Effects of Social Media on Physical and Mental Health Essay

The Impact of Social Media on Mental and Physical Health

The use of social media is increasingly becoming popular and has widely been adopted as a daily routine in today's world. The purpose of social media is an excellent way for people to socialize and stay in touch with friends and family members, share information and also organize events (How the World Changed Social Media 14). However, some studies have demonstrated the adverse effects of the use of social media on the mental and physical health of its users.

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Social psychologists and scientists are now becoming interested in the effects of social media on the mental and physical health of its users (Bryfonski, Dedria. 18). Prolonged social media usage has recently been linked to symptoms of low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. Researchers from the University of Melbourne's National Center of Excellence in Youth Mental Health published an article which associated social media usage with eating issues, sleep problems, and depression. A survey that was conducted by a London based Royal Society for Public Health found out that a site such as" Instagram" has widely contributed to body confidence issues in young people as the site primarily focuses on the physical appearance of people (How the World Changed Social Media 14). The study also found out that the more time young people spent on social media sites, the more they perceived themselves to be socially isolated (Bryfonski, Dedria. 18). Social isolation is a critical element of people with mental health issues.

When a platform like Facebook is used to compare how a person is doing either regarding finances or relationship, then, it may lead to feelings of depression among the users. However, when Facebook is used for connecting with friends and family members, it may be fun and healthy. The study found out that patients may use the site to make connections with other patients who have gone through the same condition and recovered (How the World Changed Social Media 14). These connections may help increase the life satisfaction of patients.

Physical Effects of Prolonged Social Media Use

The physical effect of social media is on the amount of time spent staring at either our phones or computers. Some scientific and medical studies have shown that there is an alarming difference between people who spent more than four hours a day on their phones and those who don't. People who spent most of their time on their phones tend to develop vertebrate disorders, spinal curvatures, rounded shoulders, headache, and neck pains (Noor, Al-Deen and Hendricks, 25). Blue light is emitted by Smartphone's which is very bright to the human eye. When a person is directly exposed to this light for long periods of time, their retina may be damaged leading to macular degeneration. Sleep is considered an essential factor in the health of a person. The natural production of melatonin by our body ensures that a person maintains a healthy sleep. However, when a person stares at his/her Smartphone in bed, the body is confused and may delay the production of melatonin that may result in the prevention of adequate and quality sleep (Noor, Al-Deen, and Hendricks, 25). When a person has sleep patterns that are not adequate, he/she may develop sleep-related issues.

The Evolution Of Social Media

The use of social media has been increasing around the world, and it is estimated that more than 2 billion people were using social networks in 2018 (Noor, Al-Deen and Hendricks, 20). Social media is used in every part of people's lives, which includes entertainment, work, studies, and personal relationships. An estimated 30 million text messages are sent on Facebook while 300000 tweets are sent every minute. In the US, social media was not widely used a few years ago, and social sites like MySpace and Friendster had just started and enjoyed a decent adoption. In 2005, Facebook was also in its early stages and had begun to spread in different parts of the world (Noor, Al-Deen and Hendricks, 25). Moreover, Twitter had just appeared, LinkedIn was a digital resume and other platforms like Pinterest and Google+ was not established until 2011. Fast forward to 2018, social media has become part of the modern lifestyle in America and other parts of the world. Today, almost everyone knows and uses social media.

There are thousands of social media platforms that are currently used in the US and across the globe. Social media is not only used as a social platform, but also in business, media, and politics in the United States. Nearly 80% of all internet users in the USA are on Facebook where they create memes, publications and enhancing their worldview (Noor, Al-Deen and Hendricks, 25). A study by Pew Research found that about 62% of US citizens get their news from social media. There is also a tremendous increase in social media influence on political campaigns. In 2003, Howard Dean used social media to influence his campaigns and in 2008 in the election of the first African-American president. A recent report by the New York Times stated that "The election of President Donald Trump is an illustration to the planet that social networks are fundamentally rewiring the human society."

