Topic Presentation
Teenagers now spend a large portion of their time on social media, which raises numerous concerns about how this may affect their mental health. The subject is social since it entails examining people’s activities and interactions in a social setting. The dependent variable will be adolescents’ mental health, specifically levels of anxiety, depression, and overall psychological well-being. The three independent variables are the regularity and duration of social media use, comparison with peers, and social support.
Literature Review
Three articles are found to be essential and contributing to the research. Firstly, Draženović et al. (2023) explore the effects of increased screen time caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health. The results show that social media use, “unrealistic views of others’ lives,” and jealousy are associated with the symptoms of depression and anxiety (Draženović et al., 2023, p. 3393).
Secondly, Berryman et al. (2019) investigate the relationship between online activity and feelings of loneliness and anxiety among young adults. According to the authors, higher levels of social media use contribute significantly to experiencing these feelings, but receiving social support online is a protective factor.
Lastly, Coyne et al. (2020) systematically review the literature on the impact of social media use on adolescent mental health outcomes. The authors find a consistent association between high online activity and increased levels of depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.
Hypotheses and Variables
Further, three hypotheses may be formulated by the articles and the variables:
- Increased screen time is associated with higher levels of depression, anxiety, and other mental issues among adolescents (Draženović et al., 2023; Coyne et al., 2020).
- Peer support and encouragement young adults receive when using social media positively affect their mental health and self-esteem and reduce loneliness (Berryman et al., 2019).
- Jealousy and unrealistic views of other users’ accounts and lives lead to higher risks of developing mental issues (Draženović et al., 2023).
References
Berryman, C., Ferguson, C. J., & Negy, C. (2019). Social media use and mental health among young adults. Psychiatric Quarterly, 89, 307-314. Web.
Coyne, S. M., Rogers, A. A., Zurcher, J. D., Stockdale, L., & Booth, M. (2020). Does time spent using social media impact mental health? An eight year longitudinal study. Computers in Human Behavior, 104, 106160. Web.
Draženović, M., Vukušić Rukavina, T., & Machala Poplašen, L. (2023). Impact of social media use on mental health within adolescent and student populations during COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(4), 3392. Web.