INTRODUCTION

With technology evolving every minute, it’s only natural that social media and how we use it is
constantly changing. Basic instant messaging has evolved into a dizzying array
of ways to create, share and engage with one another. It starts with content that comes at us from
the moment we grab our cell phones in the morning right after we open our eyes, throughout the
work day, and long into the evening on computers, tablets and laptops. It has completely changed
the way we communicate, interact and even how we feel about ourselves and others.

The most popular social media platforms are Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and
Twitter. While social media has given rise to elaborate virtual communities, has brought awareness
to important social movements and has supported fundraising for many worthwhile causes, it has
also served as a platform and source for less beneficial and sometimes troubling occurrences at
both individual and societal levels.

Three billion people, around 40% of the world’s population, use online social media and we’re
spending an average of 4-5 hours every day sharing, liking, tweeting and updating on these
platforms, according to some reports.1 That breaks down to around half a million tweets and
Snapchat photos shared every minute. From uploading what funky food one is eating to the
adventures one is taking, almost every minute about what is happening in one’s life is uploaded to
the audience of the social media. However, there is a darker side to how social media can affect
us. According to researchers, the more time you spend on social media, the more likely you are to
suffer from a mental health issue.

Youth mental health is a major public health concern which poses substantial societal and
economic burdens globally. Adolescence is a period of vulnerability for the development of
depression and young people with mental health problems are at higher risk of poor mental health
throughout their lives. Social media use, a relatively recent phenomena, has become the primary
form of communication for young people. Undoubtedly, using social media can be beneficial

1
Social Media and Adolescents’ and Young Adults’ Mental Health, available at:
http://www.center4research.org/social-media-affects-mental-health/ (last visited on February 25, 2019).
including as a source of social support and knowledge acquisition, however, a mounting body of
evidence suggests associations with poor mental health among young people.

Numerous plausible potential intervening pathways relate young people's mental health to the
amount of time they spend on social networking sites, and the ways in which they engage and
interact online. Widely researched are pathways via experiences of online harassment, as victim
and of perpetrator, which have the potential to impact on young people's mental health due to the
ease of sharing of materials that damage reputations and relationships. It is common place for
young people to sleep in close proximity to their phones and sleep has been shown to be linked to
mental health.

Social media use could impact on young people's sleep in multiple ways, for instance spending a
long time on social media might lead to reduced sleep duration, whilst incoming alerts in the night
and fear of missing out on new content could cause sleep disruptions. Screen exposure before
bedtime and the consequent impact of this on melatonin production and the circadian rhythm are
also possible mechanisms. Sleep quality and quantity could also be affected by levels of anxiety
and worry resulting from experiences of online harassment. Young people are particularly
vulnerable to the development of low self-esteem and this could be made worse by online
experiences including receipt of negative feedback and negative social comparisons.

The abundance of manipulated images of idealized ‘beauty’ online are linked to individual
perceptions of body image and self-esteem which in turn are associated with poor mental health.
It is also important to acknowledge that relationship between social media use and mental health
could be at play, whereby young people experiencing poor mental health might be more likely to
use social media for extended periods of time.

Social media’s negative impact occurs mostly as the result of the upward social comparisons we
engage in while using it. We tend to make note of the contrasts between
a perfectly presented life and our own. Comparisons tend to lower self-esteem, which in turn
increases the risk and severity of depressive symptoms, anxiety and a host of other unhealthy
feelings and behaviors.

Though common sense tells us what we’re seeing is often glossed over, unrealistic or exaggerated
versions of reality when scrolling through social feeds. Perceived perfection in body type, family
composition, idealistic lifestyles and social preference, it’s all too easy to feel inadequate about
our own physical appearance, intelligence, success, lifestyle and even moral integrity.

SOCIAL MEDIA: OVERVIEW

According to Merriam-Webster (2014), social media is defined as “forms of electronic

communication (as Web sites for social networking and microblogging) through which users
create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content.”2
Although the first known use of the term was in 2004, social media use has skyrocketed in the past
several years. Whether live-tweeting bridal showers or making Facebook profiles for their cats, it
seems that people are more connected than ever before.

