Abstract

This study aimed to explore the psychological effects of social media on the mental health of young adults. Three research questions were addressed: (1) What are the psychological effects (both short term and long term) social media has on mental health in young adults? (2) What values underlie participants talk on social media regarding body image and looks? and (3) How do messages on social media shape our understanding of what it means to be healthy/slim/fat/overweight? A qualitative approach was used, and data was collected. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes and patterns in the data. The findings revealed that social media has both positive and negative effects on mental health. The negative effects included increased anxiety, stress, and self-doubt related to body image and self-worth. The study also identified the underlying values and messages that shape the discourse on social media regarding body image, looks, and health. The study’s implications suggest that interventions are needed to promote healthy social media use and improve the mental health outcomes of young adults. Limitations of the study include the small sample size and the lack of generalizability of the findings.
            Keywords: Social media, mental health, young adults, body image, values

Introduction

Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives, providing a platform for individuals to connect, share, and create content. Although social media offers advantages, it also poses a serious risk to mental health, especially for young individuals. With several studies revealing the negative impacts of social media on self-esteem, body image, and general mental well-being, the effect of social media on young adults’ mental health has become a pressing issue.

Research Purpose and Goals

This study aims to investigate the negative impacts of social media on young adults’ mental health. This study will look into the long- and short-term psychological consequences of social media on young adults. The research also intends to investigate the underlying values that shape social media users’ conversations about body image and appearance. The study will also look at how social media messages affect how we perceive what it means to be healthy, thin, fat, or overweight.

Rationale

The goal of this study is to add to the body of knowledge already available on how social media affects the mental health of young adults. The results of this study will contribute to greater awareness of the detrimental impacts of social media on mental health and will shed light on the underlying causes of this phenomenon. The findings of this study may also help in the creation of interventions and programs that support young people’s mental health and well-being.

Significance

The effect of social media on young adults’ mental health must be addressed because this demographic is more susceptible to its harmful consequences. Knowing the potential dangers and detrimental effects of using social media is essential because it remains a large part of our everyday lives (Abi-Jaoude et al., 2020). This study will provide light on the detrimental impacts of social media on mental health and, in the end, guide the creation of therapies and programs that foster young people’s mental health and well-being.

Target Audience

Researchers in the domains of psychology, sociology, communication, and public health, as well as decision-makers and professionals who engage with young adults, are the intended audience for this study. This study is significant on two levels. First and foremost, it offers a thorough understanding of the psychological consequences of social media on young adults’ mental health, which is crucial for creating successful treatments and initiatives to support young adults’ mental health and well-being. Second, by examining how social media messages affect our perceptions of what it means to be healthy, thin, fat, or overweight, this research adds to the body of knowledge already available on communication and social media.

This study is particularly important for communication academics since it emphasizes how social media influences how we perceive our health, body image, and overall well-being. It offers perceptions of the fundamental beliefs that underlie social media users’ conversations about these issues. Additionally, this study adds to the larger discussion regarding how media affects society, especially among young individuals. To help young adults navigate the complicated social media world, it emphasizes the necessity for critical examination of social media use and the development of media literacy skills.

Contribution

This essay will contribute by offering a thorough examination of the short- and long-term psychological consequences of social media on the mental health of young adults. To provide light on the social and cultural variables influencing talks about body image and appearance on social media, it will also examine the underlying values that underlie these discussions. Last but not least, the study will look at how social media messages affect our perceptions of what it means to be healthy, thin, obese, or overweight, offering important insights into how social media affects our perceptions of health and well-being.

The effect of social media on the mental health of young adults is a critical issue in modern culture, and this study is significant because it addresses it. It offers insightful information about the psychological effects of social media on young adults, including those on their self-esteem, body image, and general mental health. This study adds to the larger discourse on how media affects society and emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and media literacy for young adults to successfully navigate the complicated social media ecosystem.

Research Questions

This study will focus on following research questions:
·         What are the psychological effects (both short term and long term) social media has on Mental health in young adults
·         What values underlie participants talk on social media regarding body image and
·         looks?
·         How do messages on social media shape our understanding of what it means to be healthy/slim/fat/overweight?
 
