College is one of the most important times of your life. It is during college that many people will experience true freedom, as well as living on their own, for the first time. This freedom comes with lots of responsibilities such as going to class on time, studying appropriately, keeping grades up, and not going out every night. In the past, some students suffered from mental health issues, but most were able to manage the pressure. In recent years, however, another variable has been thrown in to the mix: social media. 98% of today’s college students are active on at least one social network (Griffin). This explosion of social media has brought along with it an increasing epidemic of collegiate mental health. In the last decade, the number of psychiatric diagnoses has drastically increased. Social media and the rise of major social networks play a significant role in the increase of mental health issues in modern college students.

College is the time in life where self discoveries are made, great friendships are developed, life skills are acquired, and a suitable career path is found. At least, that’s what kids growing up are told. No one seems to talk about all the hardships and struggles that students will face along the way, or that a lot of them come in the form of psychiatric disorders. Mental health issues in college students are at an all-time high. According to a 2013 study by the American College Health Association of 123,000 students, 31% felt so depressed that it was difficult to function at times, and 51% said that they often feel overwhelming anxiety. While these percentages are very high, the number of people being treated for these issues is much lower. In that same survey only 11% of respondents reported being treated for depression, and only 12.9% reported being treated for anxiety (Seidel). Many students believe that their mental health issues are something they need to fix themselves, and that seeking help would be a sign of weakness. Some even refuse to tell their parents. This stigma behind mental health is detrimental to people suffering, because it can heighten their issues if they feel an even greater sense of isolation and inability to talk to those around them (Wilson). While anxiety and depression are the most common mental health issues, they are by no means the only ones that college students experience. There are a multitude of other issues, like self esteem disorders and Fear of Missing Out. 

To get a better understanding of what can cause these issues to manifest, think about all of the factors that are incorporated in adding pressure and stress to students’ lives. The transition to college can be a lot to take in. Students are faced with moving away from home and living on their own for the first time. While this comes with a great new sense of freedom and excitement, it requires adaptation and can be stressful for many students. This newfound freedom doesn’t come without added responsibility. It is completely up to the student to go to class, complete assignments on time, and study appropriately. This gets more difficult when you throw social pressure into things. Students have to find a balance between work and play, as they are subjected to pressure and temptation to go out every night from their peers. All of this doesn’t come without a price, either. Food and other living expenses add up fast, meaning money and learning how to manage finances is another thing for students to worry about. And While some students are provided with enough to live, other students are forced to get a job to provide for themselves.

All of these different factors weigh heavy on college students, contributing to the development of psychiatric disorders. What this doesn’t explain, though, is the rapid increase of mental health issues in recent years. In a 2014-2015 study conducted by the Center for Collegiate Mental Health, it was found that institutional enrollment has increased by 5.6% from 2009-2015. The same report also showed that students seeking mental health services has increased by 29.6%, and attended appointments increased by 38% (Simon). This shows a clear increase in the issues, but none of the factors discussed above have changed over the last decade. Except for one thing: the addition of social media.

Social media and major social networks have exploded in recent years. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Myspace; the list goes on and on. Since its launch in 2004, Facebook has accumulated over 1 billion active users. The use of social media has increased over 1000 percent in the last eight years for people aged 18-29, according to the findings of the Pew Research Center. A study of college students by UCLA also found that in 2014, 27.2 percent of students spent at least 6 hours a week on social media, compared to 19.9 percent in 2007 (Griffin). Almost every college student is invested in social media. Walk across any college campus, and there will be people with their nose in their phone everywhere you turn. It’s a safe bet that a majority of these people are on some form of social media, with 98% of college students being users of some form (Griffin). 

All of these networks were created to do a lot of the same things: connect with friends and family, share thoughts and ideas, meet new people around you, as well as plenty of other reasons. They’re designed to promote creativity and make it easier for users to make themselves’ heard. In practicality, however, this is not always the case. Frequent usage of social media can have adverse effects on users. With college students today so invested in social networks, understanding the negative effects they can cause is very important. Students who are heavy users of social media often spend less time interacting with friends and family, therefore isolating themselves and developing feelings of loneliness. People that have these feelings of loneliness often end up spending more time on social media as a result, which leads to lack of real world interaction and ultimately, depression (Pantic).