The top five most popular social networking sites are Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, and
Instagram. Facebook leads the pack, who are not only numerous but also extremely active and
engaged. Facebook users visit the site at least once a day, with 40% doing so multiple times
throughout the day.3

As smartphones and tablets increase in popularity, many social media users rely on their mobile
apps to access their favorite sites. Although social media is accessible to nearly anyone, young
adults are the most active users.

METHODOLOGY

Both the Empirical and Non-empirical method were used in during the research. Questionnaires
were used for the collections of data from people mostly young adults.

RESEARCH DESIGN

2
Social Media: Overview, available at:
https://communications.tufts.edu/marketing-and-branding/social-media-overview/ (last visited on March
2, 2019).

3
Exploring the Effects of Social Media Use on the Mental Health of Young Adults, available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2683&context=honorstheses1990-2015 (last visited on
March 2, 2019).
The research is based on exploratory study on people who use social media and to find out their
views on social media with mental health. It is also to find out whether they also go through mental
issues due to like social media or not. The instrument used for survey is questionnaire which is
mainly based on the inclusive question for people’s view on social media and mental health. This
research is also based on Interview Schedule as survey has also been done through face to face
interactions with respondents and their thinking on the topic.

The research design was done with a notion to bring and acquire knowledge on these important
concerning issues associated with social media and how one could overcome it.

DATA COLLECTION

The data collected for this research is both primary and secondary. Primary, since the data are
directly collected through questionnaires and secondary since it has been collected through a
research from already existing works on the internet.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Social media has been of great advantage but the weight of people unknowingly getting affected
in various way is much more and is of a serious issue which people should be really concerned
about.

HYPOTHESIS

The negative effects of social media on mental health is a serious issue that needs to be brought to
light and to the knowledge of everyone.

OBJECTIVES

The intent of this research study is to explore the relationship between social media use and mental
health in the young adult population. Current research indicates that there is a connection between
increased social media use and deteriorated mental health.
WHY DO PEOPLE USE SOCIAL MEDIA?

It is undeniable that social media is extraordinarily popular, but why do so many people use it?
Research has shown that people are motivated to use Social Media for two primary reasons which
are a need to belong and a need for self-presentation. It has been found that Social media profiles
help people satisfy individuals’ need for self-worth and self-integrity. Alternatively, a Pew
Research Center project found that the most popular reasons for using social media included
staying in touch with current friends and family, although other reasons emerged as well: making
new friends, reading comments by celebrities and politicians, and finding potential romantic
partners.4

EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA USE:

Numerous studies identify connections between social media use and negative outcomes such as
increased depression, anxiety, compulsive behavior, loneliness, and narcissism. The increasing use
of social media by young adults raises concerns about these possible negative effects of its use. If
social media use can be linked to negative outcomes, people need to devote more attention to
understanding factors associated with negative mental health outcomes and how to bring down
these outcomes.

The idea that Internet use may have a negative effect on one’s wellbeing is not new. In 1995, The
Home Net Project provided Internet access and a computer to 93 households that had no previous
Internet experience and tracked their psychological health over several years.5 After the initial year
of Internet use the researchers concluded that greater use of the Internet was associated with more
signs of loneliness and depression. In 2012, Rosen, Cheever, and Carrier coined the term
“iDisorder,” defined as the negative relationship between technology usage and psychological
health. More recently, researchers have turned towards social media, seeking to determine if it has
deleterious effects on mental health. In 2013, Rosen et al. studied the Facebook usage of 1,143

4
Ibid at 3
5
IDisorder: Understanding our obsession with technology and overcoming it, available
at:https://www.researchgate.net/.../262873808_iDisorder_understanding_our_obsession_wi... (last visited on March
5, 2019).
college-age students. The researchers found that major depressive disorder, dysthymia, bipolar-
mania, narcissism, antisocial personality disorder, and compulsive behavior were predicted by one
or more Facebook usage variables (general use, number of friends, use for image management).6

POSITIVE EFFECTS
There are some positive aspects to social media. It’s important to remember that teens are
hardwired for socialization, and social media makes socializing easy and immediate. Teens who
struggle with social skills, social anxiety, or who don’t have easy access to face-to-face socializing
with other teens might benefit from connecting with other teens through social media.