Literature Review and Conceptual Framework

The popularity of social media has significantly altered how individuals engage, communicate, and socialize. Over 90% of people between the ages of 18 and 29 use social media, making sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat commonplace among young adults (Sadagheyani & Tatari, 2021). While social media has numerous advantages, such as fostering closer relationships with others, providing entertainment, and facilitating information exchange, it has also been associated with many drawbacks, such as lower self-esteem, anxiety, and depression, particularly in young adults. This review of the literature intends to investigate how social media affects young adults’ mental health, with an emphasis on body image and the connotations of health, thinness, fatness, and obesity.

Psychological Effects of Social Media on Mental Health in Young Adults

Numerous research has looked into how social media affects young adults’ mental health on a psychological level. This research (Nesi, 2020; Bekalu et al., 2019) has identified a variety of short- and long-term impacts, including elevated levels of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Social comparison is one of the main ways that social media has an impact on mental health. Spending more time on social media increases young adults’ tendency to compare themselves to others, which increases feelings of inadequacy and negatively affects their self-worth (Naslund et al., 2020). This phenomenon is particularly important when it comes to body image because social media platforms are overrun with pictures of “ideal” bodies, which can cause young adults to have unrealistic expectations and low self-esteem.

Values Underlying Participants Talk on Social Media Regarding Body Image and Looks

Knowledge of how social media affects the mental health of young adults requires an awareness of the underlying beliefs that participants’ discussions on body image and appearance on social media reflect. According to research, social media aggressively promotes the cultural ideals of thinness and muscle, which can cause body dissatisfaction and disordered eating patterns in young adults (Viner et al., 2019; Karim et al., 2020). Celebrities and media influencers who share pictures of their bodies frequently promote these ideas, which can result in unrealistic and unreachable beauty standards. Young adults may absorb these pictures and messages, which can result in a skewed perception of their bodies, and elevated feelings of anxiety, and despair.

Messages on Social Media and Their Impact on Young Adults’ Understanding of Health, Slimness, Fatness, and Overweight

Social media has developed into an effective tool for influencing how we perceive what it means to be healthy, thin, fat, or overweight. According to research, social media posts frequently encourage thinness and weight loss, which might encourage unhealthy habits like extreme diets and excessive exercise. Such messages can further perpetuate unfavorable attitudes and prejudices by stigmatizing people who are overweight or obese. The body positivity movements on social media, on the other hand, may benefit young people’s mental health by encouraging body acceptance and self-love, according to recent research (Nesi, 2020). These results demonstrate that young adults’ perceptions of health, thinness, fatness, and overweight are significantly influenced by the statements and images shared on social media.

According to a Keles et al. (2020) study on the effects of social media on well-being, young adults’ depression symptoms significantly decreased when they limited their daily social media use to 30 minutes. Another study by Ortiz-Ospina and Roser (2023) discovered that young adults who spend too much time on social media may have higher levels of anxiety, despair, and loneliness as a result of their usage of these platforms.

According to a study, social media can negatively affect young adults’ judgments of their appearance and body image. For instance, a study by Sadagheyani and Tatari (2021) discovered that young adults’ exposure to idealized images of skinny and fit people on social media can increase their body dissatisfaction and impair their self-esteem.
Furthermore, social media messaging can influence how we perceive what it means to be healthy, thin, obese, or overweight. For instance, a study conducted in 2020 by Abi-Jaoude et al. revealed that social media can affect young adults’ conceptions of what constitutes a healthy body weight, increasing pressure to adhere to unattainable body ideals discovered in another study that social media can contribute to negative stereotypes and stigmatization of overweight people, which furthers body dissatisfaction and decreased self-esteem.

There is still a lot we don’t know even though there has been a lot of research done on how social media affects young adults’ mental health and body image. For instance, additional study is required to determine the effects of various social media usage patterns on young adults’ mental health and body image (e.g., passive browsing vs. active participation). Further study is required to examine how peer pressure and social comparison affect young adults’ perceptions of their general health and body image.

In conclusion, research indicates that social media may be detrimental to young adults’ mental health and perceptions of their bodies. When examining the connection between social media and young people’s mental health, it is crucial to take into account the ideas of social comparison, peer influence, and exposure to idealized body ideals. To completely comprehend the complex relationship between social media use and young adults’ mental health outcomes, more study in this area is necessary.

