Millennials are the heaviest users of social media, with 75% having profiles in 2015. While social media allows connection and support seeking, it can also negatively impact mental health. Nearly half of millennials report concerns that social media is harming their mental and physical health. Teens who use social media for over two hours daily show poorer mental health outcomes. However, social media also benefits education and maintaining connections for many.

1. Effects of Social Media on
Millenials
BY: OLIVIA HANNIGAN
Photo by: Jason Howie

2. Photo by: Tobi Gaulke
SO·CIAL ME·DI·A
forms of electronic communication (as
websites for social networking and
microblogging) through which users create
online communities to share information,
ideas, personal messages, and other content
(as videos) Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2017

3. Photo by: Andrew Malone
Social media allows teens to
be more vulnerable to certain
forms of advertising. For most
brands, a social media
presence and communication
is critical. Source:Module 02 Lecture 02 Public
Relations

4. Photo bY: M.o.B 68
Today’s
teenagers
are the
heaviest
users of
social
media.
In 2015, 75% of teens in
the USA had profiles on
social media sites.
Of this,
68% used
Facebook
as their
main social
networking
tool.
Source:Ramasubbu, Suren."Influence of Social Media on
Teenagers." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com,
26 May 2015.Web. 01 Mar. 2017.

5. Photo by: Sarah Marshall

6. Photo by: Tobi Gaulke
Spiral of Silence
If we fear that our ideas or
opinions are not socially
acceptable we will be careful to
self-censor in order to avoid
ostracism or ridicule from our
peers. Source:Module 01 Lecture 02 Media Use
Research Pt 2 of 2

7. Photo by: Ronaldo Lima Jr.
“People are less willing to discuss
controversial political issues via
social media than they are in face-
to-face settings. Social media users are
actually less likely to speak
up about political issues
(online or off) than those who
don’t use Facebook or
Twitter.” Source:Module 01 Lecture 02 Media Use
Research Pt 2 of 2 (Pew Internet 2014
survey)

8. Photo by: Global Panorama
Are there any benefits?

9. Photo by: byronv2
Those who identify as
frequent social media users
are more likely to graduate
from a higher level of
education. Source:Module 01 Lecture 02 Media Use
Research Pt 2 of 2

10. Photo by: Alexander Lyubavin
“Unlike a mirror, which
remind us of who we
really are and may
have a negative effect
on self-esteem,
Facebook can show a
positive version of
ourselves - that’s a
positive psychological
benefit.” Source:Module 01 Lecture 02 Media Use
Research Pt 2 of 2 ; Jeffrey Hancock,
published in Cyberpsychology, Behaviour
and Social Networking; research from
Cornell University

11. Photo by: Frederico Cintra
“Social media seems an ideal platform
on which this support can be sought
and provided. Those feeling isolated,
or with no one to talk to, can reach
out and find others in similar
situations, construct support networks,
and share advice.” "Social media and mental health:friends or
foes?" Varsity Online.N.p., 1 Mar. 2017.Web.
02 Mar. 2017.

12. Photo by: Duane Storey
What about the consequences?

13. Photo by: Stefano Montagner
Personalization
demassification
Source:Module 01 Lecture 01 Media Convergence
“This personalization creates
a unique information
ecosystem for every person.
Let’s call it a filter bubble.”
Source:Module 01 Lecture 02 Pt 2 of 2 Media Use
Research ; Eli Pariser

14. Photo by: Jhaymesisviphotography
Filter Bubbles
“The real danger, right now, is people finding
themselves in a filter bubble, so they are never
challenged by viewpoints that oppose what they
already think.” Source:Module 01 Lecture 02 Media Use
Research Pt 2 of 2

15. Photo by: Paolo Braiuca
The better our filter, the less
likely we will see something
that makes us uncomfortable.
Source:Module 01 Lecture 02 Media Use
Research Pt 2 of 2 ; Ethan Zuckerman

16. Nearly half of
millennials fear
their addiction to
social media is
having a negative
effect on their
mental and
physical health.
Source:Flood, Rebecca. "Users fear social media is
making themill, but they still can't stop." The
Independent. Independent Digital News and Media,
Feb. 2017. Web. 01 Mar. 2017.
Photo by: Niccolo Caranti

17. Photo by: Jordan Cameron
Teens that are on
social media for
more than two hours
a day report poor
self-rated mental
health, psychological
distress, suicidal
ideation, or unmet
need for mental
health support.
Source:Payne, E. (2015,Aug 08). Teens' poor mental
health linked to social media use. The Ottawa Citizen
Retrievedfrom
https://search.proquest.com/docview/1702249271?accou
ntid=6180

18. “Many millennials, defined as
those aged between 18 and
37, were concerned about
how much time they were
spending on social media.
“Almost half (48 per cent)
worry about the negative
effects of social media on
their physical and mental
health," the report said.”
Photo by: Ian Sanderson
Source:Flood, Rebecca. "Users fear social media is
making themill, but they still can't stop." The
Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, 26
Feb. 2017. Web. 01 Mar. 2017.

19. “Technology has
improved life for
many Americans,
and nearly half of
this country’s
adults say they
can’t imagine life
without their
smartphones.”
Source:Flood, Rebecca. "Users fear social media is
making themill, but they still can't stop." The
Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, 26
Feb. 2017. Web. 01 Mar. 2017.
Photo by: Tim Brockley

20. Source:Payne, E. (2015,Aug 08). Teens' poor mental health
linked to social media use. The Ottawa Citizen Retrieved
from
https://search.proquest.com/docview/1702249271?accounti
d=6180
Social media is
both the problem
and the answer.
Photo by: Gary Denham

21. Sources
Flood, Rebecca. "Users fear social media is making them ill, but they still can't stop." The Independent. Independent Digital News and
Media, 26 Feb. 2017. Web. 01 Mar. 2017.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2017
Module 01 Lecture 01 Media Convergence
Module 01 Lecture 02 Media Use Research Pt 2 of 2
Module 01 Lecture 02 Media Use Research Pt 2 of 2 ; Eli Pariser
Module 01 Lecture 02 Media Use Research Pt 2 of 2 ; Ethan Zuckerman
Module 01 Lecture 02 Media Use Research Pt 2 of 2 ; Jeffrey Hancock, published in Cyberpsychology, Behaviour and Social Networking ;
research from Cornell University
Payne, E. (2015, Aug 08). Teens' poor mental health linked to social media use. The Ottawa Citizen Retrieved from
https://search.proquest.com/docview/1702249271?accountid=6180
Ramasubbu, Suren. "Influence of Social Media on Teenagers." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 26 May 2015. Web. 01 Mar.
2017.
"Social media and mental health: friends or foes?" Varsity Online. N.p., 1 Mar. 2017. Web. 02 Mar. 2017.