theory research

1. Theory Research
How Social Media Affects Mental Health of Women Aged 16-24
Social media has many definitions. It is defined by as internet-based and
networked communication platforms that allow both personal and public
communication. This definition fits with social media platforms such as
Facebook,Twitter and Instagram, which have become mainstays of
popular culture. As use of social media continues to rise, it is estimated
that by 2021,over 3 billion people will be using it.
A study found a link between use of multiple social media platforms and
increased depressionand anxiety symptoms in young people aged 19-
32.
A recent study by researchers at University College Londontracked
three years of social media use by 13,000 teenagers,starting when they
were 13. The teens also self-reported abouttheir social media
experiences and their mood and well-being.
After compiling the data, the study authors concluded that the social
media effecton girls is driven by three primary factors. Boys who
participated in the study did not appear to be as vulnerable to these
factors,which include the following:
 Inadequate sleep—girls stayed up late to continue scrolling
through their social media feeds,a habit known as vamping
 Exposureto cyberbullying—having harmful, false, or private
content about them posted on social media
 Lack of physicalactivity—scrolling socialmedia on their phones
or other devices meant that girls sat for longer periods of time and
had less time for exercise.As a result, they missed out on
the beneficialimpactof exercise on mentalhealth
For example, a 2018 study compared the mental health of 14- to 17-
year-olds who used social media seven hours per day to that of teens
who interacted with it for only about an hour a day. The frequent users
were more than twice as likely to have beendiagnosed with depression,
been treated by a mental health professional,or taken medicationfor a
psychologicalor behaviour issues during the 12 months preceding the
study.
 35 percent of teenagers on social media worry about being tagging
in unattractive photos

2.  27 percentare stressedout about how they look when they post
pictures
 22 percentfeel bad about themselves when nobody comments on
or “likes” their photos.
Social media use can also negatively affectteens, distracting
them, disrupting their sleep,and exposing them to bullying, rumour
spreading,unrealistic views of other people'slives and peer
pressure.
The risks might be related to how much social media teens use. A
2019 study of more than 6,500 12- to 15-year-olds in the U.S.
found that those who spentmore than three hours a day using
social media might be at heightened risk for mental health
problems.Another 2019 study of more than 12,000 13- to 16-year-
olds in England found that using social media more than three
times a day predicted poormental health and well-being in teens.
http://steviechancellor.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/HCML-CSCW-
2019.pdf
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-
mental-health.htm
https://www.commlinks.co.uk/about-us/blog/social-media-mental-health/
https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/mental-health/how-use-of-social-
media-and-social-comparison-affect-mental-health-24-02-2020/
https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/celebrity-social-media-
affects-mental-health-body-image
If you’re spending an excessive amount of time on social media and
feelings of sadness,dissatisfaction,frustration, or loneliness are
impacting your life, it may be time to re-examine your online habits and
find a healthier balance. In today’s world, many of us rely on social
media platforms such as Facebook,Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, and
Instagram to find and connectwith each other. While each has its
benefits,it’s important to rememberthat social media can never be a
replacementfor real-world human connection. It requires in-person
contact with others to trigger the hormones that alleviate stress and
make you feelhappier, healthier, and more positive. Ironically for a
technology that’s designed to bring people closertogether,spending too
much time engaging with social media can actually make you feelmore
lonely and isolated—and exacerbate mental health problems such
as anxiety and depression.
Negative aspects of social media

3. Inadequacy aboutyour life or appearance.Even if you know that
images you’re viewing on social media are manipulated, they can still
make you feelinsecure about how you look or what’s going on in your
own life. Similarly, we’re all aware that other people tend to share just
the highlights of their lives, rarely the low points that everyone
experiences.But that doesn’tlessenthose feelings of envy and
dissatisfactionwhen you’re scrolling through a friend’s airbrushed photos
of their tropical beach holiday or reading about their exciting new
promotionat work.
Fear of missing out (FOMO).While FOMO has beenaround far longer
than socialmedia, sites such as Facebookand Instagram seem to
exacerbate feelings that others are having more fun or living better lives
than you are. The idea that you’re missing out on certain things can
impact your self-esteem,trigger anxiety, and fuel even greater social
media use. FOMO can compelyou to pick up your phone every few
minutes to check for updates, or compulsivelyrespond to each and
every alert—even if that means taking risks while you’re driving, missing
out on sleep at night, or prioritizing social media interaction over real
world relationships.
Isolation.A study at the University of Pennsylvania found that high
usage of Facebook,Snapchat, and Instagram increasesrather
decreasesfeelings of loneliness.Conversely, the study found that
reducing social media usage can actually make you feel less lonely and
isolated and improve your overall wellbeing.
Depression and anxiety.Human beings need face-to-face contact to
be mentally healthy. Nothing reduces stress and boosts your mood
faster or more effectivelythan eye-to-eye contact with someone who
cares about you. The more you prioritize social media interaction over
in-person relationships, the more you’re at risk for developing or
exacerbating mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.
Cyberbullying. About10 percentof teens report being bullied on social
media and many other users are subjected to offensive comments.
Social media platforms such as Twitter can be hotspots for spreading
hurtful rumours, lies, and abuse that can leave lasting emotional scars.
Self-absorption. Sharing endless selfies and all your innermost
thoughts on social media can create an unhealthy self-centeredness and
distance you from real-life connections.

