Final_Capstone

1 The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health: A Systematic Review Capstone Kate Weatherby Florida State College - Jacksonville HUS 4722: Research Methods in Human Service Dr. Rachel Douglas November 24, 2023

2 Abstract Research on social media has expanded significantly in recent years, with initial studies focusing on social media's negative impact on mental health outcomes. As research has progressed, it has become complex and challenging to follow. A systematic study that uses qualitative and quantitative data collection was conducted, and a conceptual framework was created to explore the drawbacks of increased social media use. A literature review of nine peer-reviewed articles from the Florida State College Library was also performed. Several other sources were also used for the completion of this capstone. The study identified factors such as the conceptualization of social media use, health variables, social factors, and age cohort differences that may contribute to variability in the findings. Much like addiction to substances such as drugs and alcohol, social media use that produces extreme negative outcomes has shown to be tied to other underlying conditions. In the future, researchers may use social comparison theory as a framework for examining how certain types of uncontrolled social media use may lead to unfavorable social comparisons, which can increase negative mental health outcomes. Keywords : social media, mental health

4 constant communication with virtually anyone in the world simultaneously and in real time is a reality that did not exist twenty years ago. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok have become deeply embedded in modern society, allowing people to connect, share life updates, post photos and videos, learn new information, and follow trends and news (Adjin-Tettey et al., 2021). With social media's meteoric rise in popularity, there has been intense research in elucidating its impacts on mental health, especially among adolescents and young adults, who tend to be the most avid users. Literature Review Anxiety and Depression Compulsive consumption of social media is a known factor that experts suggest may be responsible for rising anxiety found in several of the studies reviewed. In fact, in one study, 45% of the respondents reported feeling “worried or uncomfortable” when email and Facebook were inaccessible, while 60% stated that they feel the need to “switch off” their devices to secure a genuine break from technology (Fitzgerald, 2012). These findings highlight the potential negative impact of excessive social media use on mental health and the need for individuals to be mindful of their social media consumption habits. A fast-growing body of research reveals troubling associations between social media use and symptoms of depression and anxiety (Ulvi et al., 2022; Lee et al., 2022; Karim et al., 2020). A meta-analysis synthesizing 38 studies found a statistically significant, albeit small, relationship (r = 0.12) between social media use frequency and depressive symptoms across varied age groups (Lee et al., 2022). Notably, associations were stronger among Western, adolescent, and female sub-samples than non-Western, adult, and male groups. A recent study conducted by Cruz

5 et al. (2022) examined the impact of social media use on mental health in over 1,200 ethnically diverse young adults in the United States. The study found that using social media for more than two hours per day was associated with clinically significant higher rates of depression and anxiety symptoms compared to using it for less than two hours daily. The results of this study highlight the potential negative effects of excessive social media use on mental health in young adults (Cruz et al., 2022). Those who reported constantly checking social media throughout the day showed the highest anxiety levels. While these studies systematically demonstrate correlational relationships, the causal direction remains unclear; social media use could contribute to depression and anxiety through unfavorable social comparisons and displacement of in-person interaction. However, those already experiencing depression or anxiety may also use social media more frequently as a coping mechanism. Research has shown that social media has had a significant impact on teenage mental health, particularly in terms of anxiety, depression, and social isolation (Barry et al., 2017; Best, 2014; Walsh, 2016; & Naslund, 2016). Several studies have found moderate correlations between social media activity and hyperactivity/impulsivity, anxiety, and depression (Barry et al., 2017). It's worth noting that research has suggested that the duration of social media usage is a crucial factor in determining its impact on mental health. Studies have shown that spending more extended periods of time online is associated with higher levels of depression, loneliness, and smaller social circles. Loneliness While one might expect social media use to alleviate loneliness, empirical findings paint a more complicated picture. A recent meta-analysis found a small but statistically significant association (r = 0.12) between social media use frequency and loneliness levels (Cruz et al.,

7 Self-Esteem Several studies highlight how social media usage centered around portraying an idealized image negatively impacts self-esteem. The highly curated nature of image-focused platforms like Instagram and Facebook provides abundant opportunities for social comparison and questioning one's self-worth (Jan et al., 2017). Teenagers' time spent editing and enhancing photos to post on Instagram strongly correlated with decreased self-esteem and increased physical appearance comparison tendencies (Jan et al., 2017). Young women who were experimentally assigned to browse attractive peers' Facebook profiles experienced more significant declines in state self- esteem than those who viewed unattractive profiles. However, increased daily Instagram usage improved self-esteem for college women, with a more significant proportion of stranger followers than friends or family, perhaps due to receiving validating feedback and reactions from a wider audience. These findings indicate that social media use involving selective self- presentation and image enhancement explains observed decreases in self-esteem. In contrast, use aimed at expanding social networks beyond one's immediate circle may boost self-esteem. Similarly, another study by Tiggemann and Slater (2014) found that exposure to idealized images on Instagram led to lower body satisfaction and increased negative mood in young women. The study also found that young women who spent more time on Instagram were more likely to compare their appearance to others and experience negative body image. These findings suggest that social media can have a negative impact on self-esteem, particularly when it comes to body image. It is important to be mindful of the content we consume on social media and how it affects our mental health. The study also found that individuals who spent more time on social media were more likely to compare their appearance to others and experience negative body image (Tiggemann & Slater, 2015) .

