One issue that has gained momentum and has become more apparent to the public eye is mass media and the detrimental effects it can have on people.  There are different platforms of social media that affect mental illness. Mass media should be seen as our biggest influencer. Most of the information we take in will come from a media or news outlet on the internet. Thus, since almost every mass media outlet has the ability to sway public opinion and perception in a bad way, we can come to the conclusion that this has a negative impact on the way we process things, especially those who live with mental illnesses. Since the term “mass media” evolves every day, it’s important that we define what exactly it is in this research.  It’s common to zero in on social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, but it’s also important to look at how television platforms such as news networks, movies, and television shows, can help the topic mental illness and those living with it. Mass media has always been known to be detrimental to those living with psychological disorders but it is possible to find ways to help these individuals and the topic of mental health.

Since the term “mass media” evolves every day, it’s important that we define what exactly it is in terms of this research. Mass media is a diverse collection of technologies used to reach a large audience. In context of this research, mass media will mostly mean anything related to the internet. This includes, social networking sites, content production (blogs), media sharing, or sites that specialize in knowledge and information (CNN,MSNBC, etc). The individuals who uses these platforms the most and on a daily basis are teens and young adults. As of July 12,2015 an all-time high of over 90% of adults between the ages of 18 and 29 were using at least one social media site. As of November 6, 2016, 86% of adults 18-29 used at least one social media site. The amount of users who visit Facebook daily has reached 76%. Today, 7 in 10 American use different social media platforms to connect with other, share information, and entertain themselves using these platforms.  Television and media outlets are said to take up most of young adults’ free time and over time it becomes an addiction. When we wake up the first thing we do is check our phones and social media. Young adults have the urge to check their phones for notifications on social media. Research has shown that young adults spend more than an hour on average when visiting a social networking site. The increased use of social media leads is “low conscientiousness, high narcissism, decrease in stable relationships, and possibly academic achievement.” (Kuss)

Based off of a multitude of data reports, it can be proven that social media addiction is real. In a TEDx talk titled, “Social Media: Too Much of a Good Thing?”, Khan talks about how positive post on social media sites like Facebook provide a source of achievement for some and affirmation for others (Khan). The speaker was able to pinpoint reasons why social media can become an addiction in the statement, “Presenting the best version of ourselves almost becomes a competition” (Khan). This puts the question of whether or not mass media can hinder mental illness in context.

Tumblr, which is a microblogging and social networking website, is a huge outlet for those living with depression or other mental illnesses. Tumblr has over 166.4 million users that take part in its unique social interaction and forms of personal communication. More than half of the blogs created on Tumblr serve as an “online diary” for the users (Wright 22). Within Tumblr there is a mental health sub-community where users openly post about their depression or anxiety. The users in this community post images or texts that display their thoughts or experiences dealing with their mental issues and this can range from self-harm to suicidal thoughts. This famous microblogging website has been scrutinized for allowing harmful content and being “pro-suicide”. In 2012, Tumblr announced it ban of harmful material from appearing on the site. The individuals who find comfort in this mental health sub-community have often felt alone and not good enough for society’s standards in the real world. It has been hypothesized that the more negative a blog is the more negative images that user will “reblog”. If a user constantly sees negative images on their feed, it can more than likely make what the person is feeling, worse. It common for many people to find comfort online within a community of people that most likely go through the same obstacles, but they still may feel uncomfortable with people outside of that community they found online. Even though it’s good for people with mental illnesses to find others on social media that are more like them, this community “may not be the support that Tumblr users should seek out” (Wright  24). This specifically shows how a social media site isn’t entirely beneficial to those with mental illness.

“Facebook depression” has been a recently coined term the refers to teens and adults who are addicted to Facebook. Facebook is known to create a façade with the numerous positive posts and pictures posted. Although these posts appear to show that these individuals are living a great life, there is no way to really know what’s going on behind every account. This causes many people to feel inferior to those people they see online. Dr. Gwenn O’Keefe, a Boston pediatrician created a set of social media guidelines that urges parents to talk to their kids about Facebook depression, cyberbullying, and other risks. The guidelines also state that online harassment can cause negative psychological feelings and outcomes. Even though social media can provide feelings of connectedness amongst individuals, it can also have the opposite effect on people who are prone to depression.

A more specific case where social media could directly affect people who may live with was investigated in the United Kingdom by a mental health charity. The survey consisted of 515 people who suffered from mental illness. Half of the individuals surveyed said that the media had a negative effect on their mental health personally and 34% said that it worsened their depression or anxiety. The things that are said and information presented on all forms of media does in fact have the ability to hinder one’s illness. The negative perceptions that media platforms can have on people is a topic that needs attention.

Aside from social media, news media can affect the way we view things. News outlets are the best way to influence the public. When a tragic event such as a mass shooting occurs, the first thing people think is, “What was the mental state of the shooter?”. This common thought can then lead people to believe that a mentally unstable person is not safe and that we need to do more to keep guns out of these “monsters” hands. If the public develops this stigma of people with mental illness, then this can affect the people who suffer from different psychological disorders. This problem comes from a concept of media frames. This concept was researched by Elaine Sieff from the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of North Carolina. Her research helped show how different mass media platforms like the news can project a negative image, or a “media frame” about mental illness onto the public (Sieff). This is one-way social media could hinder the topic of mental illness because of the inaccurate information that may be found on social media. 

