Problem Description and Purpose of the Proposed Research Project
The use of social media has evolved into a fundamental component of everyday life for today’s youth and young adults. The pervasive use of social media among youth and young adults has been linked to negative mental health outcomes, including anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to investigate how social media usage affects young adults’ psychological well-being with the ultimate objective of informing interventions and mitigation techniques for these negative impacts.
Literature Review
Social media usage has several advantages, including the availability of venues for the diffusion of information, individual communication with one another, and political lobbying. However, there has been a link between social networking site usage and rising anxiety and despair rates (Kross et al., 2021). According to Kross et al. (2021), social media pressures lead to biased perceptions, which result in these symptoms. The media’s portrayal of ideal body shapes may exacerbate differences in one’s self-perception.
The outcomes of a study conducted by Kohls et al. (2021) revealed a link between the use of social media for information gathering and the prevalence of depression diagnoses. Anxiety and unhappiness were at crisis levels just before the pandemic began, causing particular alarm among young people. Isolation was necessary, but it just made situations worse for everyone concerned.
Maintaining friendships and family relationships through online activities may increase the chance of developing depression. There is a link between spending too much time on social media, which can be emotionally draining, and unpleasant feelings. Mackson et al. (2019) found that Facebook Addiction Disorder symptoms were more prevalent in those who reported using the platform for emotional support. Evidence suggests that adults and young adults experience greater loneliness and worse mental health when they rely on social media instead of in-person interactions (Kim & S hen, 2020). One’s vulnerability to anxiety and sadness is increased when they are the target of cyberbullying.
Furthermore, when young people are maturing into adults amid adolescence, they typically seek social and emotional support. According to Orben (2020), the increasing pressures of life and the need for independence make young people more vulnerable to developing mental health difficulties. As a result, an increasing number of people are turning to online groups for the emotional support they require, increasing their chances of developing a mental illness. They may feel isolated even if you reach out to people for emotional support (O’Day & Heimberg, 2021). When people utilize social media, they increase their chances of experiencing the effects of social comparison pressure and unfavorable comparison.
The answers to the research question could have far-reaching ramifications for individuals, families, educators, and mental health professionals. For example, suppose research shows that spending too much time on social media is related to negative psychological impacts. In that case, this may lead to requests for more stringent limits on young social media use or the development of awareness-raising campaigns to encourage responsible online behavior. However, if using social media improves one’s mental health, it may pave the way for social media to be used to promote mental health and overall well-being.
Research Design Description
Data Collection Method Social-media Choice
A quantitative cross-sectional survey was the methodology employed for this research. This research aimed to learn how the amount of time young adults spend on social media affects their mental health. The study employed a convenience sampling strategy and gathered information using an online survey (Ponnusamy et al., 2020). Due to its popularity among young people and its emphasis on visual content, Instagram was selected as the research platform. Researchers were interested in the effect that seeing visual content had on users’ mental health, and the photo-sharing and story-telling elements of Instagram felt like they were created for them to accomplish their research goals.
Methods for Sample Collection and Exploration of Data from Social Media
Users of Instagram who fell within the age range of 18 and 25 were selected for the sampling frame since this age range reflected the population of interest for the study. Individuals were sought out for involvement using various social media platforms and online discussion forums. Convenience sampling was used to choose the sample, and individuals were only considered if they met the criteria of being simultaneously accessible and willing to engage in the study. Following a social media search using hashtags related to mental health and wellness, posts that satisfied the inclusion criteria were selected. The hashtags were utilized to find representative content. For a post to be included in the study, it had to be available to the general public, written in English, and relevant to the research problem being investigated.
Data Size and Data Analysis
The data collection contains a total of five hundred posts from Instagram. This number is derived from the amount of data that can be gathered and analyzed, given the limitations of the research. We eliminated any comments that we felt were irrelevant or did not meet the conditions to be included. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were utilized to examine the data (Ponnusamy et al., 2020). After being broken down into codes, the information was entered into a database in preparation for statistical analysis (Rasmussen et al., 2020). During the study of the data, two problems were discovered: outliers and missing data.
Research Findings
Sixty percent of the 500 people who responded to the study said they spend more than two hours daily on social media. Forty percent of those people indicated they struggle with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. A substantial positive relationship was identified in the regression analysis between the use of social media and the appearance of anxious and depressive symptoms. There was a link between increased social media use and feelings of loneliness, low self-esteem, and dissatisfaction with one’s life. As a consequence of conducting a theme analysis on the free-form replies, it became clear that social media might have positive and bad effects on a person’s psychological well-being.
On the one hand, social media has made it easy for people to find one another and offer aid based on common issues. Users were subjected to cyberbullying, unattainable beauty standards, and regular exposure to news and events that could lead to feelings of dread and powerlessness (Sabik et al., 2019). These unpleasant feelings were a direct result of using the internet. The connection between overuse of social media and psychological concerns, including anxiety, depression, and diminished self-worth, is expected to intensify with time.
