Dangers of Social Media Essay Sample

Analysts are appropriate in their declarations suggesting that we are in the middle of a mental health crisis due to the rise of social media. Social media currently endures as a meaningful part of existence providing possible benefits and threats to mental health. Nonetheless, there has been a significant amount of emphasis on demonstrating the negative impact of social media that creates fear and challenges the mental wellbeing of individuals. The constant use of online social media can lead to countless negative or even dangerous outcomes for individuals. Social media creates risks to mental health like compulsive behavior, depression, and a fear of missing out. These risks are instrumental to the reasoning behind why analysts are saying we are in the middle of a mental health crisis.

Social media has been criticized for how it affects mental health for the previous couple of years. People have been speaking out, saying that social media causes depression and anxiety. Social media can not replace face-to-face interactions since people can identify the faces of people they care about. Stress is reduced, and their mood is improved. The more people prioritize social media over in-person interactions, the more they are at risk for depression and anxiety (Robinson). Also, when viewing other people’s pictures, they can cause people to feel envious and inadequate to others (Robinson). Furthermore, social media also induces a fear of missing out. When people notice people performing an activity that they want to do on social media; the idea of missing out hurts their self-esteem and can trigger anxiety.

With the growing concern about social media’s effects on mental health, you are probably inquiring, why do we keep employing it? Moreover, if we know it ruins our mental health, it is not reasonable to continue to employ it. According to McLean Hospital, since the outcome is unpredictable, the behavior is likely to repeat itself. One does not recognize the amount of likes or comments they will receive, so it keeps them engaged (Sperling). Think of it like a slot machine, if players knew they were going to gain money, they would never play. It is the same with social media. If people recognized the amount of likes they were going to receive, they would never post. Dr. Sperling, furthermore, says that social media platforms are built to be addictive. They release a “feel-good chemical” linked to pleasurable acts like eating and social interaction (Sperling). Social media's addictive nature creates a loop in which people overuse it, lose human interaction, and later develop depression and anxiety.

Social media is not an overall awful commodity, however. Some analysts suggest it can be employed to connect with family members who live on the other side of the world, promote charitable opportunities, and construct new social connections. Sadly, social media’s addictive nature leads to overuse. Consequently, beneficial aspects of social media become disregarded as people use it for the wrong reasons. A study in 2017 found that people that use social media more than 2 hours per day are more likely to categorize their mental health as poor compared to occasional users (Gordon). Another study supported this claim, saying that young adults who employ social media periodically are three times more likely to experience symptoms of depression than heavy users (Gordon). Simply put, people use social media too much; furthermore it ruins our mental health, but since they are so addicted to it, they keep coming back for more.

Undoubtedly, the overall harmful effects of much of the responsibility attributed to the rise of social media on people's mental health can be severely mediated by depression and addiction that influences their wellbeing. Some recognize the positive effects of people’s use of social media and that it issues them with a deep social foundation. However, there is an overwhelming consensus that social media is a dangerous platform for people as there are countless risks they may encounter that can affect their mental health. Psychologists continue to explore the rise of social media dependency and the crisis on people’s mental health. Furthermore, there is a need to encourage everyone to employ social media in a positive manner that is beneficial for their wellbeing and promote awareness of any negative effects of social media usage and work towards prevention.