Rachel Trout   - word count 2,490

Humans are born with the instinct to communicate and form relationships. In today’s society, it is much easier to connect with people through social media such as Facebook, which has over 1.5 billion users and was named the largest networking site of 2015 (Dewey). People now rely on social media for obtaining information, sharing experiences, and advertising. The quick access to information has made communication much easier, but takes away the emotion and effort required for face-to-face interaction. The meaning of friendship has been reduced to the click of a button, in turn taking away the emotional involvement and nonverbal aspects of communication. Some people forget that social media is just a virtual world, and this can cause problems related to depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. 

Social networking has created a virtual reality, where there seems to be no consequences, giving rise to cyberbullying and stalking. While people share their lives on the internet, other people are watching, thus making it easier for stalkers or predators to find out information. This is also an issue in the professional field, for people have been fired or not hired for the things posted online, because even things that have been deleted can still be accessed by employers or anyone looking to find information. This paper aims to highlight the issues of social media addiction and its effects on relationships and mental health, while also using studies and other research to provide evidence of the problems created by social media. 

Social media has evolved at a rapid pace, maybe too fast for the generation of technology to handle.  According to research done by Dave Chaffey, although Facebook has the most active users to log in daily at 76%, “Instagram dominates when it comes to interaction per 1,000 followers” (Chaffey). These statistics show that today’s society is consumed with social media and would be detrimental if it were to be removed from people’s lives. Although it may seem harmless, these addictions can lead to the development of threatening psychological and health issues. Addiction is defined as “the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or something that is psychologically habit-forming, to such an extent that it could cause severe trauma” (“Addiction”). The increased usage and availability of internet access has caused higher rates of cell phone addiction across many age groups. Over time cell phone use has increased among all generations, but especially in adolescents with 30 % of 10 - year olds, 70 % at age twelve, and 83% at age fourteen owning a cell phone (US National Archives). These percentages present a higher chance for misuse of the technology. 

Misuse of social media can cause cyberbullying through online communication in the form of harassment, threats, or exploitation of private photos and messages. Cyberbullying is when an individual, commonly among adolescents, is embarrassed or targeted by others typically through online networking sites and text messaging. The most common groups associated with online harassment and online bullying are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, feminists, and those who openly show support of these groups (Blumenfield).  In 2012, a study found that students who fall into the categories listed above were 54 % more likely to experience cyberbullying than other groups of people (Blumenfield). Cyberbullying along with an increased use of social media can have a harmful impact on mental health and stability, whether it be immediate or long-term. Cyberbullying can lead to health issues such as depression and anxiety, and increase the risk of suicide among adolescents. A study done by Hinduja and Patchin shows that kids that have experienced cyberbullying were two times as likely to attempt suicide than those that were not bullied (Hinduja). This study does not prove that suicide is caused by social media, but it can increase the risk by increasing feelings of depression, anxiety, and isolation. 

Another cause of depression and anxiety related to social media is through self-esteem. Social media is a source for sharing information, experiences, and thoughts. Most people post to show the funny, joyous moments and highlights of their lives, through likes, comments and virtual reactions of others as a positive reinforcement. The more social media is used, the more the brain depends upon or craves this positive feedback which causes withdrawal and enhances the addiction. People post idealized versions of the world, which can cause other viewers to compare their experiences and eventually become depressed because their lives are not as exciting or eventful. This constant search for approval and likes can have damaging effects on one’s self-esteem. Social media also creates unrealistic body images for women, “Studies show that 80% of women have experienced body negativity on social media” by comparing themselves to others (Michel). Instagram is a site solely for sharing photos, which makes it easier for users to access photos of people from all around the world. While this ease of communication helps to share experiences and moments with friends and family members, it also gives users the availability to look into other people’s lives. The rise in Instagram popularity has created a goal for users to reach a certain follower count, or delete a photo if it doesn’t get enough likes, in turn causing anxiety when posting or using the site. The Instagram explore page makes it easier to access the popular posts on Instagram worldwide, which consist mostly of models and photo shopped photos. These unrealistic photos that are constantly being seen by adolescent girls give them the false sense of perfection, and in turn they feel inferior when they do not achieve these unattainable looks and standards caused by social media. This issue gives rise to higher levels of anxiety and depression among adolescent girls. 

Other forms of depression associated with the use of social media are FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out, and ‘Facebook depression’, which are both psychological diagnoses that therapists have discovered when researching the effects of social media (Rubio). These studies show that users who frequently use social media and rely on that as their main connection with friends often experience greater symptoms of depression or anxiety. Social media has also caused depression through the expectation of perfection and trying to portray the most unrealistic side of life. Everyone tries to show their best side on social media, because no one is going to post all about their bad days or experiences. So people viewing these posts need to realize that it is a highlight in someone’s life, and that they should not compare their lives to others. The stress comes from people comparing their lives to other users whose may post more eventful or exciting photos, which eventually causes unhappiness and can lead to depression. Studies done on the release of the stress hormone Cortisol, when associated with posting something on social media increases to the same levels as stress hormones released when studying for a test (Engeln). 

