Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 631

Proceedings of the 2021 International Conference on Social Development and Media Communication (SDMC 2021)

The Negative Impact of Social Media on People's Lives

Huizhong Pang
College of Letters and Science,The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) , 405 Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles, CA
90095
Email: violethong0222@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
Social media has brought many changes to people's lives. The negative impact of social media on people is reflected
in all aspects of life, social and emotional, while social media brings convenience to life, it also brings emotional
pressure to people. Since social networks are developing rapidly, various social media that attract people are
constantly appearing, and people's addiction to social media is becoming more and more serious, it is urgent and
important to study the negative aspects of social media. In this paper, we discuss the negative effects of social media
on people through literature analysis and case studies to draw attention to them. Social media has brought people the
pressure to constantly check new news, the anxiety caused by comparison, and the depression caused by online
violence. A long time obsessed with social media will lead people into self-isolation, creating social barriers, and
obsessing with a false sense of security on the Internet. Not only will young people be affected, but children will also
be affected in this way, and even more because the information on the Internet is chaotic.

Keywords: Social media, Anxiety, Social distancing, Social disorders, Negative emotions, Internet violence

effects of social media on people. This article is based

1. INTRODUCTION on a literature analysis and case studies of people's
emotional and social disorders caused by social media,
There are many existing studies on the emergence cyber violence due to social media, and the negative
and development of social media, its applications and effects on children's development.
implications, and its positive and negative effects, but
this paper will discuss the effects on people's lives, Society and people need to pay more attention to the
emotions and children. Social media can bring negative effects of social media, whether it's reducing
happiness to people, and sharing life with others can the anxiety and social disorders of being controlled by
bring satisfaction. Some people spend a lot of time social media, the stress of online violence, or even
thinking about obtaining this "satisfaction." For misdirection for children's development. An early return
example, TIK TOK has become a popular culture in to normal socialization, rebuilding social competence
countries all over the world. Many people have received and protecting children's health information intake are
a lot of attention and likes by sharing their lives. all necessary and urgent.
Without social media, these are impossible to achieve.
We must admit that social networks can help us 2. NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL
maintain relationships and meet social needs. With the MEDIA ON PEOPLE'S LIVES
development and popularization of social media, both
teenagers and children will be affected. Many people 2.1 Causes Anxiety and Social Disorders
read a lot of social media content to escape the pressure
of real-life when they work and study. Many people will According to Tarafdar, Monideepa’s statistics and
waste a few when picking up their mobile phones before research in "Explaining the Link between Technostress
going to bed, which will seriously take up their sleep and Technology Addiction for Social Networking Sites:
time and make them unable to concentrate on work the A Study of ‘Distraction As a Coping Behavior.": Users
next day. These are the negative effects of social media can find that they are both a source of stress and a good
addiction. This article will discuss the effects of social place to spread stress. Even if users are under pressure
media on people and find out the emotional and life when using SNS (social networking sites), they will use
the same platform to cope with this pressure, transfer

Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Atlantis Press SARL.

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their other activities on SNS, and eventually build by society for not checking it in time, or being isolated
compulsive and excessive behaviors. As a result, they and abandoned because they have no topic with friends.
embed themselves in the social network environment This fear of missing something is defined as FOMO
instead of staying away from it, and form an (Fear of missing out) on the Internet. FOMO can cause
addiction[1]. The emergence of new news on social serious anxiety.
media is rapid, causing people to fear being abandoned

Figure 1 Profiles of social media news consumers in the U.S.[8]

