SOCIAL MEDIA IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH

What negative impacts does social media have on mental health?

Increased Feelings of Anxiety and Depression: 

Constant exposure to edited and filtered images and lifestyles on social media can lead to feelings of inadequacy, comparison, and anxiety. It can create pressure to conform to unattainable standards, triggering depressive thoughts. In addition, social media often promotes unrealistic body standards and can contribute to body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, and poor self-esteem, especially among younger users. This curated content also creates a distorted view of reality.

Cyberbullying and Harassment: 

Online platforms can be breeding grounds for trolling, harassment, and cyberbullying, which is the use of electronic communication to bully, intimidate, or threaten a person, leading to significant emotional distress and mental health issues for victims. Mental health refers to a state of well-being that affects a person's emotional, cognitive, behavioral, social, physical, and psychological health, which in this case is negatively affected by social media. This is a result of the anonymity and distance provided by social media platforms, allowing for increased bullying. Cyberbullying can be so harmful and insidious because a student cannot escape or walk away from the incident; their social media is with them, constantly, on the phone that is almost always in their pocket. Switching classes or transferring schools would do nothing, and the perceived audience of the bullying can also be much larger online.

Sleep Disturbance: 

Excessive use of social media, especially before bedtime, can disrupt sleep patterns, leading to insomnia and fatigue, which can negatively impact many aspects of one’s life. This is due to the blue light emitted by phones can affect one’s melatonin levels, which signals to your brain that it's daylight, suppressing melatonin production and delaying sleep. Teens can get distracted by social media apps and spend the time they would be using to sleep scrolling through Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Snapchat, etc. 

Addiction and Dependence: 

Social media platforms are designed to be addictive, leading to excessive use and dependency, which can affect productivity, self-esteem, and mental well-being. Social media can be addictive because it triggers the brain's reward system to release dopamine which invokes feelings of pleasure, motivation, and satisfaction. These platforms are designed to encourage users to receive likes and positive feedback from others, causing a release of dopamine. This leads to a dependence on speedy rewards, intermittent reinforcement, a conditioning schedule where a reward is given at irregular intervals, and easy access to dopamine hits. In addition, spending too much time on social media can lead to decreased face-to-face interactions, which are crucial for positive and healthy mental health, as well as social development.

What benefits are there to using social media?

Connection and Community: 

It enables individuals to connect with friends, family, and like-minded individuals globally, fostering a sense of belonging and community. This is especially powerful when these connections, or relationships between people, are not available face-to-face: when people live too far away, when they travel, when your hobby is not popular in your area, or when your local community is too small to support any sort of group for like-minded persons when you live apart from your community           when your schedule does not allow you the flexibility to meet up with others, etc. It enables communication and collaboration across borders, creating cultural exchanges, understanding, and connections that might not be otherwise feasible.

Information Sharing and Awareness: 

Social media platforms facilitate the spread of information and awareness about important issues, news, events, and causes, allowing for the widespread dissemination of knowledge. It also shares multiple perspectives. Sometimes, a headline written by a major newspaper can explain events or sway opinions. It can serve as a powerful tool for advocacy, allowing individuals and communities to raise and mobilize support and drive social change on various issues. It can mobilize support by sharing information rapidly, building communities online on sites like Facebook, Reddit, Twitter, etc., and hosting fundraising events. In addition, social media gives a voice to marginalized or underrepresented groups, allowing them to share their stories, experiences, and concerns, garnering support and solidarity from a global audience.

Networking and Professional Opportunities: 

Platforms can provide opportunities for professional networking, career growth, job searches, and learning from industry experts. Social media platforms are a great, modern way for businesses to market their products/services, engage with customers, and build brand awareness, contributing to economic growth and entrepreneurship. Similarly, communities and groups on social media provide valuable support networks for individuals dealing with mental health issues, illnesses, or specific interests, allowing them to find resources, advice, and empathy.

Creativity and Self-Expression: 

Social media serves as a platform for individuals to express their creativity, share their talents, and explore various forms of art, writing, photography, and more. Many social media platforms provide built-in tools and features for content creation, such as filters, editing tools, AR effects, and templates. These tools empower users to experiment with their creativity and produce unique content. It is a place for people to express their political beliefs and views on world affairs such as war, international policies, presidential elections, etc. Social media has opened up a new era of blogging about one’s experiences and life for a wider audience. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn allow individuals to tell their stories, share their experiences, and build a personal brand. They can express themselves through written posts, articles, or threads, showcasing their personality, expertise, and interests.

Why is social media and mental health important in education?

Student Well-being: 

Students' mental health significantly influences their academic performance, social interactions, and overall well-being. Understanding the potential effects of social media on mental health helps educators support students who may be facing challenges related to distractions from excessive use, cyberbullying, or negative self-comparison. 

Digital Citizenship: 

Teaching about responsible and healthy social media use is part of fostering digital citizenship. Educators can impart skills to navigate social media positively, encouraging critical thinking, empathy, and ethical behavior online. These strategies include digital literacy education to teach individuals to critically evaluate online content, spot misinformation, understand privacy settings, and navigate the digital landscape safely. They can teach how to set boundaries and influence positive online behavior. They can teach critical thinking and fact-checking techniques to get credible content. Finally, teachers can model healthy social media habits and encourage open discussions about experiences, challenges, and successes related to social media use.

