Introduction
New societal trends affect the population’s mental well-being for better or worse. Mental health professionals must remain knowledgeable regarding these shifts and be able to respond appropriately to issues that may take a toll on people’s psyche. Social media is essential in modern society as online interactions become more prevalent annually (Zsila & Reyes, 2023).
However, there are both advantages and disadvantages to this mode of communication. The analysis of peer-reviewed evidence about this topic can highlight vulnerabilities stemming from one’s excessive use of social media. The connection between a person’s interactions with these platforms and their mental health is critical to comprehend for professionals, as it enables them to develop interventions that improve people’s well-being.
Article Analysis
Longitudinal Study of Social Media Impact on Mental Health
The first article, “Does Time Spent Using Social Media Impact Mental Health?: An Eight-Year Longitudinal Study,” by Coyne et al., analyzes the prolonged exposure of younger generations to these information outlets. The author believes that the time spent on social media will invariably increase since it becomes more integrated into a modern lifestyle (Coyne et al., 2020).
However, this fact also calls for research on its consequences. The findings reveal that there is no concrete evidence to confirm the link between the time an adolescent spends on social media and their chance of developing anxiety or depression (Coyne et al., 2020). This notion contributes to the research, showing that younger generations are not as susceptible to problems with their psyche due to their utilization of technology for communication as people tend to claim.
Social Media Impact on Mental Health During COVID-19
The second paper, “Mental Health Problems and Social Media Exposure During COVID-19 Outbreak,” by Gao et al., contributes to the subject in unusual conditions. The researchers highlight their perspective by indicating that anxiety from the overabundance of information during the lockdown decreased the population’s mental well-being (Gao et al., 2020).
Understanding that the constant stream of adverse news might have lied behind this factor is vital. The article provides evidence that shows how the frequent use of social media correlates with anxiety and its combinations positively under such circumstances (Gao et al., 2020). This writing adds more data on the adverse impacts of overconsumption of social media if no other communication options are available.
Beneficial and Harmful Social Media Impact on Mental Health
The third article, “Pros & Cons: Impacts of Social Media on Mental Health,” by Zsila and Reyes, discusses the nuances of this communication format. The authors show that their collected evidence creates a two-fold image of social media’s impact, as these platforms stimulate productive discussions. Yet, they can also expose an individual to disinformation (Zsila& Reyes, 2023).
Thus, a mental health professional must delve deeper into the reasons behind their clients’ prolonged use of Twitter or similar websites. The evidence from this source reveals that the content consumed is more important than the time spent on social media when discussing the link between adverse outcomes and engagement with these online platforms (Zsila & Reyes, 2023). Overall, this article contributes to the necessity to understand what discussions a person engages in when interacting with others on social media.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this paper reveals that specific factors in one’s life may affect one’s mental health, which correlates with their use of social media. The significance of the provided evidence lies in the deepened understanding of processes that contribute to this connection, such as the content consumed. The first major takeaway from these peer-reviewed articles is that prolonged engagement with social media is not a strictly adverse notion. The second idea that needs to be understood is that people who overuse these platforms may be attracted to content that affects their mental health negatively. Specialists can help people filter their information streams to create a healthier infosphere that does not weigh down on one’s psyche.
References
Coyne, S. M., Rogers, A. A., Zurcher, J. D., Stockdale, L., & Booth, M. (2020). Does time spent using social media impact mental health?: An eight year longitudinal study. Computers in Human Behavior, 104. Web.
Gao, J., Zheng, P., Jia, Y., Chen, H., Mao, Y., Chen, S., Wang, Y., Fu, H., & Dai, J. (2020). Mental health problems and social media exposure during COVID-19 outbreak. PLoS ONE, 15(4). Web.
Zsila, Á., & Reyes, M. E. (2023). Pros & cons: Impacts of social media on mental health. BMC Psychology, 11(1). Web.