You’re not on Facebook? This is a question I was asked for the better part of a year when the social media platform was becoming popular. Although I had looked at it, I really did not see the point and had no desire to join. I’ve always been a private person and the thought of putting my life (photos, thoughts, etc.) online for all to see was borderline horrifying. As time went on and I gained a better understanding of social media, I finally caved and created a Facebook account. At first I found myself logging on infrequently, but, after a time I almost became addicted, mainly seeing what others were up to. Today, it’s almost become instinctive to scroll through my feed many times per day.
In previous blog posts, I’ve discussed my feelings on the mental health issues created by social media. Today, I would like to discuss how social media influences our thoughts, specifically relating to world issues. In recent years, we have all become familiar with the infamous hashtag #FakeNews. Although this term was born through deflection and controversy, it’s not 100% incorrect. People have become extremely susceptible to the things they see on social media. Here is a fictitious, yet relatable example:
The New York Times puts a sidebar story on-line highlighting a single medical study suggesting that a chemical used in certain vaccines MAY cause excessive sneezing in individuals between 25 and 45 years old. This story is re-posted on various social media sites and read by millions of people. Since these people clicked on the story, it also comes up in their “friends” new feed – millions more read it. Then, because it involves sneezing, people who searched for or texted about cold remedies are presented with the article based on various algorithms, you get the point. You then start seeing posts from people who claim they have experienced sneezing for years and have “done their research” and are now protesting against the firm that manufactures the vaccine. You see coalitions formed and the manufacturer eventually bankrupted.
Although the example above is over-simplified and potentially extreme, in the world of social media such situations are common. Before the advent of social media, the number of people seeing this article and uninformed commentary would have been much less.
In today’s environment, the framing of a story by the writer has become much more important. Framing refers to the way a story is presented and is important because certain important aspects may be significantly de-emphasized or worse completely ignored (Gruman et. al 2017). In the past, framing was important, however because the news outlets/platforms/audiences were limited, news stories did not take on a “life of their own” in the same way they do now.
Those who proliferate such stories have a great deal of power. For every person who questions the validity of a story, there are 10 who take it as gospel. Those who control the algorithms used by social media also have a great deal of power as they seem to ensure that improperly framed or controversial articles are presented to the most impressionable audiences. The often used quote “With great power comes great responsibility” is even more relevant in the age of social media.
References
Gruman, J.A.,Schneider, F.W., & Coutts, L.A. (2017). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
I completely agree with you. I think social media can be a dangerous thing if not taken with caution. I like that you brought up the idea of social media and mental health. Scrolling on Facebook and Instagram, it’s hard not to see what other people are doing and compare it to yourself which can cause insecurity issues and internal feelings of turmoil, at least it did for me. There was a time period at the beginning of Covid-19 where I felt that social media was causing me more harm and good and I decided to delete all of my social media accounts for a few months and honestly, I think that was a great decision for my mental health. During that time I was focusing on myself, not comparing myself to others and their accomplishments. I was also doing better in school because I wasn’t getting distracted and wasting my time on things that shouldn’t matter.
The National Alliance for Mental Health (NAMI) discussed mental health and social media and stated that social media use can cause us to compare ourselves to others and is associated with feelings of isolation which can lead to anxiousness and depression. There’s no doubt that social media use plays a role in my anxiety but I do know which social media sites play the biggest role and I try my best to avoid those while still being on some sites that I use for pleasure to relax and unwind.
Social Media and Mental Health. NAMI. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21, 2022, from https://nami.org/Your-Journey/Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults/Teens/Social-Media-and-Mental-Health