Abstract
The research provides an analysis and overview of the efficacy of social media in resolving mental health issues. The paper also looks at some aspects of online communities in mitigating health risks and the degree to which, they address these issues with people growingly being plagued with them during the covid-19 pandemic.
Introduction
Stress, anxiety, depression and loneliness to name a few are undeniably the growing pains of the 21st century, let alone the covid-19 pandemic which has exacerbated the toll on people’s mental health (Qu & Zhang, 2021, p 38). Consequently, internet users regardless of age, culture or status are joining social network platforms to find support to cope with mental health-related issues like suicide as such (Zhu & Zhang, 2021, p 39). Although sharing views on platforms such as Reddit can reassure people in their struggle to resolve their challenges, the web reflects only a socially-constructed form of escapism from the oppressive reality people live in (Zhu & Zhang, 2021, p 39). In short, community members cannot distinguish between authentic and fake relationships online as Wiederhold argues (2021, p 775-776), “social media, Instagram for instance, prompt users to create idealised personas for themselves.” As a result, it would be disappointing to learn that such constructions play with values such as trust; unlike Wielder’s claim social media causes mental decline and privacy concerns, however (Wiederhold, 2021, p 775-776), it is noteworthy that not everyone is willing to express themselves on social communities on the internet.
The upsurge in social media consumption far outweighs the health risks. In 2021 alone, over 3.5 billion used social media, although misinformation on Covid-19 is still targets viewers, thus causing anxiety (Skalski, onasweski, Bussing, & Surzykiewicz, 2021). On the other hand, criticism of misinformation triggering anxiety does not justify why movements such as #staywithme# on YouTube, have advocated for mental health (Qu & Zhang, 2020, p 40). Movements as such by contrast, show the positive side of social platforms in abating stress or anxiety. Therefore, Although, content on social channels is somehow misleading, studies should rather foucs on the solutions to track misinformation on social media (Qu & Zhang, 2020) rather than condemning social media as the main cause of substance abuse and mood (Meshi & Ellithorpe, 2021). The debate could shift to how people voice their thoughts on YouTube or Facebook to raise social awareness about mental decline (Zhu & Zhang, 2020, p 40), despite the implications of consuming misinformation on social media extent. Considering the current discussion, academic findings have not made any conclusions regarding the correlations between mental health and content consumption, nor have the contradictory views about online sharing do not provide sufficient proof to conclude social media strains mental health.
Similarly, people might mistrust content on other sharing communities including blogs and forums besides, Facebook, Twitter, and instagram. The future of psychological aid on the web is uncertain since the pandemic struck as people are oblivious to whether information on the web is reliable or not (Cato, Lida, Ishida, Ito, Katsumata, McElwain, & Shoji, 2021). Given this quandary, the dangers of social media on mental health should not be the main focus of public distrust (Meshi & Ellithorpe, 2021). Instead, the evaluation must revolve around how social media addresses dire issues namely: anxiety, depression and stress (Wiederhold, 2021). Content on such issues is broadly available on the internet, but though much of the controversy targets social media, audiences do not question the credibility of content from other online sources specifically websites or wikis. (Skalski, onasweski, Bussing, & Surzykiewicz, 2021). Some people, for example, have believed in content saying ‘soybeans’ boost the immune system and prevent infection risks for example (Cato, Lida, Ishida, Ito, Katsumata, McElwain, & Shoji, 2021) without questioning themselves. Strangely, companies are aware of the psychological repercussions online content either on social social media or other websites have on users (Wiederhold, 2021), they still fumble with updating their system to curb misinformation dissemination.
In Facebook’s case, social media could be the stimulus to misinformation spread, thereby leading to psychological distress. Conspiracy theories and fake news, for example, evoke panic among viewers, but also make people kill themselves in the scope of Iran, where 800 died believing that ingesting methanol would eliminate the virus (Rocha, de Moura, Deiderio, de Oliveira, Lourenco & de Figueiredo, 2021). Research, however, reveals that posts on covid-19 to mislead people are quite rare (Broniatowski, Kercher, Farouq, Huang, Jamison, Amelia, Dredze, Quinn. & Ayers, 2022, p 7), thus data on this subject insufficiently proves Facebook posts are detrimental to mental health. Moreover, the purpose of communities on Facebook resonates with sharing common interest (Qu & Zhang, p 39, 2021), rather than posting fake news to estrange people by elevating levels of stress and anxiety (Skalski, Sebastian, Konasweski & Surzykiewicz, 2021). While the blame directs toward the medium (Facebook) inciting people to commit tragic acts, sharing content is a two-pronged perspective. Internet users are unlikely to cease relying on content from social networks, (Broniatowski, Kercher, Farouq, Huang, Jamison, Amelia, Dredze, Quinn. & Ayers, 2022, p 7), notwithstanding misinformation, as communities would work if people not had to consistently verify the content’s credibility on social media.
