This document discusses the negative and positive effects that social media can have on mental health. It outlines different social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter and how they are commonly used. Some negative effects of social media include feelings of inadequacy, fear of missing out, isolation, depression, anxiety, and cyberbullying. However, social media can also have benefits like maintaining social connections and marketing for businesses. The document emphasizes that excessive social media use when it replaces real social interaction can negatively impact mental well-being.

1. Scary affects Social
Media Has on Your
Mental Health
You don’t think social media is bad for
you? See facts on the negative effects
social media has on us and why we need to
be aware of what were putting in our
brain.

2. Evolution of Daily Time Spent Using Social Media

3. Different Types of Social Media Platforms and How They Are Used
For teens, Facebook has
become a place where you
share photos and status
updates you would want
your family to see. Because
everyone and their mother is
on Facebook, it's more of a
family platform.
Instagram is strictly pictures
and short videos. You can
like/comment on someone's
Photo, you can even private
message them if you want.
It's less family-friendly
because it’s mostly younger
users.
Snapchat Is used to send a
picture/video that only lasts
for 1 to 10 seconds to all of
your friends or just one. You
can send a private message
and the messages disappears
the next time you look at them
Twitter is used for sharing
photos/vídeos, but mainly
for commenting with little
blurbs on something. You
can share links, get
followers, and follow others
freely.

4. Negative Effects of Social Media
● Inadequacy about your life or appearance.
● Fear of missing out (FOMO)
● Isolation
● Depression and anxiety
● Cyberbullying
● Self-absorption
● A fear of missing out (FOMO) can keep you returning to
social media over and over again.
● Many of us use social media as a “security blanket”

5. Key Takeaways
● Being around other humans is important to our wellbeing, and if we primarily
interact with others over social media instead, it can lead to increased feelings of
depression, anxiety, and isolation because the connection just is not comparable.
● Social media use can be thought of in the context of a cycle. If we start to feel
lonely, stressed, anxious, or depressed, we may turn to it in order to relieve
whatever we are feeling. The more consistently we use social media, the more
likely we are to feel those same feelings again, alongside inadequacy or
dissatisfaction because of continually comparing our personal truths to everyone
else’s masks.

6. Positive Effects of Social Media
● The findings go against what some might expect,
which is intriguing. We know that having a strong
social network is associated with positive mental
health and well-being. Routine social media use
may compensate for diminishing face-to-face
social interactions in people’s busy lives. Social
media may provide individuals with a platform that
overcomes barriers of distance and time, allowing
them to connect and reconnect with others and
thereby expand and strengthen their in-person
networks and interactions. Indeed, there is some
empirical evidence supporting this.
● Social Media is also very helpful for any type of
marketing for a business.

7. Citations
Social Media and Mental Health: The strive for likes on Social Media. blueFire. (2020,
February 27). Retrieved November 2, 2021, from
https://bluefirewilderness.com/blog/social-media-mental-health/.
Social media use can be positive for mental health and well-being. News. (2020, May 28).
Retrieved November 1, 2021, from
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/social-media-positive-mental-health/.
The impact of social media on Mental Health. RISE Healthy Housing and Support Services.
(2021, May 4). Retrieved November 2, 2021, from
https://www.riseservices.org/the-impact-of-social-media-on-mental-health/.