Teens in marginalized groups—including LGBTQ teens and teens struggling with mental health
issues—can find support and friendship through use of social media. When teens connect with
small groups of supportive teens via social media, those connections can be the difference between
living in isolation and finding support.

Social media benefits adolescents by enabling them to enhance their communication skills and
social connections. Social media sites and apps allow adolescents to make new friends, exchange
ideas and pictures, develop new interests and experiment with new forms of self-expression. When
youth use them, they can learn basic social and technical skills that are important for functioning
in day-to-day society. Most adolescents use social media to build on social communication and
friendships taking place at school or during sports and other activities and extend it to the online
world. They are not necessarily meeting new people so much as enriching their currently existing
friendships. Because of this, barring teens from social media use could potentially deprive them of
valuable learning experiences and limits their social lives. However, the weight of the negative
effects seem to be more than the benefits.

NEGATIVE EFFECTS

The rise of social media has meant that we as a global population are more connected than we have
ever been in the history of time.

However, our reliance on social media can have a detrimental effect on our mental health, with the
average people checking their phone as much 28 times a day.

6
Ibid at 4
While social media platforms can have their benefits, using them too frequently can make you feel
increasingly unhappy and isolated in the long run.
A number of studies have found an association between social media use and depression, anxiety,
sleep problems, eating issues, and increased suicide risk, using social media could lead to
symptoms of depression if the site triggered feelings of envy in the user. Numerous studies identify
connections between social media use and negative outcomes such as increased depression,
anxiety, compulsive behavior, loneliness, and narcissism. The burgeoning use of social media by
young adults raises concerns about these possible negative effects of its use. Some of negative
effects are listed below:

1. Decreased self-esteem (which often works hand in hand with eating disorders and
body dysmorphia): We all have our fair share of insecurities, some that we speak about
openly and others that we prefer to keep to ourselves. However, comparing yourself to
others on social media by stalking their aesthetically perfect Instagram photos or staying
up to date with their relationship status on Facebook could do little to assuage your feelings
of self-doubt. Everything from physical appearance to life circumstances to perceived
successes and failures are under a microscope on social media. Thus, whilst comparing
one’s self esteem tend to decrease and starts feeling insecure of oneself which consequently
leads to eating order).
2. Depression/depressive symptoms: A research has found that time spent on social media
was positively correlated with depression. It was found out that participants who spent
more time online and those who performed more social media image management
evidenced more clinical symptoms of major depression. A study of university students
found that more intense social media use predicted increased loneliness. The use of
multiple social media platforms was more strongly associated with depression and anxiety
than the amount of time spent online.
3. Human connection: As human beings, it’s so important for us to be able to communicate
and forge personal connections with one another. However, it can be hard to do so when
we’re glued to rectangular screens, becoming more acquainted with our friends’ digital
facades than their real-life personas. Stina Sanders, a former model who has 107,000
 followers on Instagram, explained how social media sometimes makes her feel like she’s
being left out.7
4. Changes mindset: Social media has become a platform where people are rushing to update
hot news. It can be clearly seen during an incident, people rather than rushing to help the
victims, they reach out for their cell phones and start filming it so that they can upload.
Even while going to a restaurant, as soon as the food arrives on the table, it has become a
mandatory tradition to click pictures of the food until it becomes cold, so that you can get
an aesthetic Instagram feed.
5. Sleep: Having enough sleep is very important. However, many of us use our phones too
soon before choosing the hit the hay, making it harder to doze off. “Getting worked up with
anxiety or envy from what we see on social media keeps the brain on high alert, preventing
us from falling asleep,”8 explained Dr Bono. “Plus, the light from our mobile device just
inches from our face can suppress the release of melatonin, a hormone that helps us feel
tired.”9
6. Fear of missing out: As we see photos of our friends having fun on our social media feeds,
FOMO (fear of missing out), a type of social anxiety, is becoming more prevalent. FOMO
is defined as “a pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences
from which one is absent.”10 FOMO is associated with decreased mood, decreased life
satisfaction and an increased need to browse social media feeds and check messages.
7. Negative body image: Magazines and television have been previously blamed for
portraying unrealistic and unattainable “ideal” body image to us, and now, social media
isn’t far behind them in making us feel inadequate about how we look. Despite the fact that
many social media platforms make it so easy for us to earn approval for our appearance or
to compare ourselves to others, not much is yet known about the harmful effects of heavy
social media use on the way we view our bodies. In the recent years, psychologists have