8 Table 3 Total, Direct, and Mediating Effects of Self-esteem on Depressive Symptoms in Middle Adulthood (ages 40’s – 50’s), using KHB Mediation Analysis and Decomposition Results by Gender, NLSY79 † Self-esteem Men (N = 1,676) Women (N = 1,401) Estimates Robust SE Mediation Percentage Estimates Robust SE Mediation Percentage Total Effect −.033 *** .008 NA −.035 *** .009 NA Direct Effect −.029 *** .008 NA −.035 *** .009 NA Mediating Effect −.005 ** .002 13.94% .000 .001 −.74% a via Marijuana use −.001 .001 2.36% .000 .000 −.24% Cocaine use −.000 .001 .27% .001 .001 −1.94% Alcohol-urge −.003 * .001 8.08% −.001 .001 1.73% Alcohol- addiction −.001 .001 3.22% .000 .001 −.28% Note: † All models control for previous depressive symptoms level (1992), in addition to the control variables that were included in Table 2 . CES-D scale uses a square-root transformation. a This indirect effect is not statistically significant * p<.05; ** p<.01; *** p<.001, two-tailed test. NA= Not Available (Park & Yang, 2017). Self-esteem has been found to be an important factor in social media usage, according to Park and Yang's (2017) study. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between self-

10 As people spend more and more time connected to the internet and social media sites they spend less, and less time connected to each other. This has the potential to affect people in a negative way mentally. As the literature study was done it became increasingly more evident that social media is many times an indirect affect on mental health. While it has some positive qualities the potential for negative affect is great, especially when the use begins at a young age. Much like other addictive substances social media has the potential for addiction. That was not the focus of this research. It is worth noting that not only the amount of time spent on social media, but also the number of social media accounts can be correlated with mental health. Research has shown that individuals who have multiple social media accounts may experience higher levels of anxiety, depression, and stress (Andreassen et al., 2017). This is because managing multiple accounts can be overwhelming and lead to a feeling of being constantly connected and always "on." Furthermore, trying to maintain a certain image on multiple platforms can also contribute to feelings of inadequacy and anxiety. Therefore, it is important to consider not only the amount of time spent on social media, but also the number of accounts when examining the relationship between social media use and mental health. Methods Quantitative Survey Results

11 After conducting a survey with 10 participants, I obtained some quantitative results about their use of social media sites and their beliefs on how it affects people's mental health. The survey revealed that 80% of the participants believed that social media use has a negative impact on mental health, while 20% believed that social media has a positive impact. When asked about the amount of time they spend on social media, 70% of the participants reported spending 1-2 hours per day, 20% reported spending 3-4 hours per day, and the remaining 10% reported spending more than 4 hours per day. Interestingly, 30% of the participants reported feeling anxious or stressed after spending more than an hour on social media, while only 50% reported feeling relaxed or happy. These findings suggest that there is a growing concern about the negative impact of social media use on mental health, and that more research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms and develop strategies to mitigate these negative effects. In a study conducted, 3 out of 10 people experienced anxiety when using social media, and 6 out of those 10 people believed social media use would cause a negative mental health symptom. According to the data collected, one of the surveyed individuals who experienced anxiety while using social media did not believe that social media influenced mental health. However, it is important to note that based on the available research, much more investigation is needed to draw any definitive conclusions about the relationship between social media use and mental health. While several studies have found a strong association between social media use and depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues, there are also studies that suggest social media can have positive effects on mental health, such as providing social support and connectedness. Therefore, it is important to continue conducting research to better understand the potential impact of social media use on mental health.

13 Female (Subject 8) Blue Ball cap – Male (Subject 9 & 10) Blue shirt – Male, Orange dress – Female. Subject 1 & 2 seemed to be having a conversation about a text message or messages that were or had come through. The female was the one reading the messages and engaging in use of the phone the most. Subject 3 & 4 only seemed to periodically check for missed calls or messages. Both people checked their phones a couple times over the hour or so observation for very brief periods of time. Subject 5 seemed to be checking a calendar or something she was having a conversation about plans with a couple people and used the phone to check a date. Other than that, she was engaging in conversation and not on the phone. Subject 6 was completely preoccupied with the phone watching something. He was hardly aware of his surroundings and 7 large dogs began barking loud and rough play right next to him before he finally looked up. Subject 7 was alone and seemed to use phone more than those that were with other people, but she was aware of her surroundings and kept looking up at the dogs and what was happening around her. She even took a couple calls. She was the only person seen taking phone calls. Subject 8 was also alone and seemed to be aware of surroundings while using phone for scrolling. He didn’t use phone much and was not at the park for long. Subjects 9 & 10 came in late in the observations, but immediately after sitting they both checked their phones, seemed like it was out of habit. Throughout the observation period, most people at the dog park were using their phones for various activities, including texting, browsing social media, reading news articles, and playing games. Only a one individual made phone calls, and those calls were relatively brief.

