is social media bad for relationships essay brainly

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12 ways social media affects relationships, from research & experts.

Romanticizing other people's relationships is not a new concept (thanks, rom-coms). Unlike a movie script, though, social media shows real couples living real lives.

But can looking at these seemingly perfect couples online interfere with our own romantic relationships? Here, how social media can affect your relationships and more.

How social media can affect relationships

Social media, if used sparingly, is not necessarily bad for relationships.

Research has shown social media use can both positively and negatively affect relationships , depending on how it's used.

For example, social media can contribute to unhealthy comparison and unrealistic expectations for what relationships are supposed to be like, and couples may spend more time curating an "image" of who they are rather than focusing on the relationship itself. 

Social media use has also been linked to poor body image and depression, which can negatively affect relationships.

Negative effects on relationships

Social media can create unrealistic expectations.

Although there are some useful resources shared via social media, "what you will mostly see are curated and filtered posts that only highlight unrealistic images of what a relationship is," says sex and behavioral therapist Chamin Ajjan, M.S., LCSW, A-CBT .

Attempting to measure up can distract you and your partner from the relationship.

Inevitably, real life won't look like the endless highlight reels we see on social media, which can lead to disappointment in either yourself, your partner, or both.

"You may begin to feel jealous of how much someone posts about their partner and feel resentment toward your partner for not doing the same," Ajjan says. "The lifestyles you are scrolling through may change how satisfied you are in your relationship because they seem to be better than what you have."

It can lead to jealousy

Some research has linked social media use with increased jealousy 1 and relationship dissatisfaction in college students.

If you are prone to jealousy because of an insecure attachment style , research says you may be more likely to get stuck in a cycle of endless scrolling to keep an eye on your partner's activities .

People may get upset seeing their partner liking or commenting on other people's posts, stoking concerns that their partner is interested in other people (or worse, is already cheating).

The use of Facebook, in particular, has been shown to increase feelings of suspicion and jealousy in romantic relationships among college students.

"This effect may be the result of a feedback loop, whereby using Facebook exposes people to often ambiguous information about their partner that they may not otherwise have access to," one study writes.

For example, cookies and Facebook algorithms can cause a partner's "hidden" interests to pop up on their feed.

The desire to find more information about them can perpetuate further social media use and feelings of mistrust.

(Notably, many of these studies have been conducted on college students, so it’s possible that there would be differences among older couples.)

Excessive social media use is linked to couples fighting more

A 2013 study found that, among couples who had been together for less than three years, spending more time on Facebook was linked with more "Facebook-related conflict" 2 and more negative relationship outcomes.

One study found that those who are dating people who overshare on social media 3 tend to have lower relationship satisfaction (though positive posts about the relationship itself every now and then seemed to mediate that effect).

Social media might make daily life seem less interesting

The drool-worthy image of a couple on vacation can trigger feelings of envy, which can keep you from appreciating where you are in the present moment. 

"Social media tends to ignore the gritty and mundane parts of a couple's lives," says Ken Page, LCSW , psychotherapist and host of The Deeper Dating Podcast .

Struggles, chores, compromise, and intimacy in the midst of challenges—these small mini triumphs are valuable, he says.

Just remember: A vacation can make you feel happy, but it's the everyday moments that lead to ultimate satisfaction .

When relationships end, it is so often those tiny, mundane moments that evoke the deepest nostalgia, Page adds. 

It can distract you from spending quality time with your partner

Though internet addiction 4 and Facebook addiction 5 are not considered mental health disorders by the  Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), researchers recognize both as dependence issues, which can interfere with quality of life.

The more we become hooked on the dopamine rush of social media, Page says, the less engaged or excited we will feel for the quieter, simpler moments of life.

"But those are often the moments when our loved one reveals something personal and intimate," he explains.

Next time you and your partner are together and both focused on your phones, bring awareness to that.

"Practice valuing real-time connection over internet connection," he says. This can help increase emotional intimacy. 

It can affect our mental health

Even though social media is meant to promote connection, multiple studies have linked social media use with loneliness 6 , mood disorders, and poor self-esteem 7 .

People with preexisting mental health issues may also be more susceptible to social comparisons, due to a negative cognitive bias 8 , one study found.

On the flip side, lowering social media use has been shown to reduce loneliness and depression symptoms .

Though these issues are more individualistic than relational, they can bleed into romantic relationships.

When a partner is suffering from mental health issues , they may be closed off to intimacy or become codependent .

It can lead to body image issues

The filtered and edited images you see all over social media can cause insecurities about your own body to surface, Ajjan says.