Interactions and engagement on discussions forums by comparison, override the toll misinformation has on mental health (Meshi & Ellithorpe, 2021), for individuals can relate their personal experiences by networking with other participants online (Rocha, de Moura, Deiderio, de Oliveira, Lourenco & de Figueiredo, 2021). Reddit, for example, allows users to create an anonymous profile (Wiederhold, 2021), so the utility of discussion forums as such, is not just about seeking counselling and aid from peers or like-minded individuals, but people want to feel accepted and valued in such cases. Participants are less concerned with protecting their identity since they can create anonymous profiles (Meshi & Ellithorpe, 2021); yet, emotional outbursts attribute to ignoring the participants’ real background, thereby leading to a lack of trust. On a different perspective, (Qu & Zhang, 2021, p 39) Boundaries no longer apply as users can fit into support groups rather than physical spaces (Qu & Zhang, 2021, p 40); although members of a community or a blog, can share their thoughts without worrying about persecution on their race, gender or background. YouTube and Facebook, for instance, enable users to customize their profile, but the main hassle with this system is that people ignore the truth behind the invisible audience watching them.
Inclusivity in the covid-19 pandemic context is however divisive; although arguments point that social media advocates for public health awareness and issues (Sahni & Sharma, 2020), overconsumption of news relating to covid-19 and health updates from networking sites can conspicuously lead to dysfunctional thinking processes (Skalski, Konasweski & Surzykiewicz, J.,2021). So, the downside of community building on Facebook, YouTube or Reddit is that psychological damage equally affects anyone as the need the urge to vociferate personal plights. Misinformation particularly as seen above (Skalski, onasweski, Bussing, & Surzykiewicz, 2021), adversely hoodwinks people into believing that some condiments boost the immune system. Many of the repercussions on one hand could be social as loneliness has been rife since the pandemic (Qu & Zhang, 2021, p 38), and on the other, psychological with some people quit social media for fear of having mood changes; sometimes, result in substance abuse (Meshi & Ellithorpe,2021). Nonetheless, such investigation doubtfully illustrates the accurate nature of social media, because these claims are debatably generalist views that do not analyse specifically a case such as Snapchat, Tik Tok, Instagram and Facebook (Meshi & Ellithorpe,2021) besides, misinformation about covid-19 is even rare (Broniatowski, Kercher, Farouq, Huang, Jamison, Amelia, Dredze, Quinn. & Ayers, 2022, p 7).
Additionally, misinformation on covid-19 is not the sole factor that leads people to look for help on social media. Especially during the pandemic, personal issues such as loneliness have overshadowed the necessity to verify the propensity for fallacies in social media content, needless to say, such social issues involve other health complications including impaired cognitive function, depression and insomnia (Qu & Zhang, 2021, p 38). Consequently, people are left with no choice, but to integrate social groups to relate their challenges. With approximately 97% of the world population living within the mobile network range, and over 4 billion internet users (Qu & Zhang, p 39), ditching the advantages of counselling people on social networking sites from Facebook to Twitter offer is unimaginable, as the public receives news mostly from these sites (Rocha, de Moura, Deiderio, de Oliveira, Lourenco & de Figueiredo, 2021) throughout the pandemic. Social media is hence, instrumental in communicating public health news, particularly in crises such as the covid-19 pandemic, which concerns people on a global scale (Sahni & Sharma, 2020), but whether such information is deleterious to mental health requires a further examination into the subject (Rocha, de Moura, Deiderio, de Oliveira, Lourenco & de Figueiredo, 2021).
