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Social Media can be helpful by helping you socialize with both your friends and family.

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Social Media can be helpful by helping you socialize with both your friends and family.

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January 6, 2020- Mesfin Awoke Bekalu, research scientist in the Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, discusses a new study he co-authored on associations between social media use and mental health and well-being.
What is healthy vs. potentially problematic social media use?
Our study has brought preliminary evidence to answer this question. Using a nationally representative sample, we assessed the association of two dimensions of social media use-how much it's routinely used and how emotionally connected users are to the platforms-with three health-related outcomes: social well-being, positive mental health, and self-rated health.

We found that routine social media use-for example, using social media as part of everyday routine and responding to content that others share-is positively associated with all three health outcomes. Emotional connection to social media-for example, checking apps excessively out of fear of missing out, being disappointed about or feeling disconnected from friends when not logged into social media-is negatively associated with all three outcomes.

In more general terms, these findings suggest that as long as we are mindful users, routine use may not in itself be a problem. Indeed, it could be beneficial.

For those with unhealthy social media use, behavioral interventions may help. For example, programs that develop "effortful control" skills-the ability to self-regulate behavior-have been widely shown to be useful in dealing with problematic Internet and social media use.
We're used to hearing that social media use is harmful to mental health and well-being, particularly for young people. Did it surprise you to find that it can have positive effects?
The findings go against what some might expect, which is intriguing. We know that having a strong social network is associated with positive mental health and well-being. Routine social media use may compensate for diminishing face-to-face social interactions in people's busy lives. Social media may provide individuals with a platform that overcomes barriers of distance and time, allowing them to connect and reconnect with others and thereby expand and strengthen their in-person networks and interactions. Indeed, there is some empirical evidence supporting this.

On the other hand, a growing body of research has demonstrated that social media use is negatively associated with mental health and well-being, particularly among young people-for example, it may contribute to increased risk of depression and anxiety symptoms.

Our findings suggest that the ways that people are using social media may have more of an impact on their mental health and well-being than just the frequency and duration of their use.
What disparities did you find in the ways that social media use benefits and harms certain populations? What concerns does this raise?
My co-authors Rachel McCloud, Vish Viswanath, and I found that the benefits and harms associated with social media use varied across demographic, socioeconomic, and racial population sub-groups. Specifically, while the benefits were generally associated with younger age, better education, and being white, the harms were associated with older age, less education, and being a racial minority. Indeed, these findings are consistent with the body of work on communication inequalities and health disparities that our lab, the Viswanath lab, has documented over the past 15 or so years. We know that education, income, race, and ethnicity influence people's access to, and ability to act on, health information from media, including the Internet. The concern is that social media may perpetuate those differences.

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Social media use can be positive for mental health and well-being

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A new study assessed the association of two dimensions of social media use-how much it's routinely used and how emotionally connected users are to the platforms-with three health-related outcomes: ...

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The role of social media in World events | Paw Prints Weekly

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All throughout history, the world never seems to catch a break. Whether it be pandemics, wars, conflicts, corruption, pollution, or the ongoing climate crisis that never seems to be ending, people all over have to balance keeping up with world news as well as their own lives. But now, more than ever, teens and adults alike have a new carrier of information—social media. TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, YouTube, or even Facebook are just a few of the names that come up when discussing user-created content.

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Social media can help educate you by giving you the answer to a problem you might have.

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Social media can help educate you by giving you the answer to a problem you might have.

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University of San Diego - Professional & Continuing Education

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Social Media in Education: 13 Ideas for the Classroom

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Social media in education can be a powerful learning tool if used responsibly. Find tips and best practices for using social media in the classroom here.

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People can use Social media in a way that benefits them and their social life "with three health-related outcomes: social well-being, positive mental health, and self-rated health" (Amy Roeder).

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People can use Social media in a way that benefits them and their social life "with three health-related outcomes: social well-being, positive mental health, and self-rated health" (Amy Roeder).

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Social media gets you caught up in world wide events, people used to rely on newspaper, "But now, more than ever, teens and adults alike have a new carrier of information—social media" (Angela Tsang and Miya Vuksic).

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Social media gets you caught up in world wide events, people used to rely on newspaper, "But now, more than ever, teens and adults alike have a new carrier of information—social media" (Angela Tsang and Miya Vuksic).

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People can help educate themselves with social media by get a answer they need with a simple search,and if students use it responsibly it can help with school work.

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People can help educate themselves with social media by get a answer they need with a simple search,and if students use it responsibly it can help with school work.

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Is students use it wisely, "social media has the potential to enhance the curriculum at any grade level" (Matt Evans).

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Is students use it wisely, "social media has the potential to enhance the curriculum at any grade level" (Matt Evans).