The Complex Relationship Between Social Media and Mental Health In College Students
Social media has never been more popular world-wide than it has been in recent years, with the majority of users primarily being of college age. In fact, social media usage has increased by nearly 1000% in the last eight years for people between 18 and 29 according to the Pew Research Center. In fact 98% of college aged students specifically (18-22) use social media sites implying the existence of information cascades. Information cascades are present due to the widespread use of many of the same social media sites among individuals of the same social groups, therefore it is perpetuated throughout these groups to all use the same sites. Social media usage makes these groups by far significantly more interconnected which leads to both productive and detrimental outcomes for individuals with regard to their mental health.
“Social media is a really easy way to feel excluded. Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat make me hyper-aware of the activities I wasn’t invited to partake in, and less involved in the activities that are actually in front of me,” according to 18 year old Lily Osman a student at Franklin and Marshall College which is certainly a commonly prevalent social phenomenon due to a new term which has evolved from this exact activity: FOMO. FOMO stands for Fear of Missing Out. This fear, anxiety rather, stems from individuals sharing photographs of them with friends going out having a fantastic time, while the viewer feels anxiety or “left out” when they aren’t in those captured moments, regardless of how exciting the moment was that they are involved in. With college typically being the time in one’s life when mental disorders become more prevalent, FOMO is evolving into a legitimate issue. However, due to the prevalence of information cascades, social media also proves to be an effective aid with regard to noticing mental health issues. In April of this year, a student at the University of Michigan posted a suicide note on the anonymous social media app Yik Yak which was then discovered quickly by the school’s social media director who then contacted the police to locate the student within 24 hours. After the note was posted to Yik Yak students commented on the initial post trying to convince the student otherwise as well as support hotlines for the anonymous student. The phenomenon proves how information cascades and the interconnectedness of college social groups due to social media can prove to be beneficial within our society.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/social-media-college-mental-health_55ae6649e4b08f57d5d28845