That polarization between social media being harmful to mental health or accessible for open community discussions on a similar perspective casts doubt on whether the platforms themselves are troublesome or rather the active engagement occurring with other internet users. Taking Pinterest as an epitome, the developers are aware of the mental strain people are experiencing (Wiederhold, 2021), so the companies devised strategies particularly content moderation to prevent self-harm and suicide. In Pinterest’s context, the pins on self-injury dropped by around 88%, thus showing social media does not always adversely affect mental health. Alternately, low credibility could be harmful as Facebook and Twitter gather engagement Broniatowski, D.A., Kercher, D., (Farouq, Huang, Jamison, Amelia, Dredze, Quinn & Ayers, 2022, p 7), so community-building is at stake in a sense. If people cannot trust the content they engage with on social media, so cannot rely on such tools to display their emotional state. Similarly, the cost of sharing one’s personal information on Facebook, for instance, could be far-reaching as privacy is a major concern (Wiederhold, 2021), but some individuals could be disappointed to discover that support groups online (Qu & Zhang, p 40) may be superficial connections, with aims of exploiting information from them.
Conclusion
The role of social media in abating mental health issues is above all, a two-pronged approach. On one side, it could be beneficial if people can openly relate their stories and personal struggles; otherwise, the efficiency of networking sites from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram to YouTube in addressing anxiety, depression, stress and other similar health issues lies more in how people use it. Social media might a source of misinformation, but ceasing content consumption is inconceivable, not to mention, the internet is likely to keep expanding in a post-pandemic era however critics judge social media. Counselling and mental health support has been transitioning more than ever since the covid-19 outbreak, and online-based communities are integrating into that transition.
Reference List
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Hi Wilmer
I agree with the conclusion of your paper, that social media has both positive and negative outcomes for mental health. I can certainly think of many incidences where I have gained a sense of community and camaraderie from social media in difficult times. Yet there is little doubt that the spread of misinformation and the lack of accountability online can contribute to poor mental health outcomes, as you have indicated in your paper.
I found some correlation between your paper and mine, ‘YouTube and its role in the creation of a “third place” for right-wing communities’, in that not much is done by the hosting platforms to moderate or remove information which is incorrect, misleading or harmful. I do think that hosting platforms should be more accountable for what is posted on their site – would you agree?
Great work, thanks for posting this.
Regards
Dee
Hi Diana,
Yes, I believe hosting platforms should be more accountable for the content that is posted on them. Some viewers may become victims of harmful content on YouTube, but I think there is more to regulating the content. The problem lies in the algorithms that turn information inaccurate, misleading or harmful as you mentioned in your paper ‘YouTube and its role in the creation of a ”third place” for right-wing communities’, not to mention that there’s a lot of subtlety in the way information is presented to audiences. Therefore, I believe its the system that needs to be improved to match searches that meet strict guidelines and regulations. Afterall, the viewers and the producers run the content on YouTube, so the searches, results and uploads should be moderated in relation to the extent the company deems the information as decent.
Thanks,
Wilmer
Hi Wilmer
I agree with the conclusion of your paper, that social media has both positive and negative outcomes for mental health. I can certainly think of many incidences where I have gained a sense of community and camaraderie from social media in difficult times. Yet there is little doubt that the spread of misinformation and the lack of accountability online can contribute to poor mental health outcomes, as you have indicated in your paper.
I found some correlation between your paper and mine, ‘YouTube and its role in the creation of a “third place” for right-wing communities’ in that not much is done by the hosting platforms to moderate or remove information which is incorrect, misleading or harmful. I do think that hosting platforms should be more accountable for what is posted on their site – would you agree?
Great work, thanks for posting this.
Dee
Hey Wilmer,
Great read! I also agree that social media has both a negative and positive effect on mental health. I believe that there needs to be more research into the negative consequences, especially when my generation and younger generations spend hours online. From another perspective, many people I know have suffered from mental health issues such as body dysmorphia, and feelings of inadequacy when viewing health related misinformation content from celebrities and influencers who promote diet teas, waist trainers etc. This was particularly detrimental when in isolation during the pandemic because we were snacking more as a result of being home and exercising less. Should social media enforce trigger warnings on posts that use Facetune, photoshop or promote non-approved health supplements?