Robin Dunbar, an anthropologist and evolutionary believing that other people's lives are rich and fulfilling
psychologist at the University of Oxford, put forward a and interesting, and then feel that their lives are very
theory. He believes that everyone can maintain contact boring. This kind of comparison psychology is very
with 150 acquaintances, but can only maintain close easy to cause psychological imbalance, disappointment
relationships of about 5 because our brains cannot and anxiety in real life, and further deepen negative
handle them. There are more interpersonal relationships, emotions.
and this data has remained the same in the history of
mankind. Kyongdal Kim and others believe that social 2.2. Causes Internet Violence
media fatigue is a negative evaluation of social media,
including mental and physical fatigue after users have Social media will cause online violence. The
formed a variety of experiences in the process of using perpetrators will uncontrollably expand their violent
social media [2]. Human beings are creatures full of tendencies and attack innocent people indiscriminately.
desire for new things, so they can quickly adapt to the The victims will be violated on their personal power and
ever-changing living environment, but such desire for even cause mental illness. The violation of privacy is
new things can also lead to being kidnapped and not only due to online violence, but every time social
manipulated by fresh news in social media. Therefore, media is turned on, social media is guiding people’s
too many social media messages will cause people to public opinion and cognition. "Interpersonal
accept too many messages and fail to deal with every communication in the field of social media is different
interpersonal relationship completely. Pendent on users, from the intricate interpersonal network in real life. In
the higher the degree of social isolation that the Internet the virtual world constructed by the network, its safe
may produce. Therefore, college students should also and hidden characteristics satisfy people's psychological
pay attention to it. If they rely too much on social expression of real emotions and fear of being hurt." [3]
media, the more likely they are to be out of touch with Similarly, people will give up hiding their dark
social life, which will inevitably cause barriers and humanity on the Internet, thinking that they will not be
barriers to interpersonal communication. People will responsible and will not be found when attacking other
compare their real lives with the perfect lives that others people on the Internet, so online violence has become a
deliberately create on social media such as Facebook, serious problem. For example, an innocent teacher who

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did not mistakenly believe that he was a cat abuser on outlook on life. Growing children do not have a
the Internet, even though he repeatedly clarified that he complete outlook on life and self-awareness. Excessive
was not the real cat abuser, no one was willing to stop exposure to the Internet and social media will absorb a
the attack. In the end, he chose to commit suicide under lot of negative knowledge and guidance, leading to
the extreme cyber attack, and His family and friends deviations in their growth. “Many children experience
were also attacked. The Mihara fire crater, one of the dramatic changes in early adolescence, although many
top ten suicide sites in the world, is located in Oshima, children can use social media wisely. Excessive
Oshima, Tokyo. A girl named Kiyoko was insulted by immersion in social media and the electronic world has
the world because she fell in love with her female become a key factor leading to a series of psychological
classmate: "perverted" and "dirty" finally couldn't stand problems such as addiction and depression, and
the torture of public opinion and jumped from the crater teenagers are particularly vulnerable in this regard.[5]”
of Mount Mihara. According to the study on the For children, face-to-face communication and
lifestyle of netizens in the 24th Statistical Report on interaction cannot be replaced. The false sense of
Internet Development in China published by the China security brought about by social media cannot bring
Internet Network Center (CNNIC), the more heavily them normal social relationships and social skills.
deCyber violence not only attacks innocent people According to the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ),
verbally, but also seeks out the attacked people in real whether boys or girls, frequent use of social media is
life, seriously infringing on the normal power and related to the occurrence of psychological distress.
privacy of others. The terrible humanity displayed by Among girls, the more frequently they check social
people under the protection of the Internet can destroy a media every day, the more likely they are to face
person's normal life, force him into mental problems psychological distress[6]. Early childhood experiences
and even choose to end his life. [4] Cyber violence not are important for the development of the brain areas
only attacks innocent people verbally, but also seeks out responsible for social interaction, empathy, and other
the attacked people in real life, seriously infringing on interpersonal skills. If there is a lack of interpersonal
the normal power and privacy of others. The terrible experience because of too much attention to electronic
humanity displayed by people under the protection of screens, this part of the child's brain will not be fully
the Internet can destroy a person's normal life, force him developed. Just as dopamine can stimulate diet and
into mental problems and even choose to end his life. fertility, so endorphins released by contact seem to
strengthen interpersonal bonds. Friendship and care on
2.3. Negative Effects on children's the Internet cannot replace face-to-face greetings and
Development communication, and cannot build a complete social
experience and ability for the growth of children.
Social media will have a great impact on children in
the growing period, impacting and controlling their

Figure 2 The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)[6]

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In 2013, among the 13,000 children interviewed, the REFERENCES

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank my teachers and classmates
who helped me in my dissertation research by providing
valuable comments and suggestions, my classmates who
helped me collect cases to give me richer ideas to revise
and improve my dissertation, and my family and friends
for their encouragement and support in my spirit and
study.

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