7
Six ways social media negatively affects youe mental health, available at:
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/social-media-mental-health-negative-effects-
depression-anxiety-addiction-memory-a8307196.html (last visited on March 10, 2019).
8
Ibid at 6
9
Ibid
10
Five Negative Effects of Social Media on Mental Health, available at:
https://neurogum.com/blogs/thinktank/five-negative-effects-of-social-media-on-mental-health (last visited on March
10, 2019).
 discovered strong evidence linking social media use to negative body image, self-
objectification and eating disorders in teenagers.11
8. Addiction to social media: Scientists have discovered that social media use, including
receiving likes and comments on our posts, as well social interactions via social networking
platforms, results in the release of dopamine in our brains (which explains why we love
receiving new notifications). Dopamine is the neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger that
is associated with pleasure and rewarding experiences, and is also released following
positive social interactions in real life. It has been found that using social media platforms
such as Facebook can activate specific brain regions involved in the processing and
anticipation of rewards, motivating us to stay active on social media
9. Suicidal thoughts: When people surf social media, they get exposure to pages on social
media that trigger suicidal thoughts. There are instances where a person is encouraged
through videos, whereby a thinking will be put into their head that killing oneself solves
all the problems which makes them more depressed thus leading to taking one’s life.

Some key indicators to be aware of:

 Low or decreased self-esteem during or after using social media.
 Negatively comparing yourself to others via their social media content.
 Repetitively focusing on your own short comings or distress while viewing others’ social
media feeds.
 Frequently feeling envious of others while engaged with social media.
 Using social media as your prime leisure activity.
 Feeling disconnected from friends and family or not interacting with them in person as
often as you normally would.
 inability to concentrate.
 Increased or unusual social anxiety when interacting with people offline.
 Feeling a need to share everything you’re doing offline on social media.
 Experiencing the negative emotional experience, “FOMO” (Fear of Missing Out) during
or after viewing others’ online activity.

11
Ibid
  Consciously, consistently using social media as a distraction to avoid or suppress
unpleasant emotions.
 Irregular or disordered sleeping patterns.
 Increase in fatigue and or stress during or after using social media.

FINDINGS OF THE RESEARCH

Out of 30 respondents maximum was 12 respondents, who were aged 19, followed by age 20 where
there were 8 respondents. Next was aged 18, having 7 respondents and 2 respondents aged 22 and
finally 1 respondent aged 42.

Out to total 30 respondents, 15 respondents were Male forming 50% and 15 respondents were
Female forming the rest of 50%. Equal number of both genders were taken into consideration for
fair analysis of the research.
From the above pie chart, it can be concluded that 96.6% out of 100% uses social media that is 29
out of out of 30 respondents uses social media and only 1 does not.

From the above graph we can see that, the maximum hour the respondents spent on social media
was 10 hours and it also had the maximum number of respondents which was 5 out of 30. Followed
by 8, 6 and 4 hours with 4 respondents each. The minimum hour spent on social media was 30
Minutes by 1 respondent and rest fell in between.

