Social media has became a part of almost everyone’s lives, everyone owns a phone for the most part and can access the internet. The point is that everyone can access and use social media if they want to and engage with others on the internet. Many people can find a community of people that they relate to and engage with others with similar interest and opinions as them. Tik Tok and Facebook are some of the social media platforms where they really have a community based system. People actively comment on and create content for others to see. These social media platforms give people this gratification of engaging with others and can really benefit peoples mental health as long as they are surrounding their social media with positive people.
There can be major social support on social media platforms and people search for that connectivity through others on the internet. This article states, “It is increasingly clear that social support is critical for happiness and a sense of well-being. Social and emotional connectivity is one of the most powerful weapons against stress, loneliness, and depression. Having a support network is linked to greater resilience and even lessens the likelihood of developing symptoms of posttraumatic stress. The World Health Organization’s global health database recently published research on contextual factors associated with rates of suicide, recommending improving social connectedness as a public health strategy for reducing the suicide mortality rate” (Zubernis, 2023). Which shows that having a community of people you can turn to and talk to can have so many benefits psychologically. As humans we crave that connection with others and social media is a different way for us all to stay connected and meet people who we would have never met otherwise.
Another reason why social media and community based platforms is because there are people out there over the internet that may provide that emotional explanation on things. For example this article states, “A research study of college students recently looked at whether social media could be a source of social support in times of stress. Participants were more likely to turn to social media as a social support than to parents or mental health professionals, and to prefer similar-peer communities (such as fandom communities). The anonymity of virtual communities was seen as appealing to individuals experiencing depression, although they acknowledged that social media could also be stress-inducing”(Zubernis, 2023). Which shows that there are online communities out there where people have similar issues and can share their experiences and have someone else who understands to talk to.
People find comfort in social media platforms and expressing their issues on the internet because if you find the right people there is no one who is going to judge you on these online communities. Typing your issues to a munch of people on the internet who do not know who you are is a lot easier then talking with someone in person. Social media for some is a way to be able to vent all your feelings out there and be able to get that support back.
References
Zubernis, L. (2023). Can social media and online communities be good for us? Psychology
Today. Retrieved March 29, 2023, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-science-of-fandom/202303/can-social-media-and-online-communities-be-good-for-us