Does Social Media Have a Positive or Negative Impact on Mental Health

Socialization is essential for human survival. Technological advances have allowed for digitizing and transforming social interactions from a physical to a virtual world. As socialization is a factor in mental and physical, socialization over social media significantly impacts mental health. However, current evidence on this phenomenon is conflicting and inconclusive. For instance, a study by Naslund et al. (2020) noted that social media provided benefits and opportunities for mental health, including reducing loneliness and providing support for people with mental disorders. It was also a risk factor for developing serious mental and worsening conditions in individuals with existing mental health disorders. In another study focused on adolescents, Abi-Jaoude et al. (2020) link social media use to both positive and negative views of social relationships with an increased risk of developing mental distress, suicidal, and self-harming behaviors among the youth.

The conflicting views and inconclusive evidence on the connotation of social media to mental health outcomes create the need for further empirical research amid the increased social media adoption and use. The proposed research explores the nature of the influence of social media use on mental health to develop evidence for mental health practices and social media and policies related to mental health.

Background/Rationale

There is extensive literature available focused on determining the connection of social media use to mental health outcomes. Arguably, social relationships, both in the quality and quantity of the relationships, significantly impact mental health and other mental-health-related behaviors (Umberson & Karas Montez, 2010). In light of widespread social media use and increased focus on mental health, Bekalu et al. (2019) argue that many studies have placed their focus on the dose-effect relations hence the conflicting evidence on actual mental health outcomes. According to the Bekalu et al. study, the actual degree of social media use effect, negative or positive, on mental health was related to the social media use routine and how the users were emotionally connected to the social media platform. Bekalu et al. (2019) further note that routines and emotional connections differ across races and socioeconomic statuses.

A review of evidence by Valkenburg et al. (2022) identifies a number of gaps in research. For instance, the available research has over-relied biased self-report measures of social media usage and experienced mental health outcomes, the use of small homogenous population samples, and the failure of research to explore the nature of social media interactions. Valkenburg et al. (2022) also note that research does not focus on the type of platform or individual user factors.

As the relationship between the factors of mental health and social media use are transactional in nature, the transactional model of development is the most relevant theoretical framework to guide the research. The transactional model of development can guide in understanding the nature of interactions between users, their individual characteristics, and the influence of such interactions on mental health.

Proposed Methodology

Research Design and Data Collection

The proposed research employs a qualitative research approach. Qualitative data will be collected using structured and unstructured interviews.

Population and Sample

The sample will consist of adults aged 18 to 45 years from diverse backgrounds. A total of 30 participants will be selected.

Procedure and Timeline

The participants will be interviewed face-to-face or via phone based on the arrangement. Data will be recorded using voice recorders after consent and later transcribed and analyzed. The data will be collected within a period of 2 months, and the entire study will be concluded in 6 months.

References

Abi-Jaoude, E., Naylor, K. T., & Pignatiello, A. (2020). Smartphones, social media use, and youth mental health. CMAJ, 192(6), E136–E141. https://doi.org/10.1503/CMAJ.190434

Bekalu, M. A., McCloud, R. F., & Viswanath, K. (2019). Association of Social Media Use With Social Well-Being, Positive Mental Health, and Self-Rated Health: Disentangling Routine Use From Emotional Connection to Use. Health Education and Behavior, 46(2_suppl), 69–80. https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198119863768/ASSET/IMAGES/LARGE/10.1177_1090198119863768-FIG3.JPEG