to be a bad thing; if we can learn to control it and not let it control us, it can be a truly beautiful and incredible technological device. Eric Schmidt once said, "The Internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn't understand, the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had." He is absolutely correct. It is an experiment and people should and will find their own ways to work social media in a way that will not be harmful or detrimental to their health. A non-breathing, unfeeling, cold, hard electronic device does not deserve to take away anyone's happiness; take charge of your own happiness and make your life as positive as it can be.
These are serious mental and social issues that people, particularly young adolescents and teenagers, face on a day-to-day basis. These problems that may result from using social networking websites and applications must be acknowledged so that users of social networking websites can learn about the different types of consequences that may occur, as well as how to discourage them from happening in the future. If you know anyone, a family member, a friend, or even a stranger, who is suffering from mental or social disorders due to social media, get them help as soon as possible. Even simply listening and talking to them can make a monumental impact on how they perceive things. I hope that people will take something away from this essay so that users of social media can use as a safe and fun way to communicate and socialize with friends and family from this day forth.
Works Cited
Carter, Sherrie B. "Psychology Today." 6 Reasons You Should Spend More Time Alone. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2012. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/high-octane-women/201201/6-reasons-you-should-spend-more-time-alone>.
Mientka, Matthew. "Facebook And Social Media Activity Reflects Self-Esteem."Medical Daily. N.p., 15 Sept. 2013. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. <http://www.medicaldaily.com/facebook-and-social-media-activity-reflects-self- esteem-study-finds-256832>.
Moreno, Megan A, Lauren A. Jelenchick, Katie G. Egan, Elizabeth Cox, Henry Young, Kerry E. Gannon, and Tara Becker. "Feeling Bad on Facebook: Depression Disclosures by College Students on a Social Networking Site." Depression and Anxiety. 28.6 (2011): 447-455. Print.
Nitzburg, George C, and Barry A. Farber. "Putting Up Emotional (facebook) Walls? Attachment Status and Emerging Adults’ Experiences of Social Networking Sites."Journal of Clinical Psychology. 69.11 (2013): 1183-1190. Print.
Rosen, L.D, K Whaling, S Rab, L.M Carrier, and N.A Cheever. "Is Facebook Creating ''iDisorders''? the Link between Clinical Symptoms of Psychiatric Disorders and Technology Use, Attitudes and Anxiety." Computers in Human Behavior. 29.3 (2013): 1243-1254. Print.
Reflection
In my research paper, I combine all the reading and research I have done over the course of several weeks and present and analyze my inquiry question. I present a good and solid thesis statement in the first paragraph of my paper, however, I could have been more clear about exactly what I meant. I needed to cite my factual statements because some of the comments I made regarding the effects of social media on users seem like conjecture without having the citations to back it up. I still use some ambiguous and vague phrases that might be confusing to readers, or vary from reader to reader. Therefore, I need to work on clarifying my statements and being more easily understandable. I begin to get more into specifics by explaining and giving examples of what I mean in my paper. Once I incorporated my citations throughout my research paper, it improved substantially.