Several studies have linked social media use and body image issues 9 .

A person's body image issues can significantly affect their relationships.

One Journal of the International Society for Sexual Medicine study shows that heterosexual women with body image issues 10 have a harder time becoming sexually aroused. 

Another study found the way wives perceive their own sexual attractiveness 11 , based on negative body image, directly affects the marital quality of both the wife and the husband.  

In other words, these insecurities triggered by social media can interfere with emotional and physical intimacy and the overall quality of a relationship. 

It can make us more narcissistic

Excessive social media use is linked to narcissistic traits 12 in some cases.

Research confirms that addictive social media use reflects a need to feed the ego and an attempt to improve self-esteem, both of which are narcissistic traits.

And different types of social media play into different aspects of narcissism.

For example, people who frequently tweet or post selfies may be displaying grandiosity, one of the common traits of narcissism .

Since you can be narcissistic without having a personality disorder , it's possible to develop these traits over time—and at least one small study has found excess social media use may be a trigger .  

And of course, being in a relationship with a narcissist is not healthy and can lead to trauma later on.

Positive effects on relationships

Social media helps single people meet each other.

In the digital age we live in, it's not uncommon for people to meet online or through dating apps—in fact, it may be more common.

A 2017 survey found 39% of heterosexual couples reported meeting their partner online, compared to just 22% in 2009.

A later study analyzing the results found that " Internet meeting is displacing the roles that family and friends once played in bringing couples together."

According to one survey , online dating can be especially helpful for the LGBTQ+ community .

Of the adults who took the survey, 28% say they met their current partner online, compared with 11% of partnered straight adults.

It can keep you connected to your partner

Whether it's sending a funny meme over Instagram or taking a quick Snapchat, social media is an easy way for couples to interact throughout the day in a fun, low-pressure manner.

This is particularly helpful for couples who don't live together and people in long-distance relationships . According to a survey published in the Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking journal, young adults in long-distance romantic relationships 13 are better able to maintain them if they're using social networking sites.

People who have their partner in their profile photo or have their relationship status public on Facebook also tend to be happier with their relationship 14 , for what that's worth.

You can learn about relationships from experts

"There are plenty of accounts that offer up good information to help develop and maintain a healthy connection," Ajjan says. "There is a lot of good information on social media from relationship bloggers, psychotherapists, and many others that highlight how to improve your relationship."

As long as it's coming from a place of growth and not comparison, this type of social media can motivate you to work on parts of the relationship that have been neglected, she explains.  

It's like a time capsule of memories

Social media platforms have practically replaced printed photograph albums as a place to store and share our memories.

In this sense, Page says social media can be used to honor the activities you do and the things you create together. 

Unlike a physical photo album, social media has the added component of followers.

"In this way, social media can be an institutionalized way to express love publicly and invite community support," he says, "both of which enhance a couple's ability to flourish." 

Tips to manage social media use

• Turn off your notifications. One study 15 found that smartphone notifications can cause a decline in task performance and negatively influence cognitive function and concentration. Turn off your notifications to avoid any distractions and focus more on the present.
• Set aside a time to scroll. Whether that be every hour or every few hours, designate 15-20 minutes to getting on social media, answering texts, or taking calls to avoid the constant urge to get on your phone and scroll and focus on quality time with your partner.
• Try a social media detox. Research shows that intentionally refraining from getting on social media can prevent harmful effects and reduce the risk of compulsive social media behavior in individuals. Designate a period of days, weeks, or even months to avoid any social media use.
• Be transparent and communicate. If you are struggling with your body-image or find yourself feeling jealous or insecure, talk with your partner and explain how you are feeling. It may be time to avoid getting on social media altogether and focus on quality time with your significant other.

The takeaway

Scrolling through social media all day is, unfortunately, not a hard habit to pick up.

While these platforms can offer helpful resources, they can also lead to jealousy, mental health issues, and unrealistic expectations in relationships.

On top of that, the act of being on your phone constantly can distract from intimacy with a partner. 

"Social media is not all bad," Ajjan says, "but if you find yourself comparing your relationship to what you are seeing online, it may be helpful to unfollow accounts that make you feel bad and focus more on accounts that make you feel empowered in your relationship."

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A research-based approach to relationships

The Impact of Social Media on Relationships

Is social media a threat to your relationship wellness?

