My stance on this subject is that I believe social media negatively impacts Psychology well-
being. It keeps your attention focused on what is happening on Fantasy Island (Facebook, IG,
etc) rather than the real world of our lives. My own life is an example of why I can say that
social media negatively impacts our lives. It is a bit persuasive and can have folks mad at one
another and they don’t know each other personally. Emotionally led individuals who spend
half of their day on social media is mentally destructive and will make decisions based on
what they have digested. It eventually will become depressing. If social media is going to be a
routine for daily living, self-care must be equally important. Taking the time to detach from it
will be beneficial in having balance. I gave up social media back in 2018. Here is a video to
support my thoughts. https://youtu.be/X_XJ-6-HKzU
Human beings have been developing and evolving communication since their ancient
beginnings. From primitive gestures and elaborate vocalizations to writing, our ability to
interact and communicate with one another is deeply engrained into our existence. But when
another form of communication that breaks into our well-developed social-cultural structures
and interactions, normal social interactions become confusing. Social media is a recent and
incredibly popular form of social interactions that literally dismisses our long-engrained
methods of communication and disassociates us with the people we are attempting to connect
with.
A few years back, my sister started to get upset when no one would comment on her pictures
or posts. She was about 16 then and my mom jumped in and put a stop to that. According to
mom (an anthropologist who literally looks at everything according to human evolution),
human beings naturally crave approval of others because when we lived as small bands of
hunter/gatherers, we needed to belong, to have the acceptance and approval of those in the
group. c It was our survival. c Homo sapiens didn’t stand much chance of survival without each
other. So we developed a drive to get the approval of others, to aim for things that would make
us belong. c Its also possible that its also the reason that we struggle so hard when we are alone
or left out by others. Rejection, in our early existence as a species, meant death.
Now we have a conundrum of archaic instincts vs. 21st century technology. When we
investigate the computer screen, we still see the human side of ourselves and expect others to
see that too. However, when we read or connect with individuals, we are not familiar with, we
have a difficult time see that they too are human. We disassociate with their being “like us"
and become more of a not quite human “other". It’s easy to lack empathy when you do not
really understand That you are talking to an actual living being. Yet, vice versa, the detached
comments or complete silence of those same faceless entities can render us crushed or
distraught. The way our brain evolves and this completely new way of communication have
not caught up to each other yet.
Social media isn't inherently good or bad; however, how it is used can make it harmful. There
are many good things about social media, it promotes connection with family that may live far
away, and it can be a good forum for discussion. Social media can negatively impact some
people through group polarization and a distorted sense of self-worth.
Social Media Favor the emergence of polarizing echo-chambers that reduce users' exposure to
diverse information (Iandoli et al., 2021). This quote explains how, when using social media,
people tend to friend those that share their values and viewpoints. No alternate information is
offered when a person starts a discussion with those of similar views. Their ideas are just
repeated or echoed back. This can facilitate spreading false information, fake news, or
conspiracies without basis. For example, if an anti-vaxxer mom joins a Facebook group with
other people that don't believe in vaccines, they are unlikely to discuss that vaccines do not
cause autism.
Social media can distort a person's sense of self-worth or self-image. People viewing their thin
and attractive friends may suffer from eating disorders by trying to make themselves look like
their friends. When people see posts of their friends doing well, they may wonder what they
are doing wrong with their lives to not be as well off as their friends. According to Strubel
(2018), these comparisons are even more dangerous than comparing oneself to a celebrity as
they are more relevant and ubiquitous.
Group polarization can significantly impact programmatic themes such as social justice and
ethics. Ideas are not always ethical or just because a group of people believes them to be so. A
damaged sense of self-image can cause a person to neglect their self-care as if they believe
they are not worthy of caring for themselves. With a high level of emotional intelligence, a
person can avoid these pitfalls in social media; knowing their bias and having an open mind
and a good sense of self should protect them from the negative impacts of social media.
The article I am using for this discussion is great! It really digs deep into different causes and
effects on psychological distress due to social media. It even acknowledges the benefits of
social media. I am taking the stance that social media negatively impacts psychological well-
being. Although I have seen and understand some positive outcomes, I feel the cons outweigh
the pros. social media can become like an addiction causing there to be stressors in other parts
of life. One good example is sleep. We spend more late nights on our phones scrolling through
Instagram or Facebook than if none of that existed. That is less time for sleep. The lights are
also harmful when in use an hour before bedtime. We are not able to fall asleep quite as fast
and inhibits a quick and deep sleep. Just by not getting enough sleep we then start to
accumulate stress, get tired throughout the day, are more agitated, and lose focus on other
activities. Social media is also a mayor distraction. I can honestly tell you that I have put this
discussion off because of TikTok…
We start to leave things for last minute, do not finish things on time, or are not able to deliver
such high quality. Using social media so many hours a day makes us more sedentary too.
Mental health is clearly linked with physical activity too. If we always spending our free time
on our phones, we are more likely to become stagnant people that have little to no physical
activity during the day. I understand that social media is not the only factor when it comes to
mental health, but it is no coincidence that the number of people with mental health issues has
risen as social media also grows. Social media has never been bigger, and there have never
been so many cases of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, suicide, and more.
Social Media Negatively Impacts Psychological Well-Being----
Social Media affects our psychological wellbeing in many ways, there is Facebook, twitter,
snapchat, emails, smartphones, tablets, computers and list goes on. I find that people today
will hide behind devices and make rude comments, it is easy to be rude if not face to face, we
have lost the face-to-face value of communication. These devices have become a "social
media addiction" (Swar and Hameed, 2017; Kircaburun et al., 2020). These devices have led
to an increase of anxiety, depression, loneliness, social isolation.
Smartphones have become part of everyday life and each of us has our phones in front of us
24/7 usually, although our smartphones keep us connected with friends, family, and work, and
allows us access to every file and web access we may need, it also has a negative phycological
effect on our well-being. At the dinner table, meetings, personal/family gatherings, this can be
considered ignoring those you care for or "phubbing" (Guazzini et al., 2019; Chatterjee, 2020)
.
My opinion that although I am guilty of over utilizing my smartphone, I use it to stay
connected 24/7 with family, friends, and work, I don't allow it to take over dinner time, get
togethers, and the old fashion face to face conversations. During the pandemic social media
was pretty much the communication avenue we had, with zoom meetings, emails, text
messages and new chat rooms. Social Media has become the new norm of communication
with the world.
Reference:
Effects of Social Media Use on Psychological Well-Being: A Mediated Model. (2021, June
21). Frontiers. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.678766/full
Betul Keles, Niall McCrae & Annmarie Grealish (2020) A systematic review: the influence of
social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents, International
Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 25:1, 79-93, DOI: 10.1080/02673843.2019.1590851
Iandoli, L., Primario, S., & Zollo, G. (2021). The impact of group polarization on the quality
of online debate in social media: A systematic literature review. Technological Forecasting &
Social Change, 170. https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.120924
Strubel, J., Petrie, T. A., & Pookulangara, S. (2018). “Like” me: Shopping, self-display, body
image, and social networking sites. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 7(3), 328–344.
https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1037/ppm0000133
Vince, G. (2018). Evolution explains why we act differently online. BBCpage.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180403-why-do-people-become-trolls-online-and-in-
social-media
