“This life's dim windows of the soul
Distorts the heavens from pole to pole
And leads you to believe a lie
When you see with, not through, the eye.”
― William Blake
How Social Media Affects
Our Mental Health
"Social media companies employ algorithms for a variety of reasons, with the primary purpose of keeping users engaged with constant feeds of information for extended periods of time; such engagement results in massive profits for the companies paid by advertisers targeting ads at a certain demographic. (Costello, et al).
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How does social media effect our mental health? Many people use social media to connect with family, friends, and their interests. But, what are the negative outcomes of excessive use? Effects include the creation of content amplification, the disruption of neural pathways in the brain, and increased feelings of isolation, anxiety and suicidality among our most vulnerable populations (Costello, et al). It’s platform design features can reinforce compulsive use patterns.
Over the past two decades, the academic study of social media’s effects on mental health has expanded rapidly as digital platforms have become central to everyday communication. Early research focused mainly on general internet use and well-being, but more recent scholarship examines specific mechanisms within social media systems, such as algorithmic content amplification, echo chambers, and emotionally charged engagement patterns. Studies have shown that platforms often promote highly polarizing or hostile content because it generates strong reactions and engagement, contributing to increased online animosity and group polarization (Rathje et al., 2021). At the same time, interdisciplinary research in psychology and neuroscience has explored how constant notifications, reward loops, and “likes” may stimulate dopamine-based reinforcement systems in ways that resemble behavioral addiction (Kuss & Griffiths, 2017). As a result, the literature now spans communication studies, psychology, neuroscience, and public health, reflecting a growing recognition that social media environments can shape (or deter) emotional well-being, social relationships, and patterns of public discourse.
"Media professionals, like all of us, have a social responsibility. Because of the influence their work can have, they may even have greater responsibilities than do many other professionals." Stanley Baran, Introduciton to Mass Communication, 2023.
