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Instagram: Depression and Anxiety

As a college student, many spend time on social media platforms sharing photos, connecting with friends and much more. Thanks to social media, the quickness of spreading information across the globe is astounding. From breaking news, weather reports, to posting photos and updating your Facebook, the access is right at our fingertips. It has become a common medium of social and human interactions  Not only does social media have a positive impact, but it also can have a negative impact, especially on adolescents. Are we becoming jealous of our friend’s post? Are we being cyberbullied? Are we not happy we are not receiving as many likes as our friends? Do we have FOMO? It can't be affecting our mental health, can it?

Many studies have discovered that there are correlations between the usage of social media and mental health in adolescents, significant research about specific platforms has not yet been conducted. I was intrigued to see if “Instagram” could have a negative effect on mental health issues, especially, depression and anxiety.

Instagram is is much more image-driven than other social media platforms. Research has shown that “FOMO” and the “Like” button can be two concepts that can make and individuals depressed or anxious. Individuals who constantly check their phones can lead to a depression because they are being left out.  When someone expresses a “Like” towards a photo can beneficial users mental health by showing you are interested. Yet, if one does not receive as many likes as another can poorly affect the user’s mental health.


As we know, cyberbullying is electronic way for of causing harm and tearing others down online. Those who are victims of bullying can often have mental health problems. A Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why, an American teen drama shows correlations that being cyberbullied can affect one's mental health. 13 Reasons Why is about a high school student, Hannah Baker, that commits suicide and had left behind record audio cassettes of the 13 reasons why she decided to end her life. This series explains instances of  inappropriate photos being shared with the entire school. While these photos are being spread, rumors are also being spread. Hannah was being cyberbullied, he mental health was declining. One who is cyberbullied is more likely to experience depression and anxiety.
Instagram is a great way to share photos but, it can be a connection to affects an individual's mental health. Adolescent need to understand that social media has an impact on positively or negatively affect the mental health.



Comments

  1. Meghan HoranNovember 30, 2018 at 5:49 AM

    I found the comment regarding the emotional characteristics that are attached with the "like" button and FOMO to be extremely interesting (and understandable). Individuals spend so much time scanning pictures of other individuals online that it is bound to cause ideations of jealously, anxiety, depression, and more. Very interesting topic, lots of relevant information to talk about!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lily OlsonDecember 6, 2018 at 11:35 AM

    13 reasons why showcases so many problems with today's society, and I thought it fit perfectly with your research. I think about the effects of social media on our mental health, and I believe its not just a coincidence that suicide rates are high along side the prevalence of social media. We are just learning about these negative effects, and its so important that the younger generations especially, are understanding the consequences that could come along with using social media in a comparative way.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Alexis HusebyDecember 7, 2018 at 5:28 PM

    This is so important to recognize! People are acknowledging the mental health issues more, but I don't always see changes made to combat mental health issues. Technology plays a huge role on our mental health and some people are aware of it, but we don't always seem to value our mental health enough to make changes.

    ReplyDelete

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