Reasons Why Young People Are Suffering From Mental Health Issues
ANSWER
Reasons Why Young People Are Suffering From Mental Health Issues
Analysts are correct in claiming that the rise of social media has resulted in a mental health crisis among young people. Social media is now an important part of young people’s lives, offering benefits and risks to their mental health. Nonetheless, a significant amount of emphasis has been placed on demonstrating the negative impact of social media in instilling fear and challenging youth mental health. Adolescents’ constant use of online social media can result in various negative or dangerous outcomes (O’Reilly et al., 2018). According to analysts, the risks of social media can lead to stress, Depression, low empathy, and suicidal thoughts.
Seeking acceptance from others is an important aspect of a young person’s life. Negative online experiences can be damaging to relationships and lead to serious Depression. Social media exposure can lead to abusive behaviors such as bullying, which hurts young people’s mental health. Cyberbullying can result in severe psychosocial consequences such as Depression, abuse, anxiety, social isolation, and, tragically, suicide (O’Keefe, Clarke-Pearson, & Council on Communications, 2011).
Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to ‘internet addiction,’ as the allure of the social media platform can be highly addictive. Numerous factors contribute to social media addiction and its negative impact on mental health. Research studies examine the role of personality traits and levels of self-esteem in adolescents, as well as their addictive tendencies toward social media use (Wilson, Fornasier & White, 2010). Analysts are precise in their assertions, attributing blame to the rise of social media having negative effects on youth mental health through components of Depression, cyberbullying, and internet addiction, which has been instrumental in explaining why young people under the age of twenty-five are in the midst of a mental health crisis.
Depression
To begin, it is critical to understand the risks of youth social media use and how Depression develops when young people spend a significant amount of time on social media. Although social media allows teens to accomplish online tasks such as staying connected with friends and family, making new friends, sharing pictures, and exchanging ideas, there are risks of peer-to-peer communication, inappropriate content, and a lack of understanding of online privacy issues that can be harmful to youth mental health (O’Keefe, Clarke-Pearson, & Council on Communications, 2011). Depression is linked to social media usage, which is one of the reasons why communication can give the wrong impression of a person’s physical and personality traits. This may lead to incorrect conclusions about online friends’ physical appearance, educational level, intelligence, moral integrity, and other characteristics (Pantic, 2014). Various studies show that increased internet use harms social relationships, and when young people’s social circle shrinks, they experience increased feelings of Depression and loneliness. A decrease in bonding causes loneliness, envy, and a distorted belief that others live happier or more successful lives (Lin et al., 2016).
Furthermore, commentators have suggested that computer use may hurt children’s social development (Pantic, 2014). Indeed, the relationship between Facebook use and life fulfillment in young adults reveals that social media depression occurs when users have fewer friends, and the number of likes on a profile post decreases. Low self-esteem has been linked to the development of various mental illnesses, including Depression (Pantic, 2014). Seeking self-acceptance in a young person’s quality of life is an important component of developing overall mental health.
Abusive Actions
The next reason social media hurts youth mental health is the rise of abusive behaviors such as cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is a new form of social media violence, and the main effect is to harm the victim’s reputation (Bottino, Regina, Correia & Ribeiro). According to recent studies on cyberbullying, social media and social networking apps are the primary platform and mechanisms for people to engage in negative behavior (O’Reilly et al., 2018). According to data analysis from young adolescents, using social media and sharing various aspects of their lives with others, such as pictures, can result in bullying. Young people actively blame social media for facilitating this aspect of adolescent life, which they describe as common to adolescent life. It can lead to feelings of isolation and negatively impact one’s emotional well-being (O’Reilly et al., 2018). Furthermore, adolescents reported that trolling is prevalent on social media and that this aggressive behavior is widely accepted. T
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The methodical act of making offensive, controversial comments on various social media platforms is known as rolling. Trolling is done to elicit an emotional response and to start a fight or argument. Adolescents are regularly subjected to trolling and cyberbullying, with unmistakable negative consequences for their mental health (O’Reilly et al., 2018). Additionally, the rise of social media victimizes and discriminates against LGBTQ youth, resulting in increased cyberbullying by non-LGBTQ youth. LGBTQ youth are two to three times more likely to be cyberbullied due to their sexual orientation or gender identity (McConnell, Clifford, Korpak, Philips & Birkett 2017).
Cyberbullying that targets LGBTQ youth hurts their psychological health. As a result of these negative experiences, some LGBTQ youth hide their sexual orientation and gender identity on social media for fear of being persecuted. Social media, on the other hand, provides LGBTQ youth with social support as they manage their sexual identities and personal relationships and the social network of support they seek. However, study findings of victimization, cyberbullying, and the provision of online support were all linked to increased psychological distress (McConnell, Clifford, Korpak, Philips & Birkett 2017). Overall, the rise of social media has been linked to cyberbullying, including abuse, victimization, and even discrimination. Cyberbullying experiences are linked to both LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ youth, which can lead to social and behavioral problems that hurt the overall mental health crisis.
