Social Media: Friend or Foe?

Are you bothered by social media and how it influences you?

That ‘pull’ it has…a desire to ‘just’ check in with your newsfeed?

Or perhaps your own posting is what concerns you — how you react to others, the things that you say, and how you seek to be ‘liked’.

This article is an indication of how, if any of those sound like you, then you are not alone. Why do we continue to engage with such platforms, and what, if any, are the health implications? An evidence-based overview of the topic.

INTRODUCTION:

As humans, we are beings that are dominated by social interaction and integration. It is one of our defining features and, in addition, one of our biggest assets. Social interaction can be key to development, our capacity for success, and our long-term happiness (Shunk & DiBenedetto, 2021).

So, when it comes to Social Media (SM), why are there so many divided opinions?

It could be that our social interaction and participation in social media are alike in name alone. The online world is a fairly new emergence, and when it comes to the history of the human race, it may hold more danger than benefit. There is a mass of research that is growing — the unified theme — social media is not our friend.

This article takes a brief look at the key points, with supporting evidence and insights from a variety of sources.

The Risk?

Humans are bound by habits, especially in the chaos of the world of today, where routine provides a sense of order and control. Our social dependency craves, at least on a subconscious level, that people like the version of ourselves that they engage with.

The online world, however, makes this ‘like’ visible and known, increasing the chemical ‘reward’ that is induced by such behaviour. For better or worse, SM aids the formation of addictive habits (Klobuchar & Lummings, 2022). A particular concern is that SM seems to increase our dependency on technology, such as smartphones.

There is a large body of research that seems to indicate various harmful effects of SM. Increased anxiety levels and exacerbated depression are among the main consequences (Keles et al., 2020).

Over the past decade, there have been a lot of critical points on the effect of SM on teenagers and minors. Only recently have preventative measures been put in place. Even so, most SM sites have an age restriction of just 13. At this age, the mind and body are still learning and are far from fully developed. It is a concern that research reviews show a link between SM usage, suicide risk, and ideation among teenagers (Twenge et al., 2018). Additionally, body-shaming and encouragement of eating disorders were found to be a part of the ‘toxic’ culture for young females (Wells et al., 2021).

As teenagers, our minds are malleable, and concepts of reality are still in formation. Should they be exposed to such an unverified form of information? People are critical and often say things to offend users, fuelled by the notion that they are ‘invisible’, due to anonymity.

The Control?

Be it mass gatherings, online behaviour, or fashion trends, SM can be highly productive in achieving an outcome.

Agency — our ability to be in control. This should be the one thing that every reader should take away from this article: when the agency (the control) is not clear, SM may be doing more harm than good. As with any behaviour, too much and it starts to become a habit, a partially automated task.

The Benefits?

Not all of the research on SM has negative results or findings. There is evidence that it can aid well-being, strengthen relationships and connect communities (Minihan et al., 2023).

The COVID-19 Pandemic was a scary time to live through. The point, however, is that we live whereas many others do not. All kinds of health statistics appear to be influenced by this crisis and this effect is ongoing, as is the crisis itself and the number of fatalities.

The lockdowns, in particular, were a hard thing to be faced with. For many, this meant social isolation, to some degree, for the first time in their life. Friends, family and lovers were separated, with the risk of legal action for those who broke lockdown orders. However, the online world, impervious to the whims of mortals, continued to operate efficiently.

The communication on SM was all that people had and it highlighted the ability for integration that, until then, many had not seen. Interestingly, although there was an increase in online behaviour, the use of SM had a positive effect (Keles et al., 2024). Not only were anxiety and depression eased, as many reported, the rapid distribution of vital information was made possible (Tsao et al., 2021).

The Solution?

It seems like teenagers need to be safeguarded. I do not envy the parents of the youth of today. On one hand, they want to ‘belong’ and be ‘popular’, but they should first understand why SM does not bring these two things into reality. Online popularity does not manifest into real-world popularity.

My background in psychology, in the enhancement of human life, has meant this is a topic I have given a great deal of thought to, over the years. It can be frustrating to read research evidence that indicates such potent danger yet so little legal implementation and public awareness.

I imagine it is very hard for parents of children at this age. If I were in this position, I would stick to what I know, my own background, and/or that which is medically validated.

I rarely voice such stern opinions; however, there are just too many sad stories online to let this be a flimsy discussion. Families have lost their children to social media — it is a serious topic, which everyone should respect.

The Future?

The future of SM seems one that will be built on strong foundations. I think it is important to emphasise the values of the world we know and understand. This said, I can see why some parents see no harm in the use of SM. While this is often the case, especially for adults, their children have minds that are not so resilient.

Growing up with a warped sense of reality and altered self-perception, due to early exposure to SM and excessive technology use, could cause a life that is filled with health issues.

The risk is not limited to undeveloped minds. Adults are subject to the same risks and, over time, and repeated exposure, this can increase. Always have control, and remember your agency, that it is you who is the bringer ofaction and not SM/Technology.

Most governments are in the process of developing legislation, due to the prevalence of negative events and research indicating risk. Hopefully, the online domain for interaction can be utilised in moderation, on a personal basis.

End Notes.

• Social Media has become a valued and utilised form of online behaviour.
• The research evidence shows the pros and cons.
• The severity of negative evidence for young audiences serves as a warning.
• Adults are also at risk of negative mental health issues.
• Limited time on SM and retention of control over such behaviour is key.

Keywords:

#help #guidance #research #intelligence #insight #online #social-media #media #social #online #content #digital #age #teenagers #safeguarding

References:

Keles, B., Grealish, A. & Leamy, M. (2024). The beauty and the beast of social media: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of the impact of adolescents’ social media experiences on their mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic. Curr Psychol 43, 96–112. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04271-3

Lee, A. Y., & Hancock, J. T. (2024). Social media mindsets: A new approach to understanding social media use and psychological well-being. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 29(1), zmad048.

Schunk, D. H., & DiBenedetto, M. K. (2021). Self-efficacy and human motivation. In Advances in motivation science (Vol. 8, pp. 153–179). Elsevier.

Tsao, S. F., Chen, H., Tisseverasinghe, T., Yang, Y., Li, L., & Butt, Z. A. (2021). What social media told us in the time of COVID-19: a scoping review. The Lancet Digital Health, 3(3), e175-e194.

Wells, G., Horwitz, J., & Seetharaman, D. (2021, September 14). Facebook knows Instagram is toxic for teen girls, company documents show. The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/ facebook-knows-instagram-is toxic-for-teen-girls-company-documents-show-11631620739?mod=hp_lead_pos7&mod=article_inline