In 2019, the average person spent 144 minutes per day on social media (Clement, 2020). According to Media Dependency Theory, the higher dependence a person has on media the stronger the influence of media on the individual’s perceptions and behaviors (Joo & Teng, 2017, p. 36). A study conducted in 2018 by Brigham Young University found that extensive social media usage is linked with decreased emotional wellness and lower satisfaction in interpersonal relationships (Christensen, 2018). In other words, if you think your relationship is being negatively impacted by social media, you are not being “dramatic,” it actually is (you can read more here ) . 

It’s important not to downplay or dismiss the role social media plays in relationships. Acknowledging and talking about it can actually help strengthen your bond.

Benefits of Social Media

Let’s highlight the positives first. A survey conducted by the American Psychological Association found that 55% of Gen Z feel supported through social media. Social media allows people to connect to family and friends who might be on the other side of the world. You can connect with people who have similar interests who you might never meet otherwise. In romantic relationships, where couples are long-distance or have to travel often for work, it can help them feel like they are part of each other’s day-to-day life, even when apart. Social media has also become a hub for mental health professionals and relationship experts like myself —making support and education that can motivate individuals and couples to seek help.

Is Social Media a Threat to your Relationship?

Social Media can become a threat to your romantic relationship when meaning and boundaries are not clearly defined and agreed upon. As well as, when couples fall into a comparison trap.

Life is full of symbols that hold different meanings depending on lived experiences, family of origin, and culture. It’s important that you discuss with your partner what social media symbolizes and what meaning it holds for the two of you. Understanding what social media represents for each of you, might help you understand how your partner chooses to engage online.

Boundaries 

Boundaries get a bad reputation. For many, it feels like a “bad word.” The truth is that boundaries allow you to love the other person in a way they can feel.  Digital boundaries come up in my work with couples all the time because we all live in a world that is more interconnected than ever. 

Talk about expectations about the role social media will play in your relationship. Thinking that social media and real-life are two different parallel spaces will only lead you to feel frustrated and disappointed. 

Digital boundaries need to be discussed from the start of the relationship. Consider the following:

• Do you update your relationship status?
• How much do you share about your relationship on social media?
• Who do you follow?
• What pictures do you like or leave comments on?
• How do you navigate direct messages?
• Do you share your login information with your partner?
• How much time is spent on social media?

This one might be the most challenging one, even for the couples who are self-aware and communicate clearly about their engagement on social media. People can go above and beyond to curate a perfect feed with the enhanced highlights of their relationship. The beautiful bouquet of lush flowers, the five-star weekly dinner dates, the romantic beachfront getaways they go on every other weekend, the vintage custom-made ring, and the heartfelt poems they write to each other just because. This is all you see. You don’t see the criticism or the defensiveness. You don’t see them crying. You don’t see the hard conversations and the vulnerability that accompanies those. You don’t see the behind-the-scenes. Yet, you compare your good enough and imperfect relationship to a perfectly curated “Instagramable” relationship. 

This is the recipe for perpetual disappointment because your reality will never measure up to the highlights of someone else’s relationship. Oftentimes, when you fall into the comparison trap, your insecurities bubble up to the surface. Maybe you feel insecure about your partner’s commitment and this is triggered when you see couples getting engaged, moving in together, or buying their first home. Maybe you feel insecure because you crave more quality time and this is triggered when you see other couples going on regular date nights and couples-only vacations. Regardless of your insecurities, don’t allow social media to fuel arguments between you and your partner. Your relationship is not less real because it’s not up to par with the social media standards of the perfect relationship.

How to Navigate Social Media as a Couple

• Prioritize quality time without social media
• Check-in with your partner before you post about them or your relationship
• Don’t snoop through your partner’s social media
• If you wouldn’t do it in- person, then don’t do it online
• Tone and intent are harder to gauge online, so give your partner the benefit of doubt
• Have ongoing conversations about social media and your relationship

Final Thought

Despite how digitized life is, it’s easy to feel uncomfortable talking about the impact social media has on relationships. Social media seems too trivial to argue about. Yet, it brings up real feelings, and those matter. 

Addressing social media boundaries doesn’t have to be a colossal challenge. Be willing to have open and ongoing honest conversations with your partner with the goal of better understanding each other. Also, work together to establish boundaries that lead to emotional and commitment safety within the relationship. 

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Genesis Games is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and the owner of a virtual practice located in Sunny South Florida. She is a Level 3 Gottman Method trained couples therapist. She works with individuals and couples navigating a variety of relationship issues and life adjustments. Genesis is passionate about making relationship wellness and mental health information readily accessible and easy to digest. She has created a complementary and interactive online course on healthy relationships. Visit her website for more information on her work.  Follow her on Twitter and Instagram .

