Social Media Has Leads to Depression and Anxiety Among The Youth (Essay Sample)

Social Media Has Leads to Depression and Anxiety Among The Youth

Social media has brought the world too close, and has been used by several people to deliver important information’s. It is a platform that allow users create contents. Similarly it has continued to bring people together as friends in day to day life. By this it is considered to have positive impacts to the society, especially the youth. However, social media has brought some of the negative effects to the youths in the current society. In research reported by Schimmele et al, in march 2021, six outcomes attributed to social media use are examined: lost sleep, trouble concentrating on tasks or activities, less physical activity, feeling anxious or depressed, feeling envious of the lives of others, and feeling frustrated or angry. Among all social media users aged 15 to 64, around one-fifth reported that in the previous 12 months, they had lost sleep (19%), gotten less physical activity (22%), or had trouble concentrating on tasks or activities, (18%) as a result of their social media use. Around one in eight users, (12% to 14%) reported feeling anxious or depressed, frustrated or angry, or envious of the lives of others,(Schimmele et al, 2021). This essay describes most negative, and a few positive effects of social media on youth because it leads to stress, anxiety and maintaining relationship respectively.
One of the effects of social media on youth is stress. Mayoclinic organization, 2016 study, stated that, of more than 450 teens found that greater social media use, nighttime social media use, and emotional investment in social media-such as feeling upset when prevented from logging on, (Mayoclinic organization, 2016). The use of social media more often, though, increases FOMO and feelings of inadequacy, dissatisfaction, and isolation. In turn these feelings negatively affect your mood and worsen symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety, (helpguide). The www.thejakartapost.com, 2019 research stated that, social media can make someone feel isolated. Social media is crowded with different people who have different perspectives. Negative comments from your post could haunt you, ( thejakartapost.com, 2019). Therefore, social media is considered to affect the youth largely, and stress being one the effects. This can lead to poor performance of the youth, in physical or mental activities.
Similarly, social media has lead to depression and anxiety among the youth. Betul Keles et al, 2020, online social media is blamed for increasing health problem to younger people such as depression, (Betul Keles et al, 2020). According to Carol Vidal et al, 2020 there have been increases in adolescent depression and suicidal behavior. Over the last two decades that coincide with the advent of social media , which is used widely among adolescents, (Carol Vidal et al, 2020). Faazila Fathima et al, 2019 it was observed that many people ranging from the age 17-25, use multiple social media sites and for increased time, (Faazila Fathima et al, 2019). The authors, Faazila fathima being one of them said, the youth get anxious when not able to view these sites. This shows the relation increased social media usage has on anxiety, (Faazila Fathima et al, 2019). According to the study carried nurses regression analysis, nomophobia levels have a strong, positive, and significant relationship with the variables of problematic internet use, social appearance anxiety,’(Dijle Ayar et al, 2018). This therefore concludes, social media, depression and anxiety have a correlation.