02 Apr feature story
Social Media ranked as number 1 cause of anxiety and Depression amongst youth
Social media use is booming: 91% of 16-24-year-olds in the UK use the internet and other social networking sites regularly. Although social media can connect people from all over the world to provide a strong sense of community, rates of anxiety and depression in young people have increased by 70% over the last 25 years. Recent studies have already suggested associations between social media use and a rise in teen mental health problems.
The rapid growth of social media over the last decade has created an entirely new way for human interaction. Online platforms such as, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. have allowed people in every corner of the world to be connected 24/7. It is estimated that by 2021, there will be around 3 billion active monthly users of social media. From the statistics alone, it’s clear that social media has become an integral and to a certain extent, unavoidable part of our lives.
One implication of social media’s rapid rise, is its relationship with young people’s mental health which has attracted a huge amount of attention in recent years.
It is thought that addiction to social media affects around 5% of young people and was recently described as potentially more addictive than alcohol and cigarettes. Its addictive nature owes to the degree of compulsivity with which it is used. The urge to check one’s social media may be linked to both instant gratification which is the need to experience fast, short term pleasure and dopamine production which is the chemical in the brain associated with reward and pleasure. The desire for a hit of dopamine, along with a failure to gain instant gratification, may cause users to constantly refresh their social media feeds.
The serious impact of this compulsive use is that, if gratification is not experienced, users may internalise beliefs that this is due to being ‘uncool’ or ‘unfunny’ etc. A shortage of likes may cause negative self-reflection, causing the user to constantly refresh their page in the hope of seeing that another person has liked the post, which then helps to achieve personal validation. Although these perceptions may not truly reflect the user’s image in the eyes of others, the absence of gratification may create and heighten feelings of anxiety, depression and loneliness.
Social media can also heighten anxiety by increasing users’ ability to keep up to date with the activities of their social circles. The popular concept of Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is characterised by the desire to stay constantly connected with what others are doing. FOMO has been linked to severe social media use and is associated with depression and no life satisfaction. Social media has caused us to become more aware of what we are missing out on, for example, seeing photos of friends having a good time together without us. This can cause feelings of anxiety, loneliness and inadequacy through highlighting these activities, causing users to stay constantly engaged and up to date due to fear of not being included.
From another angle, social media may also have the potential to damage mental health through promoting unattainable standards. Social media has been linked to poor self-esteem and self-image through the use of image manipulation on photo sharing platforms. In particular, the idea of the ‘idealised body image’ has definitely been detrimental to self-esteem and image, especially that of young women. The 24/7 circulation of easily viewable manipulated images promotes and entrenches unrealistic expectations of how young people should look and behave. When these expectations are inevitably not met, the impact on self-esteem can be damaging, to the disturbing extent that the Royal Society of Public Health recently found 9 in 10 young females say that they are unhappy with the way they look. This can then lead to depression and sometimes even self-harm.
With the advancement of technology and the rise of social media, today’s youth can easily access each other. Home, which used to be a safe haven, has become a whole new battleground where bullies are guaranteed anonymity and direct access to their victims on a consistent basis. In a previous study, they found that nearly half of adolescent psychiatric patients had been victims of cyberbullying. In the new study, they found 20% of the patients had experienced recent cyberbullying, and cyberbullying was associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety which has proven to lead to self-harm and suicide.
Due to the rise in young people being seriously affected by their heavy use of social media, many organisations have been created in order for these young people to seek guidance and support. The Young Health Movement is a collective of young people and organisations championing all things health and wellbeing. The movement is for young people aged 12-24, as well as for organisations and professionals who work with young people. YHM is unique because young people take control of their projects and campaigns, as well as becoming peer health advocates to their friends, family, colleagues and local communities.
In an interview with one of the young Health champions Jennie Harding, she discusses how YHM has helped her with her mental health struggles and her current role as a young health champion.
“What was your life like before you discovered the YHM and how has it helped you with your mental health?”
Jennie: “It’s helped a tremendous amount! Before I became apart of YHM I was really struggling with my mental health. I suffered from anxiety and depression and I still do but YHM has helped me manage it and realise that I’m not alone. We all have our issues and its just about having healthy coping mechanisms to help you deal with things. YHM also has a website for advice on issues such as mental health, jobs, and healthy eating. They can also sign up to become a Young Health Champion like I did”.
“Many young people’s mental health has been greatly impacted by the heavy use of social media would you say its been the same for you?”
Jennie: “Yes actually. When you use it so frequently you don’t really see the impact it has on you. But in the long run you really start to realise how much it actually control’s your life. I started to compare myself with the girls I would see on social media and it would just make me feel so bad about myself. My depression and anxiety got worse and I realised I needed to seek help. That’s when I found the YHM.”
“Do you think mental health is still a taboo subject?”
Jennie: “100%. That’s one of the aims of YHM and the main reason I joined was to raise awareness and get the conversation going. I think its super important that young people should feel that they can open up about their issues and realise that these things are not and they are not alone.”