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Chapter 4: social media and romantic relationships, many teens view social media and text messaging as a space for connection, emotional support – and occasional jealousy – in the context of their relationships, although most say social media has a relatively minor impact.

Among teen social media users with relationship experience:

• 59% say social media makes them feel more connected with what is going on in their significant other’s life, although just 15% indicate that it makes them feel “a lot” more connected. About one-third (35%) of these teens say social media does not make them feel more connected with their significant other.
• 47% say social media offers a place for them to show how much they care about their significant other, with 12% feeling this way “a lot”; 45% do not feel that social media offers a venue for this type of interaction with their significant other.
• 44% say social media helps them feel emotionally closer to their significant other, with 10% feeling that way “a lot.” Half (50%) do not feel that social media offers a space to feel emotionally closer.
• 27% say social media makes them feel jealous or unsure about their relationship, with 7% feeling this way “a lot.” Roughly two-thirds (68%) do not feel jealous or unsure of their relationship due to social media.

Boys are a bit more likely than girls to view social media as a space for emotional and logistical connection with their significant other. Some 65% of boys with relationship experience who use social media agree that these sites make them feel more connected about what’s going on in their significant other’s life (compared with 52% of girls). Similarly 50% of boys say social media makes them feel more emotionally connected with their significant other, compared with 37% of girls. At the same time, even among boys this impact is fairly muted: Just 16% say social media makes them feel “a lot” more connected to their significant other’s life, while just 13% feel “a lot” more emotionally close to their significant other thanks to social media.

Teens in our focus group explained the way digital communication platforms – social media as well as texting – can enhance and expand on in-person meetings. One high school girl noted:

“I feel like it helps to develop a relationship because even if you meet someone in person, you can’t see them all the time or talk to them all the time to get to know them, so you text them or message them to get to know them better.”

Focus group teens told us how talking with their significant other over text and social media helped them overcome shyness and create a greater sense of connection:

“My boyfriend isn’t shy … but I’m more shy. And it gets easier for him to tell me everything in person, but when we’re … when I’m in person with him, like, it’s harder for me to tell him what I’m feeling. So like I’ll think about it when we’re together, and then like afterwards I’ll probably text him like what I was feeling and tell him my problems.”

Another high school girl relates how texting helped her relationship with her boyfriend:

“I think texting kind of makes you feel closer because – boys are more shy. I’m more shy, but … my boyfriend, he doesn’t like to express himself like that. But when we text, it seems like it’s so much easier for him to talk to me. So I think he says more stuff, like how he feels through text. So it kind of makes [the relationship] stronger.”

For some, one other useful feature of multiple digital communication platforms (e.g., texting, messaging apps, Twitter, Instagram) is that those platforms allow teens to manage communicating with multiple people and multiple romantic partners. One high school boy from our focus groups relates his strategy:

“Sometimes, if you [are romantically involved with] a bunch of girls, you can have set time periods – where it’s like you can ignore her for a little bit and talk to her. And then you would go back and instead of talking to her, be like, sorry, I was in the shower or something like that. Or I was asleep? Do you know what I mean? You use different apps to talk to different girls. You can text one girl. You can be Kik-ing 10   another girl, then Snapchatting another girl.”

Photos and posts can be used by teens to incite jealousy in others, often former partners, and lead to jealous feelings for some teens. Teens in our focus group described peering at photos on their partner’s profile to look for suspicious images. One high school girl explains her calculus:

“It depends on like what they’re doing in the picture. If they’re just standing side by side, it’s like, chill. But if they’re like … if he’s got his arm on her or something, like, more. … Like I guess it just depends on your jealousy level if you can feel like, ‘oh, I know my man wants me.’ Or if you’re like ‘does he really want me?’ It just depends on the person.”

A Substantial Minority of Teen Daters Feel Their Significant Other Shows a Different Side of Themselves – or Is Less Authentic – on Social Media

As seen in our report on teen friendships , social media allows users to curate their online presence in a way that puts their best digital foot forward, or shows a different side of their personality than they can show offline. At the same time, this self-presentation can sometimes appear inauthentic or phony to others. Teens are especially attuned to this type of social curation: When it comes to teen friendships , fully 85% of teen social media users agree that social media allows people to show a side of themselves that they can’t show online. At the same time, 77% agree that people are less authentic and real on social media than they are in real life.

