Project 3: Media Affect on Youth by

link

kyz6my4zy9 — 2024-04-01 12:55:17 UTC

Source 1: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41347-020-00134-x

Naslund, J.A., Bondre, A., Torous, J. et al. Social Media and Mental Health: Benefits, Risks, and Opportunities for Research and Practice. J. technol. behav. sci. 5, 245–257 (2020).

Source 2 (Sub-Claim): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.09.005.

Huesmann, L. R. "The Impact of Electronic Media Violence: Scientific Theory and Research." The Journal of Adolescent Health : Official Publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, vol. 41, no. 6 Suppl 1, 2007, p. S6

Source 3: https://pubs-aeaweb-org.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/doi/pdfplus/10.1257/aer.20211218

Topic

kyz6my4zy9 — 2024-04-01 14:14:03 UTC

Social media has been a huge catalyst for pushing this generation's creativity and innovativeness forward as well as seamlessly giving you an outlet to create a diverse social circle of like-minded people. However, overconsumption of social media can produce a variety of problems and induce a sort of snowball effect on a person's overall quality of life. It can alter self-esteem and excite feelings of depression and anxiety. These qualities can negatively affect your motivation to complete tasks, therefore, negatively impacting academic performance. Although evidence linking the overuse of social media and academic performance lacks sustainable scientific evidence, it is logical to believe that these symptoms of media misuse can antagonize a good and effective student. There has also been a link from social media apps that may trigger symptoms parallel to those of attention deficit disorders. Although some may argue that the logical solution to this plague is to set limits or quit using social media completely, some studies suggest this is easier said than done. Social media has a reinforcing nature which your brain is rewarded by the release of dopamine, making scrolling through apps a difficult habit to break. Once hooked on this drug-like addiction, it may be difficult to set limits for yourself and not fall deeper into the rabbit hole without help of expensive therapists. For instance, the article Social Media and Mental Health: Benefits, Risks, and Opportunities for Research and Practice states that “Across the USA and globally, very few people living with mental illness have access to adequate mental health services” (Patel et al. 2018). This is especially true regarding people with less financial freedom since therapists are very costly and healthcare insurance is scarce.

Key Terms

kyz6my4zy9 — 2024-04-01 14:14:25 UTC

Social Media- websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.

Social Comparison- behavior where we compare certain aspects of ourselves (e.g., our behavior, opinions, status, and success) to other people so that we have a better assessment of ourselves

Depression- A group of conditions associated with the elevation or lowering of a person's mood.

Mental Health- Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior.

Self-esteem- confidence in one's own worth or abilities; self-respect.

Anxiety- Intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations.

ADHD- attention deficit disorder which may contribute to low self-esteem, troubled relationships, and difficulty at school or work.

Dopamine- a compound present in the body as a neurotransmitter that acts on areas of the brain to give you feelings of pleasure, satisfaction, and motivation. Addiction

Overarching Arguement

kyz6my4zy9 — 2024-04-04 15:01:57 UTC

(from the source) The unnecessary overuse of social media causes a downward spiraling effect on the overall mental health of the users therefore affecting productivity, motivation, and academic performance.

Sub Claim: The Influence of Violent Media

kyz6my4zy9 — 2024-04-15 14:56:52 UTC

Detrimental Effect of Social Media->Academics

kyz6my4zy9 — 2024-04-15 15:55:52 UTC

"The conditions related to mental health are attention deficit disorder, depression/anxiety disorder/seasonal affective disorder, eating disorders, stress, and sleep difficulties. The main advantage of analyzing these questions is that they trace a pathway from the introduction of Facebook to perceptions of worsened academic performance via poor mental health".

Key Component of Sub Claim: Ethnic and Racial Minorities

kyz6my4zy9 — 2024-04-16 02:28:40 UTC

There has been signs of psychological distress such as PTSD and depression specifically among the African American and Latinx community that are exposed to traumatic media.

PROBLEMS

kyz6my4zy9 — 2024-04-16 16:25:24 UTC

Insufficient mental health care services

kyz6my4zy9 — 2024-04-16 16:25:51 UTC

Reflection

kyz6my4zy9 — 2024-04-16 17:26:35 UTC

Social media has been a revolutionary outlet when it comes to connecting with others, finding quick answers, and increasing productivity. However, this can turn into an addictive habit with risks that outweigh the rewards if not used correctly and consciously. What I found quite challenging about research based on social media and mental health was the broad amount of sources and finding the perfect one that covers everything I wanted to talk about. There are many sub-topics to this overarching argument and many opinion/logic-based argument that have little direct scientific exploration. One of these includes the direct effect of social media and academic capabilities. This specifically is a subject which isn't completely backed by science but is a very logical conclusion. One of the sub-topics that especially interested me was that of violent media effects on the developing brain of adolescents. This is a topic which has multiple reliable sources but may not completely go in line with my main argument of 'social media'.

Counter-Claim: ethnic racial minority

kyz6my4zy9 — 2024-04-18 12:48:46 UTC

Social media is a great and productive way to give minorities the representation that they deserve and have not been offered to them any other way. This goes to say, if social media is used the right way it could be a revolutionary outlet for the minority population.

Counter-Claim

kyz6my4zy9 — 2024-04-18 12:54:15 UTC

According to research, people living with mental illness often find social media a useful outlet to seek help and relate to others in similar circumstances. Without social media, people suffering from mental illness would likely find it difficult to share their stories and problems with others as many of them lack the social skills and confidence to do so.

Rebuttal

kyz6my4zy9 — 2024-04-18 13:00:33 UTC

Social media as an outlet for mental illness help can be misleading and filled with people who aren't educated enough to give mental health advice as a professional would be. The problems other people are dealing with are unique to everyone's circumstances and therefore have specified treatments unique to each human. People suffering from mental illness should not turn solely to the internet for answers or coping methods.

Key Component of Sub-Claim: Violent media effect on youth

kyz6my4zy9 — 2024-04-18 13:02:32 UTC

Violent media can directly influence the aggresion of an adolescent similarly to the influence of growing up in a violent envirnoment would.

SPACE

kyz6my4zy9 — 2024-04-18 13:03:12 UTC

Sub-Questions

kyz6my4zy9 — 2024-04-18 13:19:47 UTC

If you lived in a dangerous neighborhood, would it be logical to tell your child to stay inside and allow him to be influenced by violent video games, which have the same influence on violent/aggressive behavior?
What are some ways to lessen the harmful side of media while still indulging in the benefits?

Sub-Claim: Social Media and Social Conformity

kyz6my4zy9 — 2024-04-18 13:41:07 UTC

Social media has set unrealistic societal standards people aim to conform to ranging from, beliefs, physical appearance, or popularity. This makes people lose their individualism and conform to a sort of archetype that everyone strives to be.

Personal Connection

kyz6my4zy9 — 2024-04-18 14:44:56 UTC

I find myself often resorting to social media as a source of domamine on my worst days. Whenever I am feeling stressed out or anxious about something I find myself procrastinating and coping with it negatively by scrolling on social media or watching videos which only provide immediate distractions, and is truly detrimental in the long run as it is not a good outlet to cope with problems.

Cost of treatment

kyz6my4zy9 — 2024-04-18 15:35:32 UTC