From the above pie chart, we can conclude that 17 respondents (56. 7%) thinks that Social Media
has more disadvantages than advantages agreed by 2 respondents (6.7%) and rest 11 respondents
(36.7%) feels that Social Media is both advantageous and disadvantageous.
Upon being asked if they ever found themselves body shaming because of the contents they came
across on Social Media, 53.3% responded with a yes and 26.7% responded no and rest 20% was
in between yes and no. From the response of the questionnaire there were more female who
responded yes than male to this question.

From the graph given above, we can figure out that that Maximum hours the responded sleep is 8
hours which consisted of both male and female and minimum of 5 hours which consisted of mostly
female.

It can be concluded that maximum respondents of 20 (66.7%) agrees that their sleep cycle/ routine
does gets disturbed due to the amount of time they spend of Social Media. Meanwhile, 7
respondents (23.3%) agrees that Social Media use does as well as doesn’t hamper their sleep
routine and 3 respondents (10%) says that Social Media doesn’t disturb their sleep cycle.
21 respondents (70%) of the total responded that they are conscious about what people would think
about their posts and photos on social media. 5 respondents (16.7%) responded with a no. And rest
4 respondents (13.3%) responded a maybe with utmost confusion.

15 respondents (51.7%) responded with a yes when questioned if they were left jealous, upset,
unnerved and stressed after using social media. 7 (24.1%) responded with no and another 7
respondents responded with a maybe.

From the above chart, we can see that 17 respondents (56.7%) said that they found it difficult not
to engage in social even if they didn’t want to and 11 respondents said that they did find any
difficulty in not engaging in social media and rest 2 respondent (6.7%) were unsure and responded
with maybe.
We can figure it out that, 21(70%) out of 30 respondents often found themselves engrossed in
social media. On the other hand, 5 respondents (16.7%) were not sure and remaining 4 were
responded with a no meaning that they didn’t find themselves often engrossed in social media.

Upon being asked if social media created distance among the family members, 17 (56.7%) out of
30 responded saying yes, it does create distance among family members. 9 (30%) responded with
a no and remaining 4 (13.3%) with a maybe.

Upon being enquired if the respondents found their desire to use social media rapidly increasing,
17 respondents (56.7%) responded with a yes agreeing that they did find their desire to use social
media rapidly growing. Whereas, 7 respondents (23.3%) replied with a maybe and 6 others(20%)
with a no.
From the above chart, we can see that on being asked if there was a possibility that social media
could brainwash the thinking of a person, Maximum responded with a yes, that is 25(83.3%) out
of 30 respondents saying yes that there is a possibility of social media brainwashing the thinking
of a person. 3(10%) responded with a maybe and 2 (6.7%) responded with a no.

From the above chart, we can figure out that 15(50%) respondents feels bad or insecure when no
one like or comments on their posts. 15 respondents mostly consisted of female than male. 9(30%)
responded with a no, and 6(20%) were no sure and decided to go with maybe.

Upon being enquired if social media use, isolated people from close contact and communication
with others, maximum of 21(70%) respondents responded with a yes agreeing that social media
does isolate people from others. Meanwhile, there was only 1(3.3%) respondent who disagreed
and 8 respondents (26.7%) who were not sure.

Some of the suggestion given by the Respondents are:

 Use phone only for calling purpose

 Engage in exercises.
 Use it mindfully
 By engaging one in games, cultural activities, reading, traveling and exploring to new
places.
 Engage yourself in outdoor activities
 Getting involve in studies. Involve in some useful works.
 control oneself and make certain timings for using social media
 Spend more time with family and friends and explore our hobbies like singing and dancing
which would help our self.
 spend more time on outdoor activities
 distance yourself from social media and only use it when necessary
 remind oneself to spend more time with people around you and not on social media with
someone you don’t know
 Stop worrying about missing out
 decrease the use of social media and keeping away cell phone
 delete social media apps
 engage in other activities that diverts one’s mind from using social media
 turn off your computer and make your own annoying memories
 show less interest to it and stay engaged in other activities
 Deactivate social media accounts and be less interested towards technologies
 selflove yourself and be less influenced by social media.
 Ban some of the addictive applications

