A review on social media and mental health

Abstract

Social media is a crucial information and communication tool that facilitates worldwide collaboration through ongoing connectedness, gradual knowledge exchange, and a variety of self-expression options. This review mainly aims to examine social media and the impacts that are psychologically related to people’s well-being. Also, it aims to find the problems associated with social media use in daily life, including elevated anxiety, depression, stress, loneliness, and decreased general well-being. Also, it aims to find the detrimental effects that are attributed to a variety of processes, including addiction-like behaviors like obsessive checking, cyberbullying and online harassment, fear of missing out (FOMO), and frequent upward social comparison that undermines body image and self-esteem. This review aids in exploring the findings from psychology, psychiatry, communication studies, and human-computer interaction. Also, it helps identify social media-related challenges and illustrates the roles of individual differences, usage patterns, and cultural context in shaping psychological outcomes. Accordingly the analysis of the existing literature has used of theoretical models, like gratification theory as well as uses theory and also has used the theory of social comparison. Also uses the evidence related to the patterns that are related to the usage, as well as the differences among the individuals. Additionally, many findings can be described negatively, like using screens late at night can worsen sleep disturbances and lead to emotional overstimulation, which can be detrimental to mental health. This study conveys knowledge and information that may be understood concerning social media’s dual impact on mental health in both positive and negative ways. Also, this study helps to include the future directions for making the health of users mental and also ethical in the digital environment to protect the users while using social media. To encourage the users to get positive and involve them in online activities meaningfully. Social media provides its impact according to the way that the user uses it. According to that, risk detection that is related to artificial intelligence (AI) and also designs are used for ethical consideration.