An example of this social media anxiety is portrayed through the TV show Black Mirror, for it exposes the corrupt relationship between humans and technology. The show is based on a dystopian society which is closely paralleled to the world today. In one episode the issue is that everyone is constantly on their phones, rating people after every interaction. So everyone in this society tries to be as friendly and nice to everyone in order to get a good rating. The ratings go up with nice interactions and the more likes a post gets, the higher the rating. The show uses satire to depict the technological trap that our society is possibly headed towards in the near future. The creator of the show says that it is intended to warn the viewers, he says “we’re not saying all technology is bad, just going, ‘hey, wouldn’t it be creepy if this happened’” (Booker). Each episode portrays the different aspects of social media addiction and emphasizes the effects it has on mental health. One of the characters gives a speech against the system, saying “show us something real and free and beautiful, but you couldn’t. it’d break us, we’re too numb for it, our minds would choke” (Black Mirror). This show is purposely geared in order to reveal the true addiction to technology and social media that society has become accustomed to, and warns users of the potential society that we could create. Black Mirror emphasizes the amount of time spent on our phones and how much society is considered a slave to social media. This relates to my views on social media and how I want to incorporate meaning behind this paper, and incite change in the way our generations and future ones use social media. Black mirror shows how small addictions can snowball into larger societal issues, starting with teenagers and furthering into their children and generations after that. It also exposes the harmful impact of abusing social media and the underlying effects it has on self-confidence.

The increase in priority of social media has caused teens to notice and report feelings of low self-esteem related to their use of social media. In a study done by CNN, teens were interviewed on how social media made them feel and how it impacted the way they view themselves. When interviewed, one teen said that “if my post doesn’t get 100 likes then I feel as if people don’t like the way I look and I delete it” (Wallace). This study showed that teens did not even realize that they suffered from anxiety and FOMO that were associated with social media until they were asked to talk about it and realized that it was an issue. 

Through personal experience and research, I have found that social media addiction is a serious issue and can affect aspects such as mental health, self-esteem, and cause unhealthy relationships. I myself have experienced Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) when I would see on my Snapchat feed that all my friends were out doing fun things and I am just studying for a test. I sometimes catch myself scrolling through my Twitter feed for hours at a time because I am so curious and interested in what fun things other people are doing instead of doing things myself.  In high school, I would scroll through Instagram pictures of models and wonder why I did not look like them. By starving myself and going on extreme diets, I tried so hard to reach that ‘perfect body’ image that everyone seemed to have but I. This eventually led me to hate the way I looked. My self-esteem was so low that I would not post pictures unless they were perfectly edited, in fear of what other people were going to think of me. My anxiety was so bad that I started to have these same fears in real life and was unable to form friendships unless it was over the internet. I thought I was depressed and did not know the cause, so I went to see a therapist. After talking about my family and friendships for hours, my therapist then asked me about my virtual life. Virtual life? I had no idea what that meant, until she questioned how much time I spent on social media, and asked how much I care about my online profile. Of course I never thought about social media being the root of my problems until she challenged me to go without it. I limited the time I spent on Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram to almost not checking them at all for a week. I realized that I was consumed and was having withdrawals just after the first day! After going without social media, although it was tough, I learned a lot about how it can affect mood and self-confidence. This mini experiment opened my eyes and showed me the power that I let social media have over my life. 

This does not mean everyone should go to the extreme of deleting their profiles and logging off immediately. And this is not my platform to prove that social media is terrible and awful, but instead I want to make aware the issues that come along with it. All good things come in moderation, and I believe that saying can apply to social media. When used in excess and for malicious reasons such as bullying and exploitation, that is when social media becomes an issue. So I encourage users to become aware of the issues associated with social media. This is applicable to adolescents and especially teen girls, who are easily influenced by what they see on their news feeds. Social media is a virtual world, not real life, so do not let it determine your self-worth. Social media is controversial, but it is not diabolical, and it has major benefits which I find it important to talk about. 

From advertisements to entertainment, social media has benefitted society by advancing communication at a rapid pace. Although this paper focuses on the negative impact social media has on society, it is helpful to highlight the benefits that it comes with. Facebook and Twitter are among the most popular social networking sites used for sharing ideas, thoughts, and information. This could help to combat already pre diagnosed issues with anxiety by allowing users to post or blog about their feelings. They provide a sense of community and togetherness by expanding friend groups and reconnecting old friends. These sites are also useful for networking and advertising. Businesses can inexpensively and easily target audiences through social media advertisements, such as using celebrities to post about and promote their products. Social media has helped to keep people informed on issues around the world. Twitter is my one source when something major happens, whether it be in Iran or California, it usually has the information almost immediately. This instant alert or access of information helps to keep people informed and safe, such as alerts of shootings or severe weather updates.  These reasons show that social media is not all bad, and I am not petitioning for it to be shut down or taken away. I am emphasizing that although the issues associated with social media are not as prevalent, they could cause severe issues and should be used with caution.

In conclusion, social media may seem beneficial, but there are underlying issues that can cause detrimental effects. Social media is not all bad, but when used in excess or when people take it too seriously, the bad will eventually outweigh the good. This paper is solely for the purpose of raising awareness of researched issues associated with social media, and to be cautious of the responsibility that comes with its freedom and accessibility of information. Finally, it should be remembered that social media is a virtual world and that it should not replace reality. It is the responsibility of the individual to analyze how they utilize it, and how much they let social media affect them.