4. Signs that social media is impacting your mental health
Spendingmore time on socialmedia than with real world friends.
Using social media has become a substitute for a lot of your offline
social interaction. Even if you’re out with friends, you still feel the need to
constantly check social media, often driven by feelings that others may
be having more fun than you.
Comparing yourselfunfavourably with others on socialmedia.You
have low self-esteem ornegative body image. You may even have
patterns of disordered eating.
Experiencingcyberbullying.Or you worry that you have no control
over the things people post about you.
Being distracted atschoolor work.You feelpressure to postregular
content about yourself, get comments or likes on your posts,or respond
quickly and enthusiastically to friends’ posts.
Having no time for self-reflection.Every spare moment is filled by
engaging with social media, leaving you little or no time for reflecting on
who you are, what you think, or why you act the way that you do—the
things that allow you to grow as a person.
Engagingin risky behaviourin order to gain likes, shares, or positive
reactions on social media. You play dangerous pranks, post
embarrassing material, cyberbully others, or access your phone while
driving or in other unsafe situations.
Suffering from sleep problems.Do you check socialmedia last thing
at night, first thing in the morning, or even when you wake up in the
night? The light from phones and other devices can disrupt your sleep,
which in turn can have a serious impact on your mental health.
Worsening symptomsof anxiety or depression.Rather than helping
to alleviate negative feelings and boostyour mood,you feelmore
anxious, depressed,or lonely after using socialmedia.
Quotes
"It is natural—if often unhealthy—for humans to compare themselves to
others”
"those who are not able to achieve this truly impossiblelevel of
perfectionsecretly(or not-so-secretly)feelshamed and defective,"

5. "The boys were very jokey about what they would have to do in order to
look like the pictures, but the girls said things like 'You would have to not
eat' or 'You would have to eat and then throw up”
"So in general, viewing or posting images can really make us feel worse
about our bodies,and this effectmay be amplified for celebrity photos"
"Social media has the biggestimpact on those who are the most
vulnerable, whose self-esteemcomes from how others perceive or
respond to them and who want to 'fit in,'"
"So if we see others making these negative comments with no
repercussions(or even praise or 'likes'), then we are more likely to
engage in those behaviours ourselves."
Selena Gomez
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3pLyvKfqftVkM5qSfRx9S2C/
9-celebrities-who-have-struggled-with-the-pressures-of-social-media
“It had become so consuming to me. It’s what I woke up to and went to
sleep to. I was an addict, and it felt like I was seeing things I didn’t want
to see like it was putting things in my head that I didn’t want to care
about. I always end up feeling like s*** when I look at Instagram. Which
is why I’m kind of under the radar, ghosting it a bit”
NormaniKordei
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3pLyvKfqftVkM5qSfRx9S2C/
9-celebrities-who-have-struggled-with-the-pressures-of-social-media
“I’ve been racially cyberbullied with tweets and pictures so horrific and
racially charged that I can’t subject myself any longer to the hate”
“I’m not the first black female celebrity to deal with this and I’m sure I
won’t be the last”
“Hiding behind a computerand putting people down especiallyfor the
colour of their skin doesn’tmake you cool, it makes you a coward”
Kristen Stewart
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3pLyvKfqftVkM5qSfRx9S2C/
9-celebrities-who-have-struggled-with-the-pressures-of-social-media
“I have a private Instagram so I can keep in touch with my friends
because I’m always away”
“imagine sitting here right now and thinking, that’s a good thing to say to
the world? I can’t even understand it”
DanielRadcliffe

6. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3pLyvKfqftVkM5qSfRx9S2C/
9-celebrities-who-have-struggled-with-the-pressures-of-social-media
“I don’t have twitter and I don’t have Facebookand I think that it makes
things a lot easier”
“if you go on twitter and tell everyone what you’re doing moment to
moment and then claim you want a private life, then no one is going to
take that requestseriously”
Justin Bieber
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3pLyvKfqftVkM5qSfRx9S2C/
9-celebrities-who-have-struggled-with-the-pressures-of-social-media
“I’m gonna make my Instagram private if you guys don’t stop the hate
this is getting out of hand”
“if you guys are really fans you wouldn’t be so mean to people I like”
Ed Sheeran
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3pLyvKfqftVkM5qSfRx9S2C/
9-celebrities-who-have-struggled-with-the-pressures-of-social-media
“I find myself seeing the world through a screen and not my eyes so im
talking this opportunity of me not having to be anywhere or do anything
to travel the world and see everything I missed”