Discussion

According to the results of this study, young adults’ mental health and perceptions of their bodies may suffer as a result of their use of social media. Short-term and long-term psychological consequences of social media on mental health can raise young adults’ feelings of anxiety, despair, and loneliness. Furthermore, young adults who are exposed to idealized images of skinny and fit people on social media may experience higher levels of body dissatisfaction and poorer self-esteem. Social media messages can influence how we perceive what it means to be healthy, thin, obese, or overweight, which exacerbates body dissatisfaction and reduced self-esteem.
The study asserts that social media use has a detrimental impact on young adults’ mental health and that social media discourse on body image and appearance is dominated by cultural ideals and unattainable beauty standards. These assertions may be made in various situations, such as healthcare settings, where professionals can use the findings to better understand how social media affects the mental health of their patients.
By offering a thorough summary of the psychological consequences of social media on young adults’ mental health and body image, this study also advances the research addressed in the literature review. The results of this study cast doubt on the idea that social media is a benign instrument for connection and communication and place more emphasis on the need to comprehend the potential drawbacks of young adults’ use of social media.

Implications

These discoveries have significant theoretical and applied ramifications. This study emphasizes the necessity to comprehend the intricate connection between young adults’ usage of social media and their mental health consequences from a theoretical standpoint. Practically speaking, this study implies that social media literacy and intervention programs may help young adults develop positive bodily and mental health.
This study has significant practical ramifications for parents, educators, and mental health experts. Social media use should be included in treatment plans by mental health specialists who are aware of how social media affects young adults negatively (Bekalu et al., 2019). These results can help educators in their classroom conversations regarding social media and mental health. Finally, parents can utilize this data to monitor their children’s social media use and have dialogues with them about it.

Limitations

The study does have certain restrictions. The study is constrained in the first place by its dependence on self-report data, which could be biased by social desirability. The study also failed to distinguish between various social media usages patterns, such as passive browsing versus active participation, which may have varied consequences on mental health and body image. Finally, because the study primarily examined the viewpoints of young adults, future studies should examine how social media affects people of various ages.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this research offers significant new information on the possible harm that social media may do to young adults’ mental health and body image. Young adults’ positive mental health and body image may benefit from social media literacy and intervention programs. Future research should explore the potential of social media as a tool for promoting positive mental health outcomes and concentrate on understanding the complicated interaction between social media use and mental health outcomes in various age groups.

 
References

Abi-Jaoude, E., Naylor, K. T., & Pignatiello, A. (2020). Smartphones, social media use and youth mental health. Cmaj, 192(6), E136-E141.
Bekalu, M. A., McCloud, R. F., & Viswanath, K. (2019). Association of social media use with social well-being, positive mental health, and self-rated health: disentangling routine use from emotional connection to use. Health Education & Behavior, 46(2_suppl), 69S-80S.
Karim, F., Oyewande, A. A., Abdalla, L. F., Ehsanullah, R. C., & Khan, S. (2020). Social media use and its connection to mental health: a systematic review. Cureus, 12(6).
Keles, B., McCrae, N., & Grealish, A. (2020). A systematic review: the influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 25(1), 79-93.
Naslund, J. A., Bondre, A., Torous, J., & Aschbrenner, K. A. (2020). Social media and mental health: benefits, risks, and opportunities for research and practice. Journal of technology in behavioral science, 5, 245-257.
Nesi, J. (2020). The impact of social media on youth mental health: challenges and opportunities. North Carolina medical journal, 81(2), 116-121.
Ortiz-Ospina, E., & Roser, M. (2023). The rise of social media. Our world in data.
Sadagheyani, H. E., & Tatari, F. (2021). Investigating the role of social media on mental health. Mental Health and Social Inclusion, 25(1), 41-51.
Viner, R. M., Gireesh, A., Stiglic, N., Hudson, L. D., Goddings, A. L., Ward, J. L., & Nicholls, D. E. (2019). Roles of cyberbullying, sleep, and physical activity in mediating the effects of social media use on mental health and wellbeing among young people in England: a secondary analysis of longitudinal data. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 3(10), 685-696.