14 It was observed that some individuals were constantly checking their phones, even when their dogs were playing or interacting with other dogs. In contrast, others were using their phones intermittently and appeared more engaged with their dogs and other people at the park. Some of the questions that were being answered while making observations included: What activities are people engaging in while on their phones in a public setting? How often are people checking their phones and for how long? Are they showing any signs of stress or anxiety while on their phones? How is the use of cell phones impacting their ability to focus on what is going on around them? Based on the information collected, it was confirmed that cell phones are an integral part of daily life for almost everyone. However, during the observation period, there was no indication of any negative mental health issues resulting from the use of cell phones. It should be noted that this does not necessarily mean that cell phones do not affect mental health in any way, but rather that there was no evidence of such effects during the experiment. Below is a photo from the observation point. In the photo there is minimal phone use that can be seen. Only 2 of 12 people photographed are using a cell phone at the time of the photo. That is

16 Summary of Responses Respondents indicated that social media use had a significant impact on the social lives of individuals. The negative effects of social media use mentioned by the respondents included cyber-bullying, comparison with social media personalities, and pressure to conform to certain ideals. These factors can contribute to increased levels of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and stress in people who use social media. However, it is interesting to note that despite the prevalence of negative effects resulting from social media use, the respondents in the sample group indicated that they have an understanding of the potential dangers associated with social media use and do not believe they are at risk of experiencing negative effects. Sarah age 18 mentioned, When people show unrealistic lives and then the people looking at it compare themselves to something that isn’t even real this can cause depression, loneliness, and anxiety. Mia age 59 stated, Too much of anything is no good, many people are on their phones too much and they don’t know when or how to stop, it’s an addiction. This poses the question do the negative outcomes from the use of social media stem from underling issues, or addiction, and not the social media itself. If you think about anyone who has had a major surgery or elderly getting hip replacements, these people are given large doses of opiates for quite some time, but the majority of the time they don’t leave the hospital a junkie or a drug addict. They stop taking the medication. So, why are some people more apt to become

17 addicted to things including cell phones and social media. More research is defiantly needed in this area to determine the answers to these questions. Participants “Sarah age 18” And “Darien age 18” both believed social media helped them in their face to face communications because of their use of snapchat specifically. Sarah stated: Yes, it sustains connection both face to face and in general because we use snapchat to post and chat with each other and make plans for face-to-face meeting. We also post when we are out together so our friends can see what we are doing in groups. Which was interesting because they considered online video chat being “face to face”. After interviewing them first the question was added to the list of questions, and the older participants did not have the same view, nor did they use the same platform. Travis, a 40-year-old construction worker, revealed in an interview that he does not use his phone during the day because his hands are busy working. He keeps his phone away from him while working to avoid breaking it. It's understandable that Travis prioritizes his work and safety over using his phone. Travis said he feels more disconnected after using social media for a period of time and stated, Social media gives too many people a platform to counsel others, and they are not trained, and they give poor advice or wrong treatment which causes problems or makes peoples symptoms worse.

19 media platforms and their features presents a challenge for researchers to keep up with and accurately capture the nuances of social media use. Future research on the relationship between social media use and mental health should focus on understanding the underlying mechanisms behind the effects of social media on mental health outcomes. This can help in developing targeted interventions to mitigate the negative effects of social media on mental health. Additionally, research should explore the potential positive effects of social media use on mental health, such as the role of social support and connectedness in promoting mental health. It is also important to consider individual differences in social media use and mental health outcomes, as well as the impact of cultural and societal factors on this relationship. Overall, continued research on the relationship between social media use and mental health is essential for promoting positive mental health outcomes in individuals who use social media. Conclusion Through a combination of qualitative and quantitative research, along with a literature review, the effects of social media on mental health were explored, specifically in relation to anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and loneliness. In conclusion, the literature review suggests that there is a strong association between social media use and mental health outcomes, particularly in young adults. While social media can provide a sense of social connectedness and support, excessive use can lead to feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. The field research indicated some association between social media use and anxiety as well. It is important for people to be aware of the potential risks associated with social media use and to develop

20 strategies to promote positive social media use and strengthen social support and connectedness. Furthermore, future research should focus on understanding the underlying mechanisms of the relationship between social media use and mental health to mitigate the negative effects of social media use on mental health outcomes.