In addition, these are only a few mental health conditions linked to excessive social media use. Researchers discovered that individuals who spent more time using social media experienced greater levels of anxiety, depression, and loneliness than those who spent less time on social media. As shown in Figure 1, more time spent on social media was associated with higher anxiety and depressive symptoms among adolescents. In the study, the participants comparing themselves to others, experiencing online harassment, and feeling anxious about being left out were identified as significant predictors of anxiety and depression symptoms. Instagram is the worst social media platform for young people’s mental health, with anxiety, despair, and body image concerns cited as the most common diseases. The poll discovered that social media use was associated with negative body image, poor sleep, feelings of inadequacy, and low self-esteem, among other things.
When considered together, these quotes demonstrate the harmful influence social media use may have on one’s mental health, notably anxiety, sadness, and low self-esteem. According to the research, Instagram and other comparable platforms can be especially harmful. Social comparison, cyberbullying, and fear of missing out may all contribute to social media users experiencing severe consequences on their mental health. The study’s findings indicate a link between utilizing social media and having poorer mental health, particularly in the presence of anxiety and sorrowful feelings (Sabik et al., 2019). While social media can be a great way to meet new people and get support, it also has the potential to expose users to upsetting information, which can exacerbate pre-existing mental health concerns.
Conclusions and Recommendations
The findings suggest that using social media may harm the mental health of individuals who engage in its activities. Frequent use of social media is associated with increased feelings of stress, depression, and anxiety. Individuals who spent more time on social media reported lower happiness and self-confidence than those who spent less time on social media. Characteristics such as social comparison, cyberbullying, and exposure to sad news and events are all potential causes of users’ mental health difficulties. If businesses and governments work together to promote healthy and responsible social media use, the potentially negative consequences of these platforms can be avoided to some extent. Social media companies should focus on delivering user-friendly features that encourage healthy internet behavior.
Furthermore, businesses are responsible for educating and teaching their staff how to use social media responsibly. Employees will be able to share positive practices with their peers. Individuals whose mental health has deteriorated due to their use of social media can benefit from the resources and help that government officials can provide.
Last, consumers should prioritize their mental health by limiting the time they spend on social media and seeking help. The findings emphasize the importance of raising public awareness and taking action to mitigate the harmful effects of social media use on psychological well-being. Businesses, governments, and individuals may contribute to social media users’ mental health and well-being by implementing preventative steps to encourage positive online habits.
Limitations
It is important to keep in mind that the recently published research comes with a number of important qualifications. To begin, this investigation focuses primarily on Instagram; hence, the findings may not be applicable to other social networking sites.
Second, the data may not be as representative as they could be because the sample size is so small only 500 postings were included. This is due to the fact that there were only 500 postings included. The research depends, to a certain extent, on self-reported data, which may be subject to the influence of social desirability bias and may not correctly depict the experiences of the users. Since this was a cross-sectional study, the findings cannot be used to demonstrate a connection between using social media and experiencing emotional distress.
References
Kim, C., & Shen, C. (2020). Connecting activities on social network sites and life satisfaction: A comparison of older and younger users. Computers in Human Behavior, 105. Web.
Kohls, E., Baldofski, S., Moeller, R., Klemm, S.-L., & Rummel-Kluge, C. (2021). Mental health, social and emotional well-being, and perceived burdens of university students during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Germany. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12. Web.
Kross, E., Verduyn, P., Sheppes, G., Costello, C. K., Jonides, J., & Ybarra, O. (2021). Social Media and well-being: Pitfalls, progress, and next steps. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 25(1), 55–66. Web.
Mackson, S. B., Brochu, P. M., & Schneider, B. A. (2019). Instagram: Friend or foe? The application’s association with psychological well-being. New Media & Society, 21(10), 2160–2182. Web.
Orben, A. (2020). Teenagers, screens and social media: A narrative review of reviews and key studies. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 55(4), 407–414. Web.
O’Day, E. B., & Heimberg, R. G. (2021). Social media use, social anxiety, and loneliness: A systematic review. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 3. Web.
Ponnusamy, S., Iranmanesh, M., Foroughi, B., & Hyun, S. S. (2020). Drivers and outcomes of Instagram addiction: Psychological well-being as moderator. Computers in Human Behavior, 107. Web.
Rasmussen, E. E., Punyanunt-Carter, N., LaFreniere, J. R., Norman, M. S., & Kimball, T. G. (2020). The serially mediated relationship between emerging adults’ social media use and mental well-being. Computers in Human Behavior, 102, 206–213. Web.
Sabik, N. J., Falat, J., & Magagnos, J. (2019). When self-worth depends on social media feedback: Associations with psychological well-being. Sex Roles, 82(7-8), 411–421. Web.
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