Social media has become an indispensable part of people’s lives in today’s society. However, the widespread use of social media comes with a host of physical and mental health problems. For young people in particular, the impact of social media is even more pronounced. According to Richards et al (2015), the excessive use of social media can have an impact on young people’s mental health. On social media, young people often compare their own lives with those of others to assess their own worth and happiness. However, this comparison may cause them to have bad feelings such as low self-esteem and anxiety. In addition, violence, pornography, hate speech and other bad information on social media can also have a negative impact on young people’s mental health. Apart from that, overuse of social media can also have an impact on young people’s physical health. Excessive use of social media can make young people stay in a bad posture for a long time, leading to shoulder, neck, lumbar and other pain, and even cause diseases such as cervical spondylosis. In addition, bad information on social media may also lead to poor eating habits among young people, such as overeating.

There are also many reasons why social media can lead to the physical and mental health of young individuals. The stimulation of social media design is an important factor. The design of social media focuses on stimulating the user’s brain so that users can continue to use social media. For example, notifications and likes on social media can give users instant feedback and a sense of reward. This design will make users have a strong desire to use, which leads to overuse. In addition, the information from social media is very wide, however, it is also mixed with a lot of bad information. Such as false information, fake news, hate speech, etc. The deluge of information will confuse young people and increase their difficulty in obtaining true information, leading them to be easily misled by incorrect information, resulting in negative emotions and bad behaviors.

It is worth noting that social circles and groups on social media often have strong group pressure. Young people may be subjected to other people’s expectations and judgments on social media, which can lead to anxiety and discomfort. For example, when other people share the wonderful moments of their lives on social media, young people may feel that their lives are boring compared to theirs, resulting in feelings of inferiority.

In order to cope with the impact of social media on young individuals, there are some necessary measures to deal with these negative effects. For example, limit your time on social media. The impact of excessive use of social media on physical and mental health can be reduced by limiting the time spent using social media. Specifically, it could set a time of day for social media use and enforce it strictly so that young people are aware of how long and how often they use social media. In addition, it is necessary to actively monitor bad information on social media and delete and shield bad information in time. These methods can reduce young people’s exposure to harmful information and protect their physical and mental health. Moreover, schools or relevant departments should strengthen the education and guidance of young people to help them develop the correct habit of using social media in view of the design and overflow of social media. For example, instruct them how to distinguish between true and false information and avoid being misled by false information. Teach them how to use social media properly and keep a good attitude and mood.

In conclusion, social media is an inevitable presence in today’s society, but its use can also have an impact on young people’s physical and mental health. Therefore, it is crucial to take measures to limit the excessive use of social media and guide young people to use social media correctly.

Reference

Richards, D., Caldwell, P. H., & Go, H. (2015). Impact of social media on the health of children and young people. Journal of paediatrics and child health, 51(12), 1152-1157.