The Effect on Self-Esteem
Several factors contribute to why adolescents’ compulsive use of social media is thought to have negative consequences in terms of emotion, mental health, and performance. It has been proposed that social media addiction contributes to lower self-esteem, causing a decline in mental health and academic performance (Hou, Xiong, Jiang, Song, & Wang 2019). Most importantly, it is critical to comprehend what motivates young adults to engage in excessive social media use and how it affects their health and social lives. Some people believe that internet addiction is a distinct psychiatric disorder closely related to Depression (Lin et al., 2016). According to studies on the relationship between social media and mental health issues, it causes stress, anxiety, insomnia, and Depression. However, frequent social media use does not always imply internet addiction. It does not always hurt one’s mental health compared to social media-addicted individuals with uncontrollable and compulsive online social networking behaviors (Hou, Xiong, Jiang, Song, & Wang 2019). More often than not, the primary motivation for this behavioral social media addiction is to ensure they can build and protect relationships.
Addiction and FOMO
According to the findings of one study, participants’ reasons for using social media included a lack of friends, the social necessity of social media, a sense of fulfillment, fear of missing out (FOMO), and the intertwining of social media and daily life (Aksoy, 2018). In another study, O’Reilly et al. (2018) found that adolescents describe social media as an addictive online drug, primarily referring to others with addictive tendencies rather than themselves.
Young people believe that social media can be addictive, taking time away from their families and resulting in negative side effects (O’Reilly et al., 2018). Shyness, insecurity, moodiness, and general distress are all characteristics of social media addicts. Severe internet users have been linked to impulsive behavior, discomfort when criticized, time management issues, and psychological issues such as anxiety (Kumar & Mondal, 2018). Some adolescents, however, recognize their feelings of dependence through compulsive and excessive use. They claim that the primary problem is a lack of sleep, which can impair performance at school and work. According to the findings of the O’Reilly et al. study, adolescents are concerned about the negative effects of social media on their mental health and well-being. It appears that their perspectives are based on the experiences of others or media reports that cause them to panic and fear online interactions, even though such social media use could provide a rich source of mental health support (O’Reilly et al., 2018). This addictive behavior significantly impacts one’s well-being and may result in a mental health crisis.
Conclusion
Without a doubt, the overall negative effects on youth mental health, with much of the blame attributed to the rise of social media, can be severely mediated by Depression, cyberbullying, and addiction, all of which influence their well-being. Some commentators acknowledge the positive effects of young people’s involvement with social media and that it provides them with a social support network. However, there is widespread agreement that social media is a dangerous platform for adolescents due to the numerous risks they may face that can negatively impact their mental health (O’Reilly et al., 2018). Several studies have found that the increased use of social media increases adolescent Depression.
Numerous factors and social media influences contribute to the development of Depression in young people. One explanation is the envy of others who live happier lives. “Over time, these envious feelings may lead to a sense of inferiority and depression” (Lin et al., 2016). Furthermore, if their social network contacts or social bonding declines, their depression symptoms worsen. Individuals who give the wrong impression of a person’s physical and personality traits on social media can harm young adults’ mental health.
Furthermore, increased social media exposure may increase the risk of cyberbullying, increasing feelings of Depression (Lin et al., 2016). Cyberbullying, in its violent form, hurts young people’s mental health and well-being. Repeated online tormenting can be a traumatic experience for an adolescent, causing Depression, stress, social anxiety, loneliness, low self-esteem, and, unfortunately, suicidal thoughts.
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Trolling is the most damaging form of cyberbullying. Trolls’ offensive comments on social media have serious consequences for young people, such as Depression, anxiety, and insecurity. It concerns that abusive behavior on social media is on the rise. Harassing someone because of their gender identity or sexual orientation causes psychological distress, especially in the LGBTQ community. Addiction to social media is primarily associated with young people’s obsession with acquiring and maintaining relationships. This sense of desperation for online acceptance releases undesirable personality traits that directly impact their mental health.
Psychologists are continuing to investigate the rise of social media addiction and the psychosocial crisis affecting youth mental health. Furthermore, there is a need to encourage young people to use social media positively, which benefits their well-being, raise awareness of any negative effects of social media use and work toward prevention.
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References
M.E. Aksoy, M.E. (2018). A Qualitative Investigation into the Causes of Social Media Addiction. 7(4), 861-865 in European Journal of Educational Research. doi:10.12973/eu-jer.7.4.861
Y. Hou, D. Xiong, T. Jiang, L. Song, and Q. Wang (2019). The impact and treatment of social media addiction. 1-17 in Cyberpsychology, 13(1). https//doiorg.libaccess.lib.mcmaster.ca/10.5817/CP2019-1-4
Kumar, M., & A. Mondal (2018). A study of internet addiction in college students and its relationship to psychopathology and self-esteem. Journal of Industrial Psychiatry, 27(1), 61–66. doi:10.4103/ipj.ipj 61 17
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E. A. McConnell, A. Clifford, A. K. Korpak, G. Philips II, & M. Birkett (2017). Identity, Victimization, and Assistance: LGBTQ youth’s Facebook experiences and mental health. 237–244 in Computers in Human Behavior, p. 76. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2017.07.026.
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