Social Media and Mental Health from a Psychological Perspective

From the viewpoint of psychology, the issue under review is debatable as well. In one respect, it considers the above studies that demonstrate the link between the excessively intensive use of social networking sites and mental health difficulties (Zhao and Zhang 273). Other research, meanwhile, indicates no cause-and-effect relationship between social media activity and depression (Puukko et al. 5921). In general, while some specialists associate the ever-growing presence in social media with the apparent increase in depressive symptoms in adolescents, others deny the existence of the link. The majority of psychologists and behavioral scientists have experience in treating excessive networking site usage as an addiction. For instance, Zhao and Zhang discovered a 70% rise in self-reported depression symptoms among social media users (271). Kohlar et al. also revealed a strong association between depression and the time that youngsters spent on Facebook (2217). The latter not necessarily causes the former, however, as a correlation not always means a causal relationship. Thus, Puukko et al. assume an opposite variant, where people with clinical depression are more inclined to escapism, in particular, with the help of social networks (5921). This is quite probable, considering that such websites encourage their users to wear masks that embody fun and excitement but do not reveal much about their struggles in everyday life. It is worth specifying that the degree of vulnerability to the possible negative influence of social media has been found to vary between genders. Notably, the researchers examined the relationship between networking site use and mental health according to gender, which experiment revealed that females are more dependent than males (Kolhar et al. 2217). Nevertheless, the risk of mental health associated with excessive social media activity is an issue of concern in both genders.

The Theory of Developmental Tasks and Emerging Adulthood

Several perspectives exist on the reasons for which mental health concerns often hamper early adulthood. Thus, according to the developmental task theory, society generates a set of graded expectations that change together with an individual’s age and determine his or her performance (Mayseless and Keren 64). Activities in growth reflect both human progress and the ideals of the surrounding culture. For instance, a teenager is expected to excel academically and create great friendships; in adulthood, developmental responsibilities include romantic relationships, families, meaningful professions, and participation in political life (Zhao and Zhang 273). Historically, the typical trend was for a person to go directly from adolescence to adulthood. Emerging adulthood is challenging since an individual in this transitional stage has already acquired the responsibilities associated with maturation but retains certain characteristics of adolescence. Many countries seek to help their maturing residents with prolonged periods of schooling, experimental employment, and travel. The purpose actually lies in postponing the onset of typical adult duties such as marriage and family (Orben et al. 640). In fact, however, people approaching adulthood face more developmental roadblocks than they have ever experienced and more than their careers have ever experienced. For instance, an individual may maintain teenage activities such as academic performance, psychological tasks such as growing autonomy from parents, and adult tasks such as job search, romantic relationship building, family formation, and civic participation. People in that phase of life become especially vulnerable to the sense of approval that social media can provide. According to Kohlar et al., such characteristics as interpersonal trust and family functioning may have a bigger impact on depressive symptoms than social media usage frequency (2218). In case these are not appropriate, an individual is likely to compensate for that by virtual means. Therefore, the assumption that depression causes overuse of social media apparently is closer to reality than its equivalent with inverted cause and effect.

Brain Physiology during Adolescence

It is crucial to recognize that the prevalence of illnesses that occur throughout adolescence is associated with brain development. The neurobiological alterations in the structure and functions of the brain may result in difficulties with emotional and social control in adolescents (Odgers and Jensen 346). Those do not finish, however, when a person reaches the age of 18; rather, significant improvements in executive function, planning, and decision-making capacity continue into the thirties. While adolescence is often a well-structured setting, young people are allowed to fend for themselves at a very malleable stage of their life. However, the emergence of social media seems to have increased the desire for social approval even at such early phases of life. In most of the investigations, anxiety and sadness were the most frequently evaluated outcomes indicating the victims’ psychological instability. The significant risk variables for both were time spent maintaining the account and social media addiction, which actually are closely intertwined (Orben et al. 639). Thus, anxiety in children frequently is connected to fear of loss, which motivates them to check all their friends’ texts and communications regularly. These reactions could be best defined from the philosophers’ viewpoints to contextualize better the rising concerns over suicidal ideas among social media addicts.

Philosophers’ Perspective

There is mounting evidence that the Internet and social media might have a detrimental effect in terms of suicidal thoughts and even behavior. Notably, the studies have revealed that individual aspects include the disorienting cognitive effect of severe distress and sadness, which makes the future look bleaker than it is really (O’Reilly et al. 101). Philosophers explored the question of reality and existence from the perceptive of the depressed, noting that such individuals tend to have a distorted perception of existence. Social media, in turn, can trigger such cases by replacing reality with an illusion, which aggravates the unhealthy state.

Recommendations

Considering all of the above, it is highly desirable that the possible influence of social media overuse on the psyche of youngsters, including its effect on suicidal conduct, is addressed with urgency. The philosophical perspective on the effect of the Internet and, in particular, social networking sites on suicidal behavior indicates that this technology may bear threats to the public. Since end-users mainly generate and manage social media, they, subsequently, should be the participants of the initiatives that aim at monitoring and prevention. To aid in implementing such user-driven strategies, all social media platforms may provide easy mechanisms to report hazardous websites and other users’ behaviors that seem inadequate. Similarly, public promotion of direct and quick access to support through social media sites should be the focus. Public health initiatives that use the Internet and social media to increase awareness about the problem in schools, universities, and other settings may also be effective. Those responsible for suicide prevention and public health outreach programs should also be aware of the current social media trends and user preferences, as well as significant legal considerations. Finally, proactively using social media to raise public awareness and education about mental health concerns is a rational contemporary public health strategy that can save lives. Suicide prevention social networking sites may foster social connections between peers who have had similar experiences and raise knowledge of preventative programs, crisis helplines, and other support and educational resources. In general, it is critical to remember that the Internet is less controlled than traditional types of media. When radio, television, and newspapers broadcast or print content of dubious purpose or integrity, they may be examined by regulators or even lose ratings as a result. However, the creation and transmission of information through the Internet and social media are decentralized and continually being modified and updated by end-users (Ceccato and Petersson 17). Thus, the Internet is actually an open gateway with few limits on the material. Ultimately, the management of Internet material concerns First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and expression. Limits on Internet material may offer a slippery-slope issue that might lead to more restrictions on these rights.

Conclusion

Although social media can hardly cause depression or suicidal thoughts in a psychologically stable individual, they may aggravate the existing mental health issues. The effective solution is to control the Internet better than in the current stage, for instance, by reporting inappropriate activities. Regarding each particular individual, it is necessary to have emotional attachments in real life to avoid a social media addiction and worsening of the state. It is also necessary to consider that females are more vulnerable to the possible negative influence of networking sites in comparison with males and, consequently, may need closer supervision.