Understanding the positive aspects of social media in education allows educators to harness its benefits for learning, collaboration, and creativity while mitigating potential negative impacts on mental health. These benefits for learning include enhanced communications like discussion forums, chat groups, etc. to facilitate communication between students and teachers, which promotes active engagement and quick feedback. Social media allows for collaborative projects and group discussions beyond classroom hours; for example, students can work together on assignments, share resources, and exchange ideas regardless of physical proximity. It also enables easy sharing of educational resources, articles, videos, and online tools. Teachers can curate content, share study materials, and provide supplementary resources to enhance learning. Using social media in the classroom also exposes students to real-world applications of technology. For educators, social media serves as a platform for professional development. Teachers can connect with peers, share best practices, participate in educational discussions, and access ongoing learning opportunities.

However, it's crucial to approach social media integration in the classroom thoughtfully, considering privacy concerns, digital citizenship education, and ensuring that its use aligns with educational goals. Guidance on responsible use and monitoring is essential to harness the benefits of social media for educational purposes effectively. Educators can incorporate lessons on media literacy, helping students understand how social media influences perceptions, emotions, and behaviors. 

This knowledge empowers students to critically evaluate content and their habits and patterns of engagement with social media and make informed choices. During these lessons- particularly for older students- teachers can introduce media literacy and explain that it involves understanding how media messages are created, consumed, and interpreted, identifying types of social media - news articles, social media posts, advertisements, videos, etc- next and discussing their purposes, target audiences, and potential biases. Teaching students to analyze media messages by examining the author’s intent, tone, language, imagery, and any personal, cultural, or organizational biases. Especially as students get older it is important to teach them the value of finding credible sources from qualified people. Depending on the subject one is teaching, it may be beneficial for students to create their own media content, such as writing articles, making videos, or designing infographics. Teachers may also assign projects or activities where students can apply these skills such as analyzing news articles, creating a public service announcement, or conducting a media analysis on a specific topic. Throughout the lesson, it's essential to provide real-world examples, encourage critical thinking discussions, and create a safe space for students to ask questions and express their opinions. 

Preventing Cyberbullying: 

Understanding helps educators identify and prevent cyberbullying incidents, creating a safer and more supportive online environment for students.  Educators should be familiar with what constitutes cyberbullying and be able to recognize the signs of cyberbullying among students: changes in behavior, withdrawal, avoidance of digital devices, declining academic performance, etc. Teachers should foster an open and inclusive classroom environment where students feel comfortable reporting incidents of cyberbullying without fear of retaliation and should teach about the harms of cyberbullying:  anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, embarrassment, and in some cases, thoughts of self-harm or suicide. 

Working with school administration, educators need to develop clear and comprehensive policies addressing cyberbullying. Ensuring these policies outline consequences for cyberbullying behavior and the reporting procedures. They should also collaborate with school counselors, psychologists, and other support staff to provide resources and support to both victims and perpetrators of cyberbullying, encourage open dialogue, and provide guidance.

Educational bodies need to provide training for educators to learn to recognize, address, and prevent cyberbullying effectively. They can implement technology tools and safeguards that can help monitor and prevent cyberbullying incidents, including filtering software, anonymous reporting systems, or digital safety education platforms. Finally, they can support research initiatives and collect data on cyberbullying incidents to understand trends, improve prevention strategies, and measure the effectiveness of interventions to better help students. 

Finding Equilibrium: 

Educators can advocate in their classrooms, lessons, and board meetings for a balanced approach to technology and social media use, emphasizing the importance of offline activities, face-to-face interactions, and self-care to maintain good mental health. They can help students understand the right amount of time to spend on the Internet and where to appropriately spend that time, establishing equilibrium, or a balance between the originally opposing social media and mental health.

Educational Resources: 

Platforms host educational content, tutorials, and courses, offering accessible learning opportunities on a wide range of topics. Platforms such as online discussion forums, virtual classrooms, and educational communities enable students to connect, share ideas, and engage in meaningful dialogue beyond the confines of the traditional classroom. By embracing social media as a tool for learning, educators can foster a sense of global connectivity, promote cultural exchange, and expand students’ perspectives. Students can collaborate on projects, exchange feedback, and learn from diverse perspectives. Social media can truly amplify the collective intelligence and creativity within educational settings.

Additional Resource

Priory https://www.priorygroup.com/mental-health/social-media-and-mental-health

Please note before reading that this organization is a for-profit group dedicated to providing mental healthcare and adult social care in the UK.

This article addressed the impact that social media can have on mental health, and its impact on relationships in one’s life, and shares some notable tips on how one can reach a healthy balance of social media use.

Graphics

Human Performance Resources by CHAMP

https://www.hprc-online.org/social-fitness/relationship-building/how-use-social-media-better-performance-resilience-mental

Mental Health America 

https://mhanational.org/youth-tech/graphics

What can teachers do to help students have healthy social media habits? 

Teach them that there is nothing bad about social media 

Teach them to evaluate and analyze online content 

Teach them to understand privacy settings 

Randomly check their phones to see if they are being safe 

Have discussions about healthy use 

True or False: Teachers can benefit from social media by utilizing it in their classrooms?

True

False

Select all signs of a student struggling with being cyberbullied

Changes in behavior

Constant use of digital devices

Withdrawal

Avoiding digital devices

Loss of school friends

Declining acadmic performance