Social Media,  Mental health & New Literacies

 

After completing this week’s readings, we were asked to think about what topics we would want to research. I find myself constantly thinking about my students’ mental health because there has been an uptick of unhealthy behaviors in my school. This uptick has resulted in students leaving to get treatment at mental health facilities and missing weeks or months of school. Perhaps it makes me sound “old school” but I have always thought that social media exacerbates problems for these kids. Students have told me about concerns for being left out, when friends post meet ups on Snapchat or being “depressed” when an ex-boyfriend posts something undesirable. As an educator, understanding the relationship between social media use and mental health can help inform teaching practices to support new literacies. Practical applications of this research would help students recognize early signs of mental distress, encourage healthier online behaviors, and hopefully think more critically about the content they are seeing.

Even as I am reading peer reviewed articles on the topic my focus is shifting to include not only impacts on mental health but also physical health. Two articles I have read link social media use to increased risk behaviors including self-harm and substance use. Multiple articles that I read talked about how social media utilizes algorithms to draw in adolescents. Then adolescents are receiving feedback – both positive and negative – that continues to impact mental well being throughout middle and high school. I am interested to see what knowledge I can gain from these articles and how I can apply it to my classroom practices to help minimize potential impacts to student health.

 

 References

 

Lee, H. Y., Beevers, C. G., et al. (2020). Getting fewer “likes” than others on social media elicits emotional distress among victimized adolescents. Child Development, 91(6), 2141–2159. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13422        

This article discussed a study conducted on the effects of not receiving enough positive feedback on social media platforms and how that may correlate to previous research showing that negative feedback (cyber bullying) is detrimental to adolescent health.

 

The research was conducted with students 14-15 years of age, and had a large sample size among the 3 various studies. Individuals would interact with each other and "bots" during the study. During one of the events, the users would get either a high or low number of likes. This was limited to just one event to make sure there were no long-term impacts from the study.

 

It was found that students did have similar negative emotions from not getting enough positive feedback (likes) on their profiles or interactions. It seemed comparable to previous research about negative online feedback, suggesting that not getting enough positive feedback online could have negative impacts on adolescent emotional health and lead to an increase in depression.

 

Gregory, L., Dutton, T., Osuagwu, U.L. et al. Does social media usage ameliorate loneliness in rural youth? A cross sectional pilot study. BMC Psychiatry 23, 371 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-04849-y

(Gregory et al., 2023)

This study investigates whether social media usage can reduce feelings of loneliness among rural youth. The authors conducted a pilot study to assess the relationship between social media usage and perceived loneliness in adolescents living in rural areas. The researchers hypothesized that for rural youth, social media usage would decrease feelings of loneliness.

The article’s findings indicated that moderate social media usage is associated with lower levels of loneliness, suggesting that online interactions can provide meaningful social connections for rural adolescents. However, the study also highlights possible risks associated with excessive social media usage, including increased feelings of isolation and anxiety. Gregory et al. cited other studies that concluded youth who used more than three hours a day of social media were at a higher risk for loneliness and recognized that the participants of this study reported that they used less than three hours a day (2023). The most interesting finding of the study was the association between use of Facebook versus other social media platforms. Facebook had the highest incidence of psychological distress and use within ten minutes of waking. The author suggests using this data as a teaching tool for youth.

The sample size for this study was rather small. Even though the surveys were sent to over 5000 people they did not hit their goal of 289 surveys returned. The authors recognized weaknesses within their study, including its potential for bias due to self-reporting and suggest another study to expand upon their results. A longitudinal approach was suggested where researchers can assess social media uses, loneliness and mental health over time.

Cingel, D. P., Lauricella, A. R., Taylor, L. B., Stevens, H. R., Coyne, S. M., & Wartella, E. (2022). U.S. adolescents’ attitudes toward school, social connection, media use, and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: Differences as a function of gender identity and school context. PLOS ONE, 17(10), e0276737. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0276737

 The Cingel et al article discussed the impact that various schooling methodologies had on adolescents  ages 14 to 16 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research focused on various genders including transgender and non-confirming identity. The authors also reviewed the setting of schooling during the pandemic – in person, virtual learning, or hybrid. The assumption was that students who had virtual learning would be more likely to have negative social interactions, have more negative feelings towards school, feel that their grades were impacted due to their learning environment, and that virtual learners were more likely to utilize social media and video games. They further hypothesized that virtual learners would be more apt to have negative implications from the social media and video game use (addiction to internet) and that the transgender and non-conforming identity individuals would be more likely to have negative thoughts leading to depression.

The findings were not as conclusive as expected by the research team. Although some findings were correlated with the negative impact of virtual learning versus in person, the primary findings were that social media did not replace in-person interactions. The highest level of certainty was among the transgender and non-conforming identity individuals. The research found that these students felt more social separation from virtual learning. The authors highlight the importance of considering gender identity and school context in understanding the pandemic's effects on adolescents. They suggest that targeted interventions are necessary to support the mental health and social needs of vulnerable groups during and after such widespread disruptions

 

Daniels, M., Smith, J., Johnson, L., & Brown, K. (2021). Social media and substance use among adolescents: Implications for research. Journal of Alcohol & Drug Education, 65(1), 9+. Retrieved from https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A664491891/AONE?u=esc&sid=bookmarkAONE&xid=7e2462de

Daniels, Micajah, et al.'s (2021) article explores the relationship between social media usage and risky behaviors among adolescents. The article focuses on substance abuse but recognizes other risk behaviors including: gambling, sexual behavior, and physical violence. The study examines how social media platforms and activities might influence adolescents' behaviors and attitudes toward substance use.

This article thoroughly examines existing data on the topic and identifies patterns and correlations between social media usage and substance abuse. Key findings of this article include, firstly that adolescent exposure to substance abuse content can increase likelihood of experimentation and substance use. Next, peer influence can be far reaching and impact decisions regarding substance use and play a role in normalizing risk behaviors. Finally, the article suggests that social media can affect adolescent perceptions and behaviors related to substance use depending on the nature of the content and interactions they are exposed to.

This article concludes by discussing the importance of these findings and suggests future research and educational program development to address the risks posed by social media.

Abi-Jaoude, E., Treurnicht Naylor, K., & Pignatiello, A. (2020). Smartphones, social media use and youth mental health. CMAJ, 192(E136-41). https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.190434

The article titled smartphones, social media use, and youth mental health looked thoroughly at previous studies in regards to the use of smartphones and personal electric devices and the impact they have on adolescent mental health. The article shared many metrics about the number of individuals that own phones under the age of 18, their daily use, and their time spent on social media.

 The primary focus was young females, who have been shown to be more influenced by social media, in regards to mental health. The article discussed how groups that are already prone to depressive thoughts or self-harm might find validation on social media. Abi-Jaoude, Treurnicht Naylor, and Pignatiello (2020) discuss how validation for self-harm could come in the form of positive feedback and sharing common stories versus suggesting individuals get help. The article further discussed how social media apps are designed in such a manner to elicit obsessive or addictive behavior. The psychology and artificial intelligence utilized in the design of these programs has a negative impact on adolescent mental health.

 In discussion, the article suggested that clinicians, parents, and schools could utilize the knowledge to set limitations on smartphone use and Internet access. Youth are already starting to realize that they are using devices too much and the article identified that more than half of individuals are looking to reduce their use in the future.

 

Pictures

https://www.riseservices.org/the-impact-of-social-media-on-mental-health/

https://dev.to/j3ffjessie/abandoning-social-media-and-the-mental-health-affects-1k3g

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/what-is-driving-youth-mental-health-problems-its-not-just-about-social-media/2023/11