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Impact of social media on mental health

Depending on the type of content an individual consumes, social media can have a positive or negative impact on their mental health. According to the article How social media impacts your mental health, “social media also can boost self-esteem, especially if a person is viewed favorably online or gets a number of likes or interactions on their content. And social media allows some people to share parts of their identity that may be challenging to communicate in person.” It also states, “researchers are discovering that there are some downsides to social media, particularly with regard to mental health social media use may contribute to depression”. Due to the author’s discussion of social media’s impacts, anyone who uses this source could be his target audience. As the author is trying to raise awareness through the article, the tone is generally positive. The purpose of this piece is to inform readers of the positives and negatives of social media through the article. According to this article, the author takes a stance on the topic and says social media can have both negative and positive effects because they are interconnected. If one thing happens then the other follows. 

Although social media is looked down upon by many people, personally I think it’s a great tool that helps us connect with people and cultures from around the world. As a result of social media, we have the ability to raise awareness about certain issues and shed light on current world news. Despite that, I am not denying that social media are also powerful tools for manipulating the news, or exaggerating things, or spreading propaganda. Nonetheless, from my perspective, it brings the social problems to light at the least. In the article, “7 Positive Effects of Social Media on Society” the author Dave says, “One of the biggest positives of social media is that it has never been easier to make friends. Just a few decades ago it was pretty tough to connect with people unless you were the overly outgoing type able to make conversation with anyone and everyone at a party.” and Dave also adds that, “Social media has taken this spread of news to the next level, with eyewitnesses able to report on news stories as they happen. This means we no longer need to wait for news crews and journalists to be dispatched to the heart of the action. Of course, some of you will be wondering whether this is actually a good thing based on how much fake news is spread online. But social media sites are even tackling that problem, increasingly labeling misinformation and directing users to better sources”. The author makes a stance on the fact that social media is positive. The target audience is everyone: those with social media or those who want to get started. The author is credible because the author isn’t biased and gives 2 sides of the story but ultimately agrees with the positives since the positives overweigh the negatives. The author’s tone is positive throughout the article. And the genre of the article is non-fiction because it is based on the real-life of everyday users. The purpose of this piece was to let people know that social media isn’t something that is bad but it is something that helps millions of people across the world. 

Let’s get back to the “impact of social media on mental health”. Many people claim that social media is really harmful to mental health, and that’s true, but only to a certain degree. For example, if someone’s video or picture becomes a success it will attract negative and hateful comments that would drown the self-esteem of that person. But positive comments will outweigh negative comments in the end, which will ultimately lead to a successful outcome. There are also things such as cyberbullying that can degrade the victim’s mental state. Alternatively, the fact that “news spreads fast” can also be a problem when you are accused of things that are not true and in the process, you attract hateful comments that weren’t necessary. But if we really think about it, these problems that happen through social media, that give social media a bad name, can also happen in real life through “word of mouth” that can spread from person to person. As you can see, it’s not necessarily “social media’s” fault that the news is being spread but rather the person spreading it. In fact, social media actually helps a lot of people manage their mental health. By making mental health issues more visible, it helps others to become more aware of them. Many sexually assaulted victims have also used social media to speak out about their experiences and obtain the punishment that their abusers deserved. The trauma of being assaulted is really hard to endure, and then to talk about it in front of millions is even harder. Having the courage to discuss this is truly incredible. The courage of a few individuals helped others gain confidence, which led to raise awareness and help those who needed it most. Due to these individuals, most people now feel less “disgusted” or alone and have less resentment towards themselves. It was a boost to their self-esteem and this was possible because of social media. Anxiety is part of mental health and because it is part of it we need to know if social media has a positive or a negative impact on it. According to the article, “Social Media and Social Anxiety Disorder” the author states that, “While there are possible advantages to using social media, there are a few disadvantages to consider as well. On sites such as Facebook, it is often expected that users will become friends with people that they know in real life. People with social anxiety may, therefore, have fewer connections or trouble meeting new people.​ Individuals with social anxiety who have low self-esteem may express themselves in ways that are not appealing to others, making others less drawn to connecting with them.” But if we also look at the positives that the author has listed such as, “Social networking sites may help those with social anxiety to more easily initiate and establish social connections. These sites may make it easier for some people with a social anxiety disorder to become involved in connecting with others, when transportation, isolation, or fear of leaving the house is an issue. Individuals may experience less anxiety when interacting online versus offline, allowing them to practice social skills in what feels to be a safer environment. Social networking sites may provide an outlet for those with a social anxiety disorder to share how they are feeling (on sites like Tumblr). Platforms that allow for anonymous “blogging” may allow those with social anxiety to feel less alone and look at their situation in a more light-hearted way (such as by viewing silly memes like the “Socially Awkward Penguin” series.” we can say that while social media might make it difficult for people to make friends in real life, it at least helps them become friends with their online friends so they can meet up in person, and from there they can create long-lasting relationships to eliminate the risk factor of having fewer connections or difficulty meeting new people.​ Social media has helped people cope with depression. It has allowed people with similar interests to become friends. In the article, “Contrary to Popular Belief, Social Media Can Have Positive Effects on Our Mental Health” the author Taylor states that, “(The researchers found that people who feel nervous during one-on-one conversations find refuge in social media—especially during trying times. “When people feel bad, they have a need to reach out to others because this can help reduce negative emotions and restore a sense of well-being. But talking to someone face-to-face or on the phone might feel daunting because people may worry that they are bothering them,” explained Eva Buechel, a professor at the University of South Carolina and lead author of the study. “Sharing a status update on Facebook or tweet on Twitter allows people to reach out to a large audience in a more undirected manner.” This demonstrates how social media enables others to share like-minded ideologies and not feel alone and have some confidence. In the article, “Social Media and Mental Health” it states that, “Human beings are social creatures. We need the companionship of others to thrive in life, and the strength of our connections has a huge impact on our mental health and happiness. Being socially connected to others can ease stress, anxiety, and depression, boost self-worth, provide comfort and joy, prevent loneliness, and even add years to your life.)” As you can see, this part supports my statement that social media can actually help ease loneliness. It allows you to escape the stress and problems of everyday life and feel relaxed for a while. “Social media is addictive precisely because it gives something which the real world lacks: it gives us immediacy, direction, a and value as an individual.” David Amerland

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