Social media has drastically affected our lives since its inception. It has changed how we pass and receive information, how we communicate with people in our inner circles (and those outside of it) and how eCommerce works.
We’ve heard ample stories of how online shenanigans work, but little did we know, social media usage has more effects on us. You might have noticed that itch to check your Instagram, Facebook or Twitter feed after an hour of not doing so. You think that’s nothing? It surely isn’t.
PHOTO. Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
In an article published on CBS Atlanta website, it was noted that a new study suggests that frequent social media use could have serious implications on young people’s mental health. Furthermore, the report says “teens who use social media sites for two hours or more daily are at risk for poor mental health, psychological distress and suicidal thoughts.”
Frequent social media use could have a negative impact on young people’s mental health, according to a new study.
For many teens, going even an hour without checking Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter is a struggle. Twenty-four percent of teenagers go online “almost constantly,” according to a recent Pew Research Center study.
But more alarming than the time spent are the negative consequences that young people may suffer from due to too much screen-time.
The study, from Ottawa Public Health, suggests that teens who use social media sites for two hours or more daily are at risk for poor mental health, psychological distress and suicidal thoughts, as reported by Huffington Post.
Researchers looked at data from 750 students in grades seven through 12 who took the 2013 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey. The study found that 25 percent of students surveyed reported spending at least two hours a day on social networking sites. These same students were categorized as reporting more poor mental health issues, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and suicidal thoughts.
“It could be that teens with mental health problems are seeking out interactions as they are feeling isolated and alone,” Dr. Hugues Sampasa-Kayinga, the study’s lead author, told The Huffington Post in an email. “Or they would like to satisfy unmet needs for face-to-face mental health support.”
Sampasa-Kayinga notes that the link between social media and mental health issues is complicated, and that simple use of sites like Facebook and Twitter “cannot fully explain by itself the occurrence of mental health problems.”
Researchers are now investigating how this issue might be fixed, and in some cases turning the problem into the solution.
“We see social networking sites, which may be a problem for some, also being a solution,” Dr. Brenda K. Wiederhold of the Interactive Media Institute in San Diego said, as reported by Huffington Post. “Since teens are on the sites, it is the perfect place for public health and service providers to reach out and connect with this vulnerable population and provide health promotion systems and supports.”
Experts also suggest parents pay attention to how much time teens are spending on these sites and its possible link to mental health issues.The research was published online on July 13 in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.
One way social networking sites, like Facebook for one, have drastically changed us is how we communicate with peers.
One article making rounds in the cyberspace this week is Facebook’s sms notifications. In this instance, it ridiculously sends out an sms reminding you of someone’s birthday. It then asks you to reply with 1 if you want to send a greeting to that person. Too ridiculous it makes me wanna receive one.
Aaron Miles shares his insights on this new development from Facebook in the article below.
If There’s No Thought, It Doesn’t Count: Facebook Drains the Meaning From Happy Birthday
Alex Hern of The Guardian has a weirdly disconcerting article up, “‘Happy Birthday!’ is dead, and it’s all Facebook’s fault,” about how Facebook’s efforts at creating convenience for its users is just leading us ever further into a techno-dystopian cyber-future where all our interactions with other human beings are nothing but an unending series of robotic button presses completely detached from anything resembling actual emotion or thought. (Okay, I’m exaggerating. A little.)
Here’s the thing: Facebook users have long been able to use SMS to interact on the site by posting via text messaging. As Hern reports, a new feature being rolled out by the social network allows users to reply to a birthday notification text with just the number ‘1’ to automatically post “Happy Birthday!” to the wall of the person celebrating the fact that they didn’t die partway through the year. As Hern states: “Birthday wishes are finally meaningless.”
Friend shared a text from @Facebook where to say “Happy Birthday!” You just reply “1” – which is nuts. pic.twitter.com/8FrIBufsrY
— Peter Knox (@peterknox) July 28, 2015
Call me a curmudgeon (because I am) but this feels strange and ominous. Facebook has now spared us from the seemingly overwhelming labor of, you know, even typing two words. I like to think the idiom “it’s the thought that counts” still has some meaning, especially in a world where, for years now, all the things we should put be putting effort into remembering on our own, like birthdays, anniversaries, etc., are now handled by automatic reminders and smart calendars.But at least those reminders and calendars called us to action. We might get a little beep telling us it’s someone’s birthday, but, up until now, we’d still have to call them, or email them, or post an original message on their social network of choice. Now, we get the message automatically, and can reply automatically. Oh, sorry, we still have to type a single digit, but I’m sure we’ll find a way to automate that one small bit of effort soon. As Hern says in his article, “it would be more heartfelt to send ‘Wibble!’ to your friends.” Wibble indeed, Mr. Hern, wibble indeed.
Anyway, I look forward to the days when wishing someone a real and sincere happy birthday will by necessity end with the note, “*This message is original and not generated by any algorithm or other automated service.”
Now if you’ll excuse me, there are other issues of great importance that I must address.
New measures are now being looked upon to address these concerns. Some have already gained grounds, just like this new bill that would regulate social media interaction of students.
Full details on the video below.
