Mellins: For young people, social media provides a platform to help them figure out who they are. Also, if someone is vulnerable to an eating disorder, they may be especially attracted to seeking out unhelpful information-which is all too easy to find on social media. For adolescent girls in particular, the more time they spend on social media directly relates to how much they absorb the idea that being thin is ideal, are driven to try to become thin, and/or overly scrutinize their own bodies. Research tells us that how much someone engages with photo-related activities like posting and sharing photos on Facebook or Instagram is associated with less body acceptance and more obsessing about appearance. Glasofer: For those vulnerable to developing an eating disorder, social media may be especially unhelpful because it allows people to easily compare their appearance to their friends, to celebrities, even older images of themselves. Social media can exacerbate risks, as we have seen played out in the news.Īlthough there are important benefits, social media can also provide platforms for bullying and exclusion, unrealistic expectations about body image and sources of popularity, normalization of risk-taking behaviors, and can be detrimental to mental health. – Claude Mellins Adolescence is a time of risk-taking, which is both a strength and a vulnerability. What they see on social media can define what is expected in ways that is not accurate and that can be destructive to identity development and self-image. Young people’s brains are still developing, and as individuals, young people are developing their own identities. Girls and young people who identify as sexual and gender minorities can be especially vulnerable as targets. Although there are important benefits, social media can also provide platforms for bullying and exclusion, unrealistic expectations about body image and sources of popularity, normalization of risk-taking behaviors, and can be detrimental to mental health. Mellins: Facebook and Instagram and other social media platforms are important sources of socialization and relationship-building for many young people. What do we know about the mental health risks of social media use? She co-led the SHIFT research study to reduce sexual violence among undergraduates. Claude Mellins, Professor of medical psychology in the Departments of Psychiatry and Sociomedical Sciences, studies wellbeing among college and graduate students, among other topics, and serves as program director of CopeColumbia, a peer support program for Columbia faculty and staff whose mental health has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. She is the co-author of the book Eating Disorders: What Everyone Needs to Know. Deborah Glasofer, associate professor of psychology in psychiatry, conducts psychotherapy development research for adults with eating disorders and teaches about cognitive behavioral therapy. Two experts from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Columbia Psychiatry share their insights into one crucial aspect of social media’s influence-its effect on the mental health of young people and adults. And some research has pushed back against the idea that social media raises the risk for depression in teens. So just how healthy or unhealthy is social media?
Social media companies, and many users, defend the platforms as avenues for promoting creativity and community-building.
Social media is criticized for being addictive by design and for its role in the spread of misinformation on critical issues from vaccine safety to election integrity, as well as the rise of right-wing extremism. Watchdog groups have identified Facebook and Instagram as avenues for cyberbullying, and reports have linked TikTok to dangerous and antisocial behavior, including a recent spate of school vandalism.Īs social media has proliferated worldwide-Facebook has 2.85 billion users-so too have concerns over how the platforms are affecting individual and collective wellbeing. It isn’t the first evidence of social media’s harms. Internal research by the social media giant found that Instagram worsened body image issues for one in three teenage girls, and all teenage users of the app linked it to experiences of anxiety and depression. A recent investigation by the Wall Street Journal revealed that Facebook was aware of mental health risks linked to the use of its Instagram app but kept those findings secret.
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