Health and Social Media

professorlevine2020

Read the article, and tell me if you agree or disagree. Then tell me why.

https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2021-07-20/social-media-is-a-public-health-crisis#google_vignette

brandon123790

I agree with a lot of what the article says. Social media addiction is a thing and should be treated as such. It's a very new thing as well compared to other addictions, which means there isn't a lot of research yet on the true effects of it. I think another big reason why it can affect mental health is that a lot of people endlessly scroll while in bed, which contributes greatly to bad sleep hygiene. Bad sleep is also known to have really bad side effects.

trevormunoz18

I agree that social media has become a serious mental health issue especially with young users and there should be action taken globally/nationally to address this. I believe that part of the problem is that there seems to be less online social spaces for children now then there used to be and so naturally instead these young users are online in social spaces that are for all ages. This is a serious issue as having children exposed to everything on the internet disrupts typical learning patterns and causes both mental health issues and stunted learning abilities. Along with this people of all ages can't seem to control their screen time and developing a serious addiction that becomes debilitating for many. We cannot rely on these people to be able to help themselves, they need help from both people they know and the social media industry spreading awareness and providing some sort of solution.

Emily_M_e

I agree that social media can be harmful, but I disagree that it should be treated like cigarettes or alcohol. People who smoke and drink a lot are almost always somewhat addicted, while I feel the majority of people on social media do not have an addiction to it. Social media can also be used as a resource to connect people and share our experiences in order to support each other. I think the solution to the issues talked about in the article isn't to get rid of social media all together, but to create a more structured system for vulnerable groups such as children who use it. More structure might mean a school district creating a community online to help students support each other, rather than it being totally public.

nfokas24820

I think the article makes a lot of good points about the negative effects of using social media, but I do feel it is a little bit extreme when it comes to treating it like drugs or alcohol. The claim doesn’t feel backed up enough, especially with how the article doesn’t go into detail enough with how social media is used and engaged with. You don’t always have to make an account or be part of a community on there. While monitoring your usage of social media is of course a good thing, the way society has been made today has resulted in some information which may be important or interesting to you only available or most easily available through social media. Personally I feel this article needed more examples and to be a bit more specific in order to really drive the point home.

Esme1260

I agree that social media really has a negative effect on people’s mental health. In fact it can actually make you feel worse. On top of that, there’s so much misinformation, especially around health topics like COVID, which just adds to the problem. It’s super addictive too, and that ends up affecting your sleep and how you connect with others or even with yourself. With all that combined, it’s clear that social media isn’t just a tech issue—it’s a serious public health concern that needs more attention.

carla98e

I strongly agree that social media impacts your mental health in a negative way, many people fail to realize that social media is extremely toxic and manipulative. In many cases there have been many problems that involved social media such as talking bad about someone, posting content without consent can bring problems to yourself and others. As well as body shamming people and creating the ''perfect'' image of a female/male, and it can create problems with your relationships and significant other. However there are some social media that can impact you in a positive way and can help with your mental health such as Pinterest, Quora, Tumblr, LinkedIn , and Lemon8.

Freichers

I do agree that Social Media has a negative effect on mental heath, but only if it’s used negatively. If used positively, it can be beneficial as it can inspire others, whether it is fitness related, art related, etc. and it can connect you to communities based on similar interests. I sort of understand why the article uses cigarettes and alcohol as a comparison to social media; like drugs and alcohol, social media is addicting. But not everyone is addicted to social media. The one thing I found interesting that the article states is that people are aware of social media affecting their mental well being but not everyone is addressing it by distancing themselves from it.

jennaasher361

I definitely agree with this article. As a member of Gen Z who uses a lot of social media I believe that the internet can cause many mental health issues especially in young people. Online, young people can easily see others who seem to have better lives at a much more accessible rate than with previous generations. This can cause people to feel lonely or have negative self worth. Social media is also addictive which may decrease someone’s motivation to go outside and interact with their peers which is detrimental to both mental and physical health. If you don’t feel motivated enough to take care of yourself physically, then you will soon begin to see negative outcomes in your life, thus creating a long cycle.

vanna_f

I agree with the article. I think social media companies have used increasingly predatory practices over the years. Sites like Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok are essentially overloading their users with dopamine, making it so that they never want to put their phones away, allowing these companies to feed ads into each user's algorithims. I myself sometimes have trouble putting my phone down, somI understand the ongoing epidemic of social media addiction. Social media also exposes us to other people's lives, for better and for worse. Influencers craft perfect lives for them to display on social media, even if it's not accurate to real life. Users see these posts and start to feel insecure about their own lives, wondering why they don't wear the same clothes as influencers, why they don't eat the same way, or live their lives the same way.

lucadimnet289

I feel that in today's world people have become so reliant on social media to get a dopamine fix throughout the day. I think excessive use of social media/phones in general is far from healthy. Social media can be detrimental so someone's mental health. While they're scrolling through whichever app, people (especially kids) are exposed to these influencers that have these "perfect" lives and instead of thriving to reach those same goals, it's as if they are living the life through the influencer.

emmaprimes16

I agree that social media can negatively impact mental health, especially by increasing anxiety, depression, and lowering self-esteem, particularly in younger users. However, I think it depends on how it’s used. What you watch, follow, and engage with can create a very different experience. Social media can also connect people, raise awareness, and inspire. Like anything else, balance is important, and I don’t believe getting rid of social media all together would solve the problem. Rather reframing how we use it and emphasizing healthier habits around social media would be more effective. While I believe social media can be addictive, I personally don’t think it should be equated to substance addiction.

zainebzafar12161

I agree with the article because I’ve seen firsthand how social media can negatively affect mental health, not just in others but sometimes in myself too. It’s easy to fall into endless scrolling, comparing your life to others, and feeling more anxious or distracted because of it. I think the comparison to cigarettes is actually pretty accurate. While most people know it's not good for them, they still struggle to stop. While I don’t think social media is all bad and it can be fun, creative, and even helpful. I do believe there should be stronger guidelines, especially for younger users. Trigger warnings, age restrictions, and better education around healthy usage seem like necessary steps to protect people from the harm these platforms can cause when used without limits.