The Impact of Social Media Addiction on Mental Health Among Youth

1. Chapter 2: Literature Review

The meteoric growth of social media has spread ominous warning to sociologists, authors, film
producers and teachers, that Facebook and Instagram will disenfranchise teenagers from the
social fabric, replacing friends with avatars and silencing discussion with status updates. The
infiltration of social media in the lives of teenagers has influenced aspects of their hobbies,
leisure activities, how they access information and learn. Social media has opened a portal of
negativity or tragedies in the form of addiction. This is a growing challenge governments and
health authorities are attempting to understand and stay ahead of before the consequences to
mental health become entrenched. A report suggested that the harming potential of smartphones
on youth is tantamount to health effects of tobacco and nicotine on the adolescent brain. What
are the symptoms and consequences of addiction to social media that could rival the potential
harm that decades of data demonstrated from these two health problems?

Social media platforms are defined as digital tools that enable users to create, share, or exchange
information, ideas, pictures, and videos in the virtual network. Due to the convenience of its use,
and the quality of features and services offered by social media platforms, it offers an
entertaining and rewarding user experience. Its challenging nature is the lure for youngsters to
communicate and share, as the platforms incessantly implement updates to encourage frequent
interactions, messages and other real-time activities among members. According to a survey,
approximately 27 percent of youth spend up to 5 hours a day on their mobile devices for non-
academic activities.

Forty years since the inception of the first social network site in 1978, a global fusion of over
200 social media platforms exist today, connecting over 3 billion people. In 2017, approximately
2.82 billion people (or 37% of the global population) are users of these social media networks,
which is expected to grow to 4.80 billion users by 2025. In 2017, the global use of social media
among young people aged 18-29 years is 90%. This surge in social media use is consequent upon
the instantaneous popularity of social media, facilitated by innovations, lower costs, easy
accessibility of smartphones and better connectivity.

2.1 Introduction

1.1. Introduction to Social Media Addiction and Mental

Health
Extensive literature has shown a negative impact of prolonged social media use on adolescent
mental health. Adolescence is the phase of life during which mental health disorders most
commonly emerge, with the most serious non-communicable diseases also lurking.
Consequently, understanding factors that could promote or insulate adolescent mental health
disturbance in the pursuit of protective measures is paramount. This inquiry firmly believes that
the prevalence of social media platforms during this technological era may be a major factor.
This chapter aims to offer a meta-analysis that consolidates existing evidence, to the scale that is
practical, all significant studies have been put together to provide a reliable judgment on the
connections between social media addiction and mental health. With this systematic map, taking
the individual needs of the study population into account, more structured definitions can be
formulated to build a solid foundation for further career technology and clinical reform.

In the field of social media research, two clear streams of academic thought have developed. One
stream focuses on investigating social media addiction, adopted from similar concepts to
internet-related addictive behaviors, and adolescents are particularly targeted due to their heavy
use. The other stream focuses on examining the associations between social media use and
mental health outcomes, with depression and anxiety being the most salient. Despite high
popularity among adolescents and emerging adults, scholars continue to puzzle over the
relationship between social media and mental health. This is because both researchers and
psychologists speculate whether we are in the middle of a severe "mental health crisis" among
youth even though social media provides adolescents with a platform to gain access to social
support, a sense of belonging and help during challenging times.

1.2. Theoretical Frameworks for Understanding Social

Media Addiction and Mental Health
1.3. Research Findings on the Relationship Between Social
Media Addiction and Mental Health
1.4. Factors Contributing to Social Media Addiction Among
Youth
1.5. Interventions and Strategies for Addressing Social
Media Addiction and Improving Mental Health