I also discuss mental health online in relation to natural disasters if you’d like to take a look:
https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2022/csm/912/social-media-communities-as-support-networks-empowering-others-during-crisis-situations/
Hi Sienna,
Yes, I am certainly in favour of moderating social media posts, but I think trigger warnings should only apply to posts that mislead or deceive people. Misleading posts that promote non-approved health supplements, for example, could lead people to take risks that result in health issues. Consequently, they might be disheartened to use social media due to their negative experience. The underlying concern, however, as you said are the health implications social media overuse have on individuals. I could not agree more with you that misinformation influencers and celebrities promote on social media affects mental health, given that sometimes people tend to believe them at the expense of their health. Indeed during the pandemic, people have been more active online and have exercising less. However, I think the scourge of social media misinformation and the sedentary lifestyle people lead, had already plagued society before the pandemic. The pandemic has only worsened these issues.
Thanks,
Wilmer
Hi Wilmer, social media is also a powerful tool that can be used to perform various activities, but it also has the power to shape and change people’s perceptions of reality. These platforms allow people to use them as scapegoats, vent out their frustrations, change their identity for some time, and escape the reality they are living. Fake news speeded more on social media, enhancing the idea that the pandemic was like a doomsday event and causing confusion and panic within the society. Luckily, the situation surrounding covid-19 is easing up, and soon users will be able to ponder the fact that social media can negatively influence an individual’s perception and life.
We have spoke on quite similar topics, you can check my paper on how social media helped in creating terror and panic during the covid-19 pandemic in Mauritius:
https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2022/csm/374/social-media-helped-in-creating-terror-and-panic-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-in-mauritius/
Hi Nadarajan,
Thanks for your sharing,
Social media is definitely a powerful of communication to voice out our concerns, customise our profile and escape reality. I could not agree more than social media is a double-edged sword that can also have repercussions on people’s lives. As you mentioned, fake news about the pandemic on social media have wrecked havoc worldwide, not to mention it becomes overwhelming to hear those news on social media. I think the more people react to the comments, the more they fuel the dissemination of fake content without realising it. In turn, this becomes a vicious circle as innocent viewers fall victims to the misleading information that affects their mental health.
Hi Wilmer,
Very interesting paper. As you said, social media has both positive and negative impacts on mental health, especially in times of pandemic. The spread of misinformation tends to make people panic needlessly, and, though of course it is crucial to follow the news, an overflow of information coming from social media is likely to make the morale of users plummet as well.
That being said, nowadays, it is pretty much impossible to survive without using social media. I believe that, in order to keep one’s mental health at somewhat stable levels, it is necessary to moderate the amount of time one spends on social media, as well as the type of content which one consumes. For example, only reading news from reliable sources, and engaging in positive discussions with other people on social media—such as uplifting each other’s spirits rather than arguing with one another—to reduce the effects of anxiety and depression. What are your thoughts on this?
Here is my paper on the impact of social media on fandoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2022/csm/412/fandoms-and-the-pandemic-a-safe-haven-amidst-the-crisis/
Hi Dina,
thanks for sharing,
I definitely share your point of view that we must keep track of our time spent on social media. Especially, during the pandemic, people have been active on social media more than ever. Although social media has become indispensable in daily life, because we receive most of the news from these channels, I believe the problem lies in the addiction it causes. The more people have access to content, the more they want to engage with; this can be detrimental to their health. As people spend more time on their screens, they less interact with others and focus on more constructive goals. In other words, social media can be a waste of time if we spend too much time on it at the expense of daily activities; needless to say, negative news overwhelm people. Indeed, reading news from reliable sources can uplift viewers, but I think most people do not check the source of the information nowadays. We live in a fast-paced era, in which we consume readily available content without questioning the credibility of the content we consume.
Regards,
Wilmer
Hello Wilmer, thanks for sharing your post with us!
While I have definitely heard horror stories of the effects that misinformation can have on communities, I have never considered the effect it would have on the mental health of the victims. Especially at the point in time where there was still not much known about covid-19, people were looking for any sign of hope amidst the pandemic would have been stressed out and vulnerable. In some ways though, the effects of misinformation might not be so different than the effects that real news can have. As you have mentioned, misinformation is not the only reason people are seeking help on social media. I suspect that hearing awful news from across the world on platforms such as Facebook would be quite detrimental as well. I personally had to stop looking at the news so much, the constant barrage of bad news is just so mentally draining and exhausting that I had to take a step back. I am very glad though that there are online support groups so readily available for anyone who needs them, and I hope people can find the help they need in the groups.
