Impact of Social Media on Youth Mental Health

In this day and age, mental health is a hot topic. With mental illnesses on the rise, it's more important than ever to keep in mind what mental health looks like and how we can help each other stay mentally and emotionally healthy.

One thing that has been receiving special attention lately is the effect of social media on mental health — in particular, Facebook.

The power dynamics between users and social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are changing rapidly. It used to be easy to think of social platforms as simply sources of news or entertainment or places for catching up with long-distance friends, but over time it's become clear that these platforms have major impacts not only on our mental health but also our mental well-being.

For example, research has found that using Facebook can negatively influence mental health. One study of 1,787 adults aged 19 to 32 showed that the more people used Facebook over one week, the worse they felt about themselves. Other studies have shown that Facebook use leads to declines in self-esteem and life satisfaction. Another study showed that when college students stopped using Facebook for a week, their moods improved significantly.

The reasons behind these mental health effects are varied. Sometimes social media use is linked with mental health issues because it's used in an unhealthy way, such as when someone obsessively monitors their own or others' posts or spends too much time scrolling through social media with the intent of comparing their lives to others.

However, sometimes mental health issues can lead people to use social media in an unhealthy way, which can make mental health issues worse. For example, one study found that depressive symptoms led participants to spend more time on social media overall, but also led them to focus on how they compared to others while browsing Facebook and Instagram. People with high anxiety scores reported spending less time browsing Facebook overall but were more likely than others to focus on how they compared with others while using Facebook and Instagram.

The mental health effects of using social media platforms are not simple. It's not just about mental health or mental wellness —it's also about how we interact with each other, how we communicate online, and the changing power dynamics between users and platforms.

One startup is trying to fix the problem. Nightware is an app made by Dr. Janelle Alex, who received her medical degree from Stanford University School of Medicine before becoming Apple's first global healthcare professional. The app lets users know when it's time to sleep, sending mental health reminders throughout the day.

Dr. Alex wants people who are struggling with mental illness to have an easier time managing their mental health. "People don't have mental health first aid kits," she said during a recent interview, "We want to put mental health first aid at the tip of your fingers."

When you sign up for Nightware, you can log keywords that describe how you're feeling. Then, if you push yourself too hard or dwell on negative feelings, the app will send you notifications reminding you that it's time to take a break and relax. Not only does this keep people from overworking themselves, but it also goes a long way in mental health self-care.

In the future, Dr. Alex hopes that Nightware will develop into a mental health service script like Amazon's Alexa, which can help you make mental health care plans and even contact mental health professionals for you.

Social media is affecting mental well-being in many different ways. However, not all social media platforms are bad. Understanding how our mental state changes thanks to social media is an important step towards taking good care of your mental health.

I am a content creator, Digital Marketing Expert, and Web developer.