The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health

Alexis Crescitelli, Joshua George, Eric Henry, Gabriel Khalfin

In a world where technology is increasing drastically, the means of communicating and expanding individuals’ ideas have greatly evolved. Rather than having to wait multiple days in order to send one letter, in the present world , social media has drastically changed the use and lifestyle of connecting with others . But with anything, social media has its pros and its cons, and mental health is one con this study will be focusing on, especially on the youth group. In particular, this study will go into detail on some of the effects due to social media on teenagers between the ages of 13-19. In what ways does social media play a role in teens in mental health? Is social media really a place to be free and express yourself, or is it really putting an obstacle on a teenagers freedom? What impact does social media have on a teenager as an individual, and does it cause them to think less of themselves? These are some of the many questions this study will attempt to answer. This study will be implemented through the use of a web-based survey distributed to about 111 people. The participants will be asked a series of different questions relating to their own personal usage on social media, and their own take on the impact social media has on them. After all the participants had answered the questions, the average responses of the entire survey was compared to other research studies found online. The results showed that as teenagers engaged in social media for a longer period of time, their mental health was placed at a higher risk. This study shows the different ways social media affects teenagers, and to what extent social media has changed their perception of themselves.

You can see (and fill out) the survey that we used.

View the pdf of our poster.