Anxiety has recently become the most common mental health issue in college students (Griffin). Anxiety has many different causes as well as many different effects on students. Symptoms can range from slight worrying all the way to full blown states of panic. Some students suffering from anxiety feel like they are suffocating and the walls are closing in on them, while others describe that the world can take on an almost grayscale appearance and all motivation to do anything is gone (Wilson). While some students are more prone to anxiety than others, social media can trigger it in some and amplify it in others. People who post on social media often do so for others to see, and in return “like” or “favorite” the post. This leads to anxiety in the student as they wonder how many likes they’ll receive on the post, and worry that the number won’t be as high as their peers. While not all students suffer from this anxiety when posting, some students refrain from posting entirely because of anxiety and fear of judgment on their post. When viewing social media, students can develop feelings of anxiety; wondering if they’ll be as successful as their peers or worrying that they might not be doing enough (Griffin).

Frequent usage of different forms of social media will cause users to start comparing themselves to other users as well as peers they interact with online. However, social media gives users a flawed perspective of others’ lives. People usually only post their best moments and pictures, trying to glorify their lives for their profile. When users see these posts and compare themselves, they’re only comparing themselves to the highlights of the other person’s life, omitting the possible negatives that lay behind the scenes. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Missouri found that “surveillance users”, or users who get on Facebook to constantly check on the status and happiness of their friends, are much more likely to report symptoms of depression compared to users who only use Facebook to chat with friends (Hurst). Depression is not the only issue that can arise from these comparisons. Self esteem and body image issues are also prevalent with frequent social media use. If a student who doesn’t feel good about their appearance sees edited pictures of their peers that they deem more attractive than themselves, it’s going to hurt their self esteem and make them feel even worse about themselves (Pantic). There are, however, two sides to this coin. If someone posts all the time, receiving lots of praise and compliments, it can lead to an elevated self esteem. Positive reinforcement is always a good thing, but this increased attention all the time can lead users to develop narcissistic traits and feelings that they are superior to their peers (Pantic). While at the opposite end of the spectrum from depression, this is still an issue of mental health. 

Another issue that can arise from usage of social media is known as the Fear of Missing Out, or FOMO for short. FOMO has become very pervasive in modern college students, and social media is to blame. The Fear of Missing Out is a type of social anxiety which creates a compulsive desire for students to stay “in the loop”. This need to stay up-to-date can cause students to constantly refresh social media, fearing they might miss something if they don’t. Students who suffer from FOMO can end up becoming addicted to social media, spending less time being involved in the real world and interacting with peers face-to-face. This can eventually lead to isolation, and the inability to communicate and establish connections with people in person. Social media and FOMO can have sort of an opposite effect on other students. For students who like to be involved in activities such as hanging out with friends and participating in events, social media can exacerbate their Fear of Missing Out. These students, while not afraid of missing a post, are afraid of missing opportunities to interact with people and hang out with friends. For them, checking social media and seeing posts of their friends doing things without them makes them aware of all the things going on that they aren’t apart of, causing them to feel excluded (Griffin).

Everyone can agree on the fact that something needs to be done about the drastically increasing epidemic that is collegiate mental health. The solution, however, is not as simple. Erica Seidel, Danny Ethan, and Cory Basch, three researchers in psychology, think they have it figured out. Their plan to help students who are suffering is to connect them with mental health professionals through social media (Seidel). While this is a great idea on paper, it doesn’t translate very well in practicality. If social media is the underlying cause for the students’ issues, having them use social media to help them seems counterintuitive. It doesn’t separate the student from the problem, it draws them closer. They do, however, make valid points about professionals needing to be more involved in helping those suffering. The researchers mention forums monitored by mental health experts where students can share their problems and receive compliments and support (Seidel). This is a great idea, but should not take place on social media. If a student suffering from anxiety is too worried to post a picture, that student would most likely not be comfortable posting about their mental health issues. As for a solution, students should have more direct access to speak with counselors and other mental health experts. The stigma behind seeking help must be broken down. 

College students have always been under pressure in many different aspects of life; whether it be moving from home, academics, social life, or financial struggles. College students in the past have also developed mental health issues stemming from these stresses of everyday life. However, in recent years, the number of students suffering has increased exponentially. An explosion of social networks has also taken place in recent years, with the vast majority of college students using social media daily. The rise of social media and major social networks has played a significant role in the increase of collegiate mental health issues. To begin finding a solution to the mental health crisis, a deeper look must be taken at social medias’ effects on human psychology, as well as removing the stigma from receiving help.
