Negative Effects of Social Media on Health

Negative Effects of Social Media on Health
Introduction
Humans are social creatures who require the company of others to flourish, and the strength of their bonds has an impact on their general happiness and fulfillment. Websites and programs largely focused on communication, engagement, and collaboration are referred to as social media. People use social media to communicate with their friends, families, and the general public. On the other hand, businesses use social media platforms to market and promote their products and compile big data to forecast client patterns. While social media can help people communicate and learn more effectively, its negative effects on health should not be underestimated, as seen below.
Mental Health
First, while many people love using social media to keep connected, excessive use can lead to feelings of worry, melancholy, and loneliness. Increased usage of social media causes inadequacies in life, which are then translated into social media insecurities. Depression and anxiety are more likely to develop and worsen as humans substitute in-person conversation with social media interactions. Negy et al. (2018) conducted a correlation analysis to determine the amount of time spent on social media, its importance, and people’s propensity to post for attention. According to the study, numerous participants were concerned about the potentially harmful impact of social media. Negy et al. (2018) discovered a direct link between excessive social media use and suicidality, loneliness, and a lack of empathy. There is a need to control social media use to avoid pressures and worries that negatively impact mental health, a global public health concern.
Cyberbullying
Second, cyberbullying, which takes the form of text messages and social media posts, harasses, intimidates, and threatens people to harm or isolate them. Cyberbullying victims frequently experience sociability, loneliness, loss of interest, and attention problems. According to Carvalho et al. (2018), cyberbullying is a hazard to the well-being of adolescents. Adolescents who were cyberbullied reported higher depression, anxiety, loneliness, and suicidal behavior. According to Carvalho et al. (2018), cyberbullying perpetrators reported increased substance misuse, violence, and delinquent behaviors. Increased substance usage has been linked to health issues, including an increased risk of injury and death. Accidents, hazardous sexual conduct, and infections, such as AIDS and STIs, contribute to drug abuse-related injuries and deaths. Although cyberbullying constitutes a serious threat to one’s well-being, stakeholders have yet to put in place measures to address the issue.
Sleep
Apart from cyberbullying and its effects on mental health, excessive social media use harms sleep patterns. Individuals can stay awake by checking social media posts and writing emails before bed. Devices influence the stimulating effects of blue light on sleep at night. While in use, screens emit blue light, which stimulates brain areas and increases attention. Alonzo et al. (2021) wanted to know how social media use before night influenced sleep quality in various ways. Sleep deprivation led to increased weariness at work or school, decreasing students’ efficiency and academic performance. The amount of time spent on social media impacts sleep quality (Alonzo et al., 2021). Social media applications have significantly impacted how people spend their time and connect in the communication arena. These apps are simple to use on smartphones and keep users interested with constant notifications, making them tough to control. Individuals’ health is impacted if they do not get enough and good sleep.
Communication
On the other hand, social media is a powerful communication tool utilized by businesses, with widespread effect. Not only can one listen to what others have to say on social media, but one can also respond to them. It is critical to recognize that social media has dominated the business and advertising worlds, with long-term implications for communication. Through the evolution of internet communication, Ardiansyah et al. (2018) highlighted customer socialization through social media peer communication as an effective marketing technique. Customer socializing influences purchasing decisions by boosting product involvement or encouraging customers to adhere to their social media peers. Nelson (2016), on the other hand, looked into the elements that influenced knowledge sharing within organizations. Social media platforms are used by businesses to share information and facilitate internal collaboration (Nelson, 2016). Any organization’s success depends on effective communication and data exchange.
Education
Furthermore, social media encourages self-directed learning by allowing students to explore for answers and make decisions independe