(MENAFN- The Conversation) Young people spend a lot of time on social media. They're also more susceptible to , and . A number of studies have found associations between increased social media use and , , , and .
Certain characteristics of social media to these negative effects.
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Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying has been linked to , , , and suicide. Compared to 'traditional' forms of bullying, cyberbullying can be witnessed by a larger audience, the perpetrator can remain anonymous, and the victim may find it .
Social media platforms have taken steps to address cyberbullying (such as Facebook's '), and almost all social media content can be reported to site administrators. But many victims , and 71% of young people don't think social media platforms do enough to prevent cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying can be witnessed by a larger audience, the perpetrator can remain anonymous, and the victim may find it difficult to escape. from www.shutterstock.com Comparisons to unrealistic portrayals
A is viewing others people's profiles. But these frequently portray , such as only displaying images in which the or is .
So may develop an impression are .
This can be made worse by the social endorsement provided by the number of ' a post might get. , nearly one-fifth of respondents said they'd delete a post if it didn't receive enough 'likes'.
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People post highly curated and edited versions of their life so their followers only see the good stuff. , Suicide and self-harm content
The potential negative impact of social media on at-risk is . Risks identified include the potential for or ; sharing ; encouragement to ; and the normalisation of suicide-related behaviour as an .
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Some benefits
There are social media can provide. It can create a , and facilitate the . It can encourage people to and . More frequent social media use improved ability to share and understand the feelings of others.
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The reach, cost-effectiveness, and accessibility of social media means information, support, or treatment can reach people who might not otherwise have easy access. Clinical services are beginning to harness the benefits of social media to augment the care they provide. For example, colleagues at Orygen developed an for clients and their families to augment face-to-face treatment. It has been with .
used in might also enable tracking and detection of .
For example, 'proactive detection' artificial intelligence technology that will scan all posts for patterns of suicidal thoughts, and when necessary send mental health resources to the user or their friends, or contact local first-responders.
But there are ethical implications, which include and . Social media's rapidly evolving nature, reach and anonymity make rigorous evaluation of its risks and benefits .
Does Facebook have a duty of care to its users? from www.shutterstock.com Chicken or egg?
Most examining social media and mental health aren't able to determine whether spending more time on social media leads to depression or anxiety, or if depressed or anxious young people spend more time on social media.
But the way social media is used is important. For example, active (compared to passive) . Although browsing Instagram increased depression, talking to others online .
And some individuals may be more susceptible to the negative aspects of social media than others. and the felt towards others online influence whether one will be negatively impacted.
The pathways to mental illness are many and varied, and to suggest mental health problems can be attributed to social media alone would be an over-simplification. But we need to acknowledge the risks and , parents, mental health organisations, schools and universities, and young people themselves have a role to play in minimising these risks.
It's unlikely social media use will decrease in the near future, so we need to manage the risks and harness the potential benefits to of our young people.
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