Mass media is the primary source of information for disorders like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression. When mental health is being portrayed in the media is creates stereotypes that create an inaccurate view of people with a psychological disorder. The most common stereotypes that the public can get from the media is that they are criminals, violent, childish and silly, or that all illnesses are the same and severe. Another notion that is understood from the media is that psychiatric hospitals cause more harm than good. Psychiatric hospitals are often made to look like prisons instead of a place where people receive help. The media also creates the false fact that recovery is not possible for people with mental illnesses. Recovery isn’t something shown in the media, so people think that when people go to psychiatric hospitals they are being locked away and don’t get help. Along with these, there are many other ways that mental health is misrepresented in mass media.

The ways in which different types of media can influence the public is all about information is produced and represented. Research by Anat Klin has been done to analyze how mental illness is presented in mass media and what it represents. In analyzing production, it was found that different studies can help people to understand if the need for views or profits “contribute to the distorted images and stereotypes of mental disorders in the media”(Klin). The way certain information is represented can show whether or not mass media is promoting or damaging mental health. If a mass media platform is bringing negative context to psychological disorders, then that can result in the public being influenced by bad stigma. Being influenced by bad stigma in turn, will created uneducated people. Not only are individuals being wrongly influenced with bias information on people with psychological disorder, but the ones that live with these disorders are being affected by the presentation of mental illness in social media.

There has been research done to show how coverage on mental health topic can influence public thinking and public policy. An example of this can be investigations or articles. Nellie Bly did an investigation that turned into a book called Ten Days in a Madhouse, where she observed inhumane conditions. Her account of these conditions led to New York City’s funding of a million dollars a year to improve care for people with mental illness. Another old example is Jack Nelson, a journalist, who won a Pulitzer prize for his account of poor treatment received by psychiatric patients which then fueled efforts to improve conditions and promote mental health advocacy. This can be the same in present day social media, where news articles or videos advocating to protect those with a psychological disorder, can influence the public to become more informed or help inform others. Coverage on mental health topics can single handedly help people who strive to bring awareness to people who live with a mental illness. This alone can help the topic of mental illness.

Snapchat, a mobile app that lets you share pictures has been helpful to some people with a mental disorder. Marissa Miller, a writer for Vogue Magazine, was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. Social media is a trigger for her anxiety, yet it is a primary way for Miller to stay connected to her audience and friends. Snapchat helped her because she wasn’t worried about looking perfect or posing a certain way in pictures, which is usually the case for Facebook or Instagram. With Snapchat, Miller could snap a photo and not worry about what her audience thought because it would disappear shortly after. Twitter is another social media site that makes people try hard. The funny and “grammatically” sound tweets are the ones that foster the most notifications and go viral. But with Snapchat, people don’t have to try hard to be something they’re not (Miller). Based on this research, people should understand that there is some leeway to social media and mental health. Certain things help some people and other things bring about negative effects to a person’s illness.

In the article, “Naturally occurring peer support through social media”, the use of peer support of individuals is explored. Peer support is an important way to overcome limitations with one’s illness and recovery. YouTube is a widely used media content sharing website where people with diverse health conditions use the platform to share their stories and receive social support. YouTube provides a place for people to seek advice and others “can offer hope, companionship, and encouragement” to people with similar conditions (Naslund) . Evidence shows that people with a severe mental illness often will share their personal views through blogging and build connections through social media, more than people without a mental illness. Peer support and relationships helps people with severe mental illnesses feel a greater self-worth and self-efficacy. Although peer support is beneficial, it’s important for the peers who give support to not take on more than they can handle, because it’s also important to seek professional help. In this case, peer support has emerged into formal peer support services that includes programs that target recovery. There programs fall in between natural and therapeutic relationships.

Although mass media can have a negative impact on the topic of mental illness, in recent years it has been used effectively to help and bring more awareness to the stigma around mental health. The use of campaigns has been a big help to those who aren’t well informed about mental health. These campaigns that often take the form of hashtags help educate people about stigmas surrounding a particular illness. A campaign called “#WhatYouDontSee”, which was launched by The Blurt Foundation, helped show online users that people with depression don’t all look the same. 

Since social media has slowly started helping people with anxiety or depression, mental health therapy through social networking has been an invention that could eventually help people a lot. There was an experimental social networking platform developed by MIT and Northwestern universities, that encourages the users to think differently about the things or events that upset them. This is called cognitive reappraisal, which teaches people to look at a stressful situation differently. If someone is going through something, they post about it and then a “crowd” of people respond offering advice (McSpadden). This platform opens up doors to other online programs that can help people with mental health. The reason why this experiment is important is because social media has been shaped in such a way that it now gives people a voice. Not only is it helping people connect with others like them but it is helping individuals talk about the subject. Many teens and young adults find it easiest to talk about their mental health problems online. 

Overall, people have learned that mass media as a whole can have negative effects on the psychological state of individuals, especially those 21 and younger. Through the constant use of social media sites, or microblogging sites, media sharing, etc., teens and young adults can become addicted to things that might not even be true online. As for those who already live with a mental disorder, the consequences can be just as bad. Although this is always thought to be true, everyone is different. For some people, apps like Snapchat help with their anxiety and for others, just going on YouTube can help deal with obstacles they come across with their mental disorder. New ideas are being created to help reduce the stigma and stereotypes that people get from the media every day. Hashtags and campaigns all over the internet help to better inform the public all the time. In conclusion, mass media is slowly turning into a platform and source of help for people all over the world.
