What the Experts Say II

A project called #StatusofMind created by Royal Society for Public Health in collaboration with Young Health Movement examined the positive and negative effects of popular social media sites on young people. 1479 people from the UK aged 14-24 years old were asked to rank the most used social media sites/apps - Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Facebook. The answers were supposed to be based on their personal experience and related to both negative and positive effects.

Out of the social media sites/apps, participants reported Instagram being the worst one for their mental health. Instagram was found to cause sleep disturbances (bad sleep quality or not sufficient amount), low body image, FOMO (= Fear of Missing Out, being worried that by not being online, a person is missing out on something important), bullying, and increased anxiety levels. Although Instagram was ranked so negatively, there were also positive sides to the app that young people reported – the opportunity to express themselves and to maintain relationships and start new ones.

References:

Royal Society for Public Health and Young Health Movement. (19. May 2017). Instagram ranked worst for young people’s mental health. Royal Society for Public Health. Retrieved from https://www.rsph.org.uk/about-us/news/instagram-ranked-worst-for-young-people-s-mental-health.html

-Adela