The Good Childhood Report (2022) displays how children are increasingly unhappy with their lives. The prevalence of anxiety and depression has increased by 70% in the last 25 years and the World Health Organisation (2017) suggests that up to 1 in 5 adolescents across the globe are experiencing mental health problems.

The internet is clearly a core element of society today, where 50% of young people believed they were ‘always online’ in 2023. The internet has a wide impact on human cognition, psychological wellbeing and social dimensions, meaning in recent years a wide range of psychological research has looked into the damaging effects of social media.

Toxic use of apps and frequent use can lead to:

- Anxiety

- Depression

- Suicidal thoughts

- Comparison to others

- Beliefs of not being good enough

- Feeling isolated or rejected

- Bullying

- Antisocial behaviour

- Aggression

- Eating and weight disorders

Generally, the psychological research surrounding social media use in young people agrees that increased exposure leads to anxiety and depression symptoms. Social media use has been studied and understood as a driving factor for suicide rates and self-harm in young people across recent years. Longer periods of social media use are associated with poor psychological function and browsing the internet seems to have an adverse effect on anxiety and depression. Also, research shows that time spent on social media, activity type, investment in the content and addiction were all correlated with poor wellbeing. Therefore, negative social media use is seen to promote distress, depressive symptoms and anxiety, meaning the clear demise in young people’s mental health could be explained by this.

Some psychologists suggest that the reason social media can lead to mental health issues is because of the behaviours a phone facilitates. The sedentary lifestyle that comes alongside increased phone use is associated with risks for cognition i.e., the less we move, the less cognitive function we have, which in turn increases risks for cognitive dysfunction across the lifespan. Mobile phone and social media use also negatively affects the duration, quality and routine of sleep. This, in turn, impacts attention, memory and executive function in the brain. Studies suggest that this occurs due to blue light that is emitted from a device, which interferes with the production of melatonin.

While sleep and activity may undermine young peoples’ mental health, it is important to consider the effects of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is heavily linked to depression in young people, with the ability to cause acute harm. Social media is a continuation of the school environment where social roles in friendship groups continue into the electronic world. Research shows that, from a sample of teenagers, 40% who believed they were a ‘loner’ had been the target of online aggression, but those who believed they were respected, were nearly two times less likely to have experienced this. Social media use generally is linked to being a victim or perpetrator of cyberbullying due to the provision of an environment to engage in maladaptive interactions. Social media is a space where aggression and bullying are validated, carrying through the apps into the real world. Also, studies show that cyberbullying on the go (as opposed to on a stationary computer causes greater upset. The immediate presence of the online world means negative output is enhanced and may make users feel trapped. We are constantly on our phones taking in information which can exasperate issues that are online. It may be that social media provides a gateway to online bullying, which then negatively affects mental health for young people.

Another worrying side effect of social media is the influence on body image. Social media trends are cycling at unbelievable speeds, some entering and exiting within a 24-hour period. It can be nearly impossible to keep up with the ever-changing mode, but some trends are of particular concern. Women’s bodies are subject to trend cycles in today’s online world, meaning the beauty standard is ever-changing and remaining constantly unattainable. Experiments support this idea, where exposure to unattainable bodies on social media negatively impacts self-image. Social media profoundly affects young peoples’ ability to form a healthy self-identity and body image, potentially due to these body standards online and a desire for identity in such a media saturated world. Young people are exposed to the ideal beauty standard during a developmental phase in their life meaning the idea of perfectionism in their appearance is constructed, influencing the way they see themselves. This can lead to body dissatisfaction and can sometimes worsen into an eating disorder.

In line with this, the frequency of Instagram use is associated with a drive for thinness and lower self-esteem in young adults, sometimes leading to the development of disordered eating in these groups. Algorithms may be a large concern when discussing the negative effects of social media on adolescent mental health. Users have little control over the content that is shown to them, despite the data collected from engagement and purposeful removal. Preliminary research shows that those who feel the content affects them in a negative way interact more with the content, having a negative effect on their self-esteem. Due to this lack of control, young people may be exposed to harmful content of which they cannot control. Studies show that TikTok users with anorexia nervosa were 335% more likely to receive videos about dieting compared to a healthy control and 4343% more likely to receive videos that displayed toxic eating disorder behaviours. This worsens issues and can push people into a dark place and occurs before interaction with said content.

It is clear that the types of content being shared can be influential on social media sites. This leads us to question why certain people have been given this influence, and how this may impact users. It was written that influencers and suggested social media celebrities have often displayed inappropriate and dangerous behaviour as a spectacle for their young audience. The consequences of their actions (if any) do not seem to impact their impressionable followings, as they bounce back without shame. This leads kids to believe it is normal to act in these ways and that their actions do not have consequences, facilitating antisocial behaviour. Some show fame that comes from this behaviour, adding to the idea of the villain. They promote idea that being a bad person makes you cool, and doing things without any regard for others should be celebrated. Social media may create aggression due to modelling and social learning where people act in ways they have seen others do, in order to gain a reaction. People may see aggression received positively online and act in similar ways.

Overall, it is clear there are some risks associated with social media. The mental health of young people today is arguably heavily influenced by these social sites, and so awareness of these risks is vital. To help mitigate these effects, be mindful of:

- Time spent on social media

- Harmful use of language toward others

- Consuming aggressive content

- Comparison to influencers and the reality of their content

- Maintaining a sleep schedule

- Reducing harmful blue light where possible

The impact of social media on young peoples’ mental health

Bullying

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