Most business and organizations in the US use social media to reach its customers. Companies use these platforms to connect with potential customers and build revenue. The sites are significant in business to stimulate demand, generate insights, and create product offerings (Kick, Markus 83). Ads are placed on these sites each minute by different companies as a way of reaching the targeted audience. Contrary to what is happening with social media in the US, some countries have restricted the use of social media, and most of the citizens have no freedom to express themselves. The main reason for social media restrictions is its political influence where the government views social media as a threat. The prime minister of Turkey Tayyip Erdogan banned the use of Twitter for 2 weeks in 2014 citing abuse of the Twitter channel. In a statement, he claimed t"I don't care what the international community says, everyone, will witness the power of the Turkish Republic." In 2009 the Republic of China blocked three most prominent social media platforms in the country as a way of restricting the public from publishing firsthand accounts of the political developments in the nation. Also, North Korea placed a ban on the entire internet for the mass population. Access to the internet is for government purposes or with available special authorization. The restrictions on the use of internet and social media may, however, be viewed as a good thing according to some proponents. Social media may be used for both positive and negative influence (Rodgers, Shaun 15). Most governments forbid the use of social media in their countries as a way of preventing the public from the possibility of organizing protests, share the real-time news that is uncensored and also criticizing policies.

Annotated Bibliography

Manalaotao, Hannah. "The Positive and Negative Effects of Social Media." YouTube, 6 March 2014. www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMQ2kmGrxCs. Accessed 23 April 2018.

The above link is a video source of the negative and positive effects of social media.

Bryfonski, Dedria. The Global Impact of Social Media. Detroit, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2012.

The book provides a reader with a global viewpoint of the impact of social media across the world. The author has offered contrasting views on the subject to encourage students to see the importance of divergent opinions. Valuable information for researchers on social media has also been included by the author.

How the World Changed Social Media. S.l.: UCL Press, 2016.

The book has covered the evolution of social media to its current state in the United States and other countries. The social media platform was not previously used widely, but recent developments have seen these platforms increasingly becoming popular and being adopted in people's daily routines. The author has elaborated how social media has evolved in the United States and the range of opportunities available in social media.

Kick, Markus. Selected Essays on Corporate Reputation and Social Media: Collection ofEmpirical Evidence. , 2015.

The book has covered on the impacts of social media in marketing and the corporate world. The author has included some papers that expound on different issues that affect the social media platform. The author has put more emphasis on Facebook as a social platform and elaborated how it has impacted the society.

Noor, Al-Deen H. S, and John A. Hendricks. Social Media: Usage and Impact. Lanham, Md:Lexington Books, 2012.

The author talks about the evolution of social media within the past decade and how it has become an integral part of political campaigns, advertising, education and different aspects of people's daily existence. The book explores the emerging role of social media and its impact as it evolves.

Rodgers, Shaun. Social Media Effect. S.l.: Lulu Com, 2017.

The book talks about the effects of social media and how it has impacted the lives of people. The negative and positive results have been highlighted by the author who provides an excellent platform for students to view different ideas. Student and researchers can use the information in the book to further their research on the social media effects.

Works Cited

Bryfonski, Dedria. The Global Impact of Social Media. Detroit, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2012.

How the World Changed Social Media. S.l.: UCL Press, 2016.

Kick, Markus. Selected Essays on Corporate Reputation and Social Media: Collection ofEmpirical Evidence. 2015.

Manalaotao, Hannah. "The Positive and Negative Effects of Social Media." YouTube, 6 March 2014. www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMQ2kmGrxCs. Accessed 23 April 2018.

Noor, Al-Deen H. S, and John A. Hendricks. Social Media: Usage and Impact. Lanham, Md:Lexington Books, 2012.

Rodgers, Shaun. Social Media Effect. S.l.: Lulu Com, 2017.