What is the impact of excessive social media use, particularly for young women who are bombarded with images of seemingly flawless individuals in artfully staged scenarios, on their mental health?
Social media presents an opportunity to portray oneself in a positive light, even if it does not reflect one’s true life. This is a common practice among users of social media.
Young people, particularly young women, are facing a crisis that is no secret. The latest Youth Risk Behavior survey conducted by the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention in the fall of 2021, revealed a disturbing and heart-wrenching picture of the mental health of high school students today. This is the first survey since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2021, 57% of teen girls reported feeling persistently sad or hopeless, while the rate for teen boys was almost half that at 29%, which is still shockingly high. Slightly over half of LGBQ+ respondents reported poor mental health, and more than one in five had attempted suicide in the previous year.
The report also highlighted that nearly one in three teen girls seriously considered suicide. In addition, there were increases from previous surveys in the numbers of teen girls who experienced sexual violence and teen boys who were victims of electronic bullying.
Although the report does not conclusively link these concerning findings of mental distress to social media or internet use, other studies have indicated correlations, and public health officials and psychologists have established connections.
The evidence of a strong link is hard to ignore, even if correlation does not equate to causation.