ANALYSIS OF VIEWS OF ALL THE RESPONDENT

RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

If you want to cut back on social media, it’s not nearly as impossible as you might expect.
Recognizing that excessive social media use is actually undermining your health and happiness is
a huge first step. Some of the following suggestions could also be taken:

 Turn off your notifications for at least a few hours each day (which you can gradually
increase); put your phone in “Airplane” mode or “Do Not Disturb”.
 Delete apps that contribute to unhealthy body image or other feelings of inadequacy. Add
apps that help you feel better about yourself or inspire you to engage in healthy behaviors.
 Use an alarm clock instead of relying on your phone as an alarm to prevent you from using
your phone the minute you wake up.
 Take a day off from social media to focus on other things. Sunday is a good suggestion
since it is a day when you probably aren’t in school or at work.
 Consider putting your phone in grayscale. This makes your phone less enticing to look at.
With the colorful apps and notifications changed to gray, they may be easier to ignore.
 Set boundaries or only certain times when you can check your notifications.
 Start a habit of placing your phone near the door when you come home — doing it with a
friend, partner, or family member can help you stay motivated and accountable.
 Make a plan with a group of friends to spend more time hanging out in person and less
time interacting via social media.
 Substitute your social media time with face-to-face activities with family and friends who
support and care about you.
 Get moving toward something better when you feel a need to hit social media. Exercise.
Meditate. Going outside for some fresh air and activity can fire up your muscles and give
your mood a positive boost. Find a new healthy hobby; learn a new skill or language. Of
great importance, get some sleep.
 Take some time away from the Internet as a whole to remove the temptation of logging
onto your favorite social media platforms. Take social media off your radar by uninstalling
apps, removing shortcuts from your home screens and bookmarks from your browsers.
 This makes getting to social media platforms longer and requires more effort. Sometimes,
out of sight, out of mind really does ring true.
 If you must engage on social media, lay down clear limits in advance for how many times
a day, and for how long you will spend online. Steer clear of content and platforms that
bring you down or evoke negative responses. Set a timer to help stay on track and be
accountable. You may also want to limit your online social interactions to one device.
 Remember, you’re not alone. Reach out to others, friends, family, and people specialized
in addiction and mental health. They’re there to help.
 Reminding yourself that social media isn’t a representation of reality.

CONCLUSION

Given that there will always be someone who’s taller, richer, better-looking, who has more
friends, a better job, etc., we can either allow ourselves to fall into the dangerous trap of
comparison, or we can choose to remember that regardless of what others around you appear to
have, everyone is grappling with their own struggles. Also, important to remember is that for
every person that seems to have more, there is another with less. For each individual whose
qualities you covet, there’s someone out there who wishes they had what you have. If we can’t
change our outer circumstances, at least we can try to change our perspective and learn to be
grateful for what we have. We can also learn to celebrate other’s successes. Sharing in other
people’s joy can often lift our spirits.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Exploring the Effects of Social Media Use on the Mental Health of Young Adults, available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2683&context=honorstheses1990-2015
(last visited on March 2, 2019).

Six ways social media negatively affects youe mental health, available at:
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/social-media-mental-health-
negative-effects-depression-anxiety-addiction-memory-a8307196.html (last visited on March 10,
2019).

Social Media and Adolescents’ and Young Adults’ Mental Health, available at:
http://www.center4research.org/social-media-affects-mental-health/ (last visited on February 25,
2019).

IDisorder: Understanding our obsession with technology and overcoming it, available at:

https://www.researchgate.net/.../262873808_iDisorder_understanding_our_obsession_wi...(last
visited on March 5, 2019).

Five Negative Effects of Social Media on Mental Health, available at:

https://neurogum.com/blogs/thinktank/five-negative-effects-of-social-media-on-mental-health
(last visited on March 10, 2019).