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The positive and negative effects of social media on young people’s mental health
The positive and negative effects of social media on young people’s mental health
Social media is now a fundamental part of childhood. According to Ofcom’s 2021 report, 95% of children are using some form of social media by age 15. Although great for socialising and creative expression, how do platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Tik Tok, and YouTube impact mental health?
Young people use social media for a variety of reasons. For some, social media is an excellent way to connect with others, manage social anxiety and access valuable support and reassurance. However, for others, scrolling through feeds can become a compulsive addiction, fuelling unhealthy comparisons, and exposing young people to inappropriate content.
Positive Effects
Social media platforms provide opportunities to socialise, play, and learn, and can positively impact mental health by helping young people:
- Maintain social bonds and stay up to date with family and friends across the globe
- Connect with new friends and groups of people who share similar interests or experiences
- Access constant support and advice anonymously, providing a lifeline to young people who may struggle in silence
- Develop communication skills while encouraging more open and honest discussion of thoughts and feelings
- Express themselves and develop their personality.
Negative Effects
Interactive technologies are relatively new, and research into short- and long-term consequences is limited. However, multiple studies have linked high usage to increased risk of anxiety, depression, self-harm, and even suicidal thoughts.
Potential risks of social media include:
- Social comparison. Fear of missing out (FOMO) is not a new term, but social media sites can exacerbate these feelings. Virtual profiles allow people to share highlights of their lives, setting unrealistic expectations that leave young people feeling insecure and dissatisfied. FOMO then impacts self-esteem, triggering anxiety and encouraging more compulsive use of social media.
- Body image. Young people may compare themselves to celebrities, influencers, or people they admire, developing unhealthy obsessions with appearance that can significantly impact self-esteem.
- Sleep patterns. Greater social media usage has been linked to poorer sleep quality, which is in turn linked to low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression.
- Self-harm and suicidal ideation. Although social media can be great for support-seeking, certain content can have a negative influence, normalising self-harm and exposing young people to explicit images/videos. With access to online forums discussing self-harm and suicide, young people may be encouraged to engage in such behaviours with devastating consequences.
- Cyberbullying. Young people may enact or fall victim to bullying behaviour online. The Office for National Statistics recently highlighted how 1 in 5 children in the UK experience some form of cyberbullying. Whether through “trolling”, exclusion, or sharing embarrassing images/videos, bullying significantly increases a young person’s risk of developing depression and low self-esteem, making them twice as likely to self-harm.
While social media may be exacerbating existing mental health problems rather than causing them, it is clear that tighter regulations, and education on how to use it safely is needed. If we can create a safe online environment, social media has the potential to be an effective tool for mental health communication. But who’s responsibility is it to regulate young people’s activity?
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Article date 8 November 2021
Article written by Imogen Clifford, Assistant Psychologist, Bristol CBT Clinic