THE IMPACT OFSOCIAL MEDIA ONMENTAL HEALTH

B y L i l l y N e s b i t t

A n a n a l y s i s o f b o t ht h e p o s i t i v e s a n d t h e n e g a i t v e s

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THENEGATIVEASPECTS

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Many young children aswell as teenagers andadults have becomeobsessed with socialmedia, using it as a

to guide their self-esteem and self-worth

T o o l

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Youth base their identity onwhat others perceive. They

develop a

version of their own worth,value, and capacity to be loved 5

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82% of women say theybelieve social media can

change prevailing standardsof beauty 6

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Widespread use of social media can

demotivate people, make them

aggressive and cause a decline in

confidence 7

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" I f y o u p u t a l l y o u r s e l fe s t e e m i n t o l o o k i n g g o o da n d h a v i n g o t h e r p e o p l e' l i k e ' t h e w a y y o u l o o k ,

t h i s m a k e s y o u v u l n e r a b l et o n e g a t i v e f e e d b a c k " 8

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THE POSITIVEASPECTS

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T H E R E S E A R C H P O I N T S T O A CORRELATION , B U T N O T

C A U S A T I O N , B E T W E E N P O O R A D O L E S C E N T M E N T A L

H E A L T H A N D S O C I A L M E D I A

- H U G U E S S A M P A S A - K A N Y I N G A

*Designed by Freepik and Madebyoliver from www.flaticon.com*

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SOCIAL NETWORKS

ACTUALLY MAKE KIDS

MORE RELATIONSHIP-

ORIENTED, CONSIDERATE,

AND EMPHATIC 9

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57% of teenshave met anew friend

online

Social media helps teens feel

more connected to their

friends’ feelings and daily

lives, and also offers teens a

place to receive support from

others during challenging

times22

Most people usesocial media to...

Connect Keep in touch 

Interact withpeople they do not

regularly see

Chat with oldacquantintances

Meet new friends

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83% of teen social mediausers say social mediamakes them feel more

connectedto information about their

friends’ lives 2

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Examples ofsocial media initiatives

for mental health

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Each January, Bell donates five cents

for every call and text made on its

network on Let's Talk Day, as well as

for each Facebook share that

promotes the cause and

every tweet that uses the

"#BellLetsTalk" hashtag 10

Photo CC: PexelsLogo: http://letstalk.bell.ca

"BellLetsTalk has drawn anunprecedented national spotlight

on getting rid of the stigma of mentalillness

-Goldbloom

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For a generat ion of young people raised on

the internet , social media , and text

messaging , the tradit ional approach to

mental health awareness and st igma

reduction

"We want to engage students – whether

they have an i ssue or not ”

-Herbert , a student leader f rom the fourth

annual Jack Summit

JACK.ORG is the onlynational network of young

leaders

transformingthe way we

think

about mental health

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just isn’t working

Logo: Jack.org

Social networking is not necessarily badfor teens, but it depends on how we use it

and kids need to know how to use itsafely

OV ERA L L1

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SOCIAL MEDIA COULDBE PART OF THE

PROBLEM OR PART OFTHE SOLUTION FORMENTAL ILLNESS-OR MAYBE BOTH. 1

1. Payne, E. (2015, Aug 08). Teens' poor mental health linked to social media use. The OttawaCitizen Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1702249271?accountid=6180

2. Amanda Lenhart, Aaron Smith, Monica Anderson, Maeve Duggan, Andrew Perrin, 2015, Teens,technology and friendships, Pew Research Center, viewed 20 October 2016,<http://apo.org.au/node/56457>.

3. Anita Whiting <http://www.emeraldinsight.com/author/Whiting%2C+Anita>, David Williams<http://www.emeraldinsight.com/author/Williams%2C+David>, "Why people use social media: auses and gratifications approach", Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, Vol. 16 Iss:4, pp.362 – 369

4. Stein, Emma. "Is Social Media Dependence a Mental Health Issue?" The Huffington Post.Huffington Post, 7 May 2014. Web. 20 Oct. 2016. 

5. Liu, Steven. "Social Media and Depression." Culture and Youth Studies. Culture and YouthStudies, May 2015. Web. 20 Oct. 2016. 

References:

6. Katz, Brigit. "New Study Shows Impact of Social Media on Beauty Standards." WOMEN in TheWorld. Women in the World Media, 3 May 2015. Web. 20 Oct. 2016. 

7. Hassan, Waqar. "How Social Media Addiction Is Bad for Mental Health." Socialnomics.Socialnomics, 8 Jan. 2016. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.

8. Fleming, Olivia. "‘Why Don’t I Look Like Her?’: How Instagram Is Ruining Our Self Esteem." Elle.Hearst Communications, INC., 18 Nov. 2014. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.

9. "Social Media and Networking: The Good and Bad Effects on Kids." Raise Smart Kids. RaiseSmart Kids, n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.

10. Quigley, Joseph. "Bell Let's Talk Day Lifted 'cloak of Secrecy' around Mental Illness, SayAdvocates." CBC. CBC/Radio­Canada, 27 Jan. 2016. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.

11. "About | Jack.org." Jack.org. Jack.org, n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.

12. Schwartz, Susan. "Five on Five for Mental Health: Jack.org Gets Students Talking." MontrealGazette. Postmedia Network, 14 Mar. 2016. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.

13. Font from Dafont.com

14. All photos came from www.pexels.com where all photos are licensed under the CreativeCommons Zero license