Does social media actually hurt your mental health?

Robert Whitley believes so.

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Whitley states that heavily using social media contributes to poor mental health. To provide support for his statements, he uses statistics and studies from University of Pittsburgh, University of Michigan and Centre for Addictions and Mental Health.

 

He says that according to the analysis from Canada’s researchers at the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health indicated that “young people who use social media more than two hours per day are much more likely to rate their mental health as "fair" or "poor" compared with occasional users.” (Whitley, 2016).

 

In later paragraphs, Whitley mentions how some researches show that both a “passive” and “active” use of social media can be bad for your mental health.

According to Whitley, “One study shows that this can lead to envy and resentment, while another indicates that passive use provokes and intensifies a negative emotional experience known as "FOMO" (Fear Of Missing Out). This can lower self-esteem and well-being.” (2016). This is associated with poorer mental health.

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Both Julia Cottle's and Robert Whitley's opinion towards social media are similar; social media hurts more than it helps. 

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