Sam
Hi Samuel,
Thanks for your comment.
Indeed, misinformation targets anyone and we never know whether the information we read is true or fake. I could not imagine misinformation on social media would be detrimental to mental health, though I did hear about cases of people falling prey to scams. I agree that news can aggravate mental health, given much of the news nowadays is unpleasant to watch. Moreover, social media overexposes us to such negative content since users share it with each other. Needless to say, the information is prone to manipulation. Anyone can change the information and trick viewers into believing the information is true. Needless to say, not every piece of content is regulated on Facebook for example. Hopefully, support groups are there to help people in their challenges.
Regards,
Wilmer
Hi Wilmer,
What an interesting read! As you noted, social media is both advantageous and detrimental for the mental health of users and I think this is a notion for most things; with every positive there will always be a negative and I wonder if you think that we can ever get to the point where social media is purely helpful for mental health, or if we just have to accept to take the good with the bad and try our best to mitigate the harmful content?
You touch on how studies should focus on solutions to track misinformation but I wonder if this is a job that should be undertaken by social media platform creators themselves? If they have created this digital juggernaut with with the capacity to generate misinformation that we know if causing harm, does the responsibility not lay with them to combat these negative symptoms? And if not, then with who? I think especially because you mentioned that some companies are aware of the consequences of the publishing of particular content, shouldn’t they be the ones actively trying to resolve these issues?
I also thought the point on Reddit was interesting but wonder if it is necessarily a positive thing that users are able to and encouraged to create anonymous profiles. Whilst I’m sure the benefits exist of users being able to be more open and vulnerable amongst an online community, does this veil of anonymity encourage an environment whereby users can get away with posting whatever information they desire without having the suffer the consequences and accountability of such posts? Without their names being held next to their posts, I fear that some may take advantage and use this feature to spread harmful, false or inappropriate content.
I do agree however that in this era, so much of the population and younger generations especially, are turning to digital platforms for all their news and updates on current events. This is why I think it is thus imperative that the information they are sourcing is completely accurate and scientifically-backed as it is becoming more and more difficult to decipher authentic news from fake news. I’d love to hear your thoughts and direct you to my paper where I speak on the use of social media to spread misinformation online within the wellness community. Would love to compare points! https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2022/csm/688/social-media-weaponised-in-the-wellness-community/
A very informative read. I agree that stands on a thin line between being beneficial or detrimental for mental health.
As you have also mentioned, false information could lead to heightened emotions. If I relate it to the situation going on in Sri Lanka at the moment (regarding the economic crisis and the protests, including the violence on the 9th), there has been alot of verified information and misinformation circulating the Web. And some such information may have almost led to devastating circumstances.
But it has to be mentioned that it is through social media that most citizens are getting to know about the situation. Word got around almost instantly about the the mobs attacking the protestors and people flooded the protest site to help. Even post-attack, it is through social media that people are keeping track of everything.
I’ve also seen many posts surfacing on mental health as of today. Posts on how to help children get through political tension, how to deal with anxiety and “doom scrolling” in these tough times have surfaced. So, when it comes to awareness on health or disaster, I think social media is predominantly a space where you can stay informed about what is happening, as long as you are smart enough to verify whether the news could potentially be false.
Hi Serena,
Thanks for you comment,
I definitely agree with your opinion that we need social media to stay informed, especially in times of crises. Indeed, without social media, the public would be oblivious to the economic crisis, protests and violence in Sri Lanka on the 9th. I also share the same point of view that people should question themselves about the credibility of the information. I think the main problem with social media is that the content is not regulated enough. Big companies such as Facebook do not do enough to promote safe and trustworthy content, but rather focus on growing their business. Not to mention that the pandemic has fueled the growth of user engagement online. Even before the pandemic, the 21st century had already witnessed a boom in social media engagement, given that the widespread accessibility of content online. Therefore, people do not bother about verifying the source of the content they consume, let alone ask themselves whether the information is reliable or not.
Regards,
Wilmer
Hi Wilmer,
This is an interesting topic you analyzed here. I really enjoyed reading it. Like you mentioned in your conclusion, it finally depends on how people used social media to determine how it impacted on them. How do you think we could come up to encourage people using social media more efficiently or could know better on how to detect fake news on social platforms to prevent stress, anxiety or depression like mentioned in your paper?