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There are multiple platforms for social media and they are all very different and have different target audiences. I think it is simplistic to make general statements without considering that.
Back in the 70's there was much talk about how women's magazines negatively impacted the self image of young girls. It was a big concern at the time...now it is social media/Instagram being blamed for the poor self image issues.
So my feelings are that -- yes like print media, movies, tv shows, unrealistic images of what life may negatively impact the mindset of those already struggling.....
Quite the opposite, I believe. I find the older generation to be incredibly gullible. The FoxNews crowd believes everything they hear on right-wing TV and right-wing social media without question. The CNN crowd the same on the other side. I think the younger generation, having grown up with social media, are far more savvy about the lack of objectivity.
Social media may cause some mental health issues but it's not the main cause. There has always been mental health problems in every decade.
However, SM does not seem to decrease isolation seems to actually increase it. Which is ironic because you are in touch digitally. It just depends on the digital connection you are having. A simple text message can cause emotional distress if the intent isn't clear. Why didn't they text back?
Even with social media at their finger tips the isolation of lock downs from the pandemic caused a 51% increase in teenage suicide attempts yahoonews
Why didn't teens use SM to connect and support each other during the lock downs, when they felt most isolated and disparaged? I think they tried to connect. Social media was simply insufficient.
People have had to deal with major society issues in every decade. Imagine it's the 40's and watching news reels report on WWII. Then you might get drafted. Will there be support for veterans after the war?
Where do you find sanctuary when the world around you is falling apart? The 60's- civil rights. The 30's- depression. Now civil rights is back with a new slant- CRT. Add a pandemic in the mix. SM is not going to solve these issues.
Not at all. The overreliance in computers is the problem. If computers crash, everything crashes. People don't look at reality anymore. They look at LCD screens which tell them what reality is. It's a shame.
Oh yeah, it was much better when we relied on the abacus or the slide rule instead of calculators.
It's the over-reliance on cars. When they run out of gas, everything comes to a stop. Better when we had horse and buggy.
Social media may cause some mental health issues but it's not the main cause. There has always been mental health problems in every decade.
However, SM does not seem to decrease isolation seems to actually increase it. Which is ironic because you are in touch digitally. It just depends on the digital connection you are having. A simple text message can cause emotional distress if the intent isn't clear. Why didn't they text back?
Even with social media at their finger tips the isolation of lock downs from the pandemic caused a 51% increase in teenage suicide attempts yahoonews
Why didn't teens use SM to connect and support each other during the lock downs, when they felt most isolated and disparaged? I think they tried to connect. Social media was simply insufficient.
People have had to deal with major society issues in every decade. Imagine it's the 40's and watching news reels report on WWII. Then you might get drafted. Will there be support for veterans after the war?
Where do you find sanctuary when the world around you is falling apart? The 60's- civil rights. The 30's- depression. Now civil rights is back with a new slant- CRT. Add a pandemic in the mix. SM is not going to solve these issues.
You're right about one thing - There has always been mental health problems in every decade.
I have felt sorry for teenagers and other young singles during the pandemic. I remember what it's like to be young - who wants to stay home with your parents? You want to be out with friends. And how do you go about dating during a lock down?
For me it's been the opposite, however. I have been working from home for 18 months now, and I love it. I feel just as connected to my work colleagues as ever, through virtual meetings and teleconferences. Meanwhile I get to spend more time with my family.
It seems like more and more society revolves around a digital existence that intentionally or unintentionally makes life seem less fulfilling. However we are addicted like never before. We have to be connected for what seems like every waking moment…kids are connected from younger and younger ages which has shown to exacerbate mental health problems. The parents are constantly connected too and give their children unbridled access because they don’t want them left behind the technology curve or they find a screen is a good babysitter that keeps the kids quiet.
What if us becoming creatures that now live in a digital universe has unforeseen consequences? Could it pose more of a problem than global warming? It has only been about 15-20 years since humans really started integrating their lives with the digital world — could there be unforeseen consequences?
My answer is a definite NO. Anyone's mental health is NOT mankind's most pressing problem. Your screen time belongs to you. If you have a problem with FB or any other social media site that problem is yours and yours to handle yourself. If you are addicted to something like that, it is YOUR responsibility to get past that addiction, it is nobody's fault but yours. (I am referring to "people in general") Also, if a parent gives their kids too much time allowance on Social Media that is their problem to fix. Nobody else's.
All of this will have unforeseen consequences in the years to come, but still, it is happening now, and if we know better than to allow this then we need to do something about it.
I, myself, am not on FB nor have I ever been and I doubt seriously that I ever will be. My screen time average is about 50 minutes per day, and that includes all my banking, paying bills, looking up recipes, etc. I do a lot of tangible, productive things online, but I do not play on Social Media at all.
Certainly there will be some problems later, but I don't think it's going to be mankind's most pressing problem.
Global warming, abortion, and allowing aliens into our Country are the big ones. Nobody will really care about our mental health due to Social Media.
Mankind is all encompassing. There are still large, remote populations around the world that barely have any utilities like running water and electricity. I doubt social media is much of a factor for them.
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