Teens tend to experience each of these behaviors to a lesser extent in the context of their romantic relationships than they do in their broader friend networks. But a substantial minority feel that their partner acts differently – in positive or negative ways — on social media than he or she does in real life. Among the 31% of teens who are “teen daters” who use social media:

• 42% agree that their significant other shows a different side of themselves on social media than they do in person, with 9% agreeing strongly. Nearly six-in-ten (58%) disagree with this statement.
• 36% agree that their significant other is less authentic and real on social media than they are offline, with 7% agreeing strongly. Roughly two-thirds (64%) disagree.

Girls are more likely to “strongly disagree” with the notion that their partner shows a different side of themselves on social media than they do offline: 13% of girls strongly disagree with this statement, compared with just 4% of boys. On the other hand, there are no differences between boys and girls on the question of whether their partner is less authentic on social media than they are in real life.

The Publicness Paradox: Many Teens Use Social Media to Publicly Express Affection for Their Partner and Support Their Friends’ Relationships, Even as They Feel Their Own Relationships are Too Visible to Others

37% of teens with dating experience have taken to social media to publicly express their affection for a significant other.

For a substantial minority of teens, social media offers a space to publicly express affection or solidarity with their romantic partner. Some 37% of teens with dating experience have used social media to tell their significant other how much they like them in a way that is visible to other people.

Teens from less well-off households, as well as those who have met a partner online, are especially likely to have done this. Among teens with relationship experience:

• 47% of those from households earning less than $50,000 annually have used social media to publicly express affection for a significant other (compared with 33% of teens from higher-income households).
• 54% of those who have met a partner or significant other online have used social media in this way, compared with 32% of those who have not met someone online.

63% of teen daters use social media to express support of others’ romantic relationships

Beyond publicly displaying affection and one’s own relationship, social media is a space where many teens can express public support or approval of others’ romantic relationships: 63% of teens with dating experience have posted or liked something on social media as a way to indicate their support of one of their friends’ relationships.

Girls are especially likely to publicly support their friends’ relationships using social media (71% of girls with dating experience have done so, compared with 57% of boys) although boys and girls are equally likely to publicly express affection for their own partner in social media environments.

In addition, teens from less well-off households (those earning less than $50,000 per year) engage in each of these behaviors at higher rates, compared with those from higher-income households. Among lower-income teens with dating experience, 73% (compared with 59% of higher-income teens) have supported their friends’ relationships on social media, while 47% of less well-off teens (and 33% of higher-income teens) have publicly expressed affection for their own partner in a public way on social media.

Teens in our focus group explained specific ways in which a relationship might be displayed on social media. As a high school boy related, people in relationships change “their status. And then other times, on Instagram it says in their bio, they put like the date that they started going out.” Changing “ profile pictures and then just regular pictures,” to be images of the couple is also a common method of displaying one’s relationship and relationship status. A high school boy explained what he believes must be on social media when dating someone. “You’ve got to put the date in the bio and her in the bio. For real. … You need to have the padlock emoji with a heart and two people holding hands. …On Facebook, you’ve got a cover photo… Or a date. Or just a date,” plus your beloved’s username or profile.

Focus group teens also noted that posting publicly about a relationship – noting the date you started the relationship in your bio, declaring your affection, posting photos – sometimes had to do with gaining a sense of status, expressing possessiveness or getting attention from peers:

High school boy 1: You just want people to know. With some people, it’s for the attention and stuff like that.

High school boy 2 : Well, speaking in terms of the way people generally seem to behave, it’s victory.

High school boy 1: And it’s also probably to tell people like, hey, back off. She’s mine or he’s mine.

Other focus group teens questioned how meaningful and authentic these social media displays of affection really were:

High school boy 1: “ How about the girls that post they love you every 20 minutes on Facebook.”

High School Boy 2: “ People are really quick to say I love you. A lot of people use it so loosely.”

High School Boy 1: “It don’t mean nothing no more.”

Many teen daters feel social media allows too many people to see what is happening in their relationship

But even as they use social media to support their friends’ relationships, many teen daters express annoyance at the public nature of their own romantic partnerships on social media. Fully 69% of teen social media users with dating experience agree that too many people can see what’s happening in their relationship on social media, with 16% indicating that they “strongly” agree. Just 31% of such teens disagree with this statement, and only a small percentage (2%) disagree “strongly.” Boys and girls, older and younger teens, and those from higher- and lower-income households are equally likely to agree with this statement.

Teens in our focus groups explained their concerns about people being overly involved, especially in breakups, and their discomfort with the permanence of posted content. One high school boy explained why someone might not want to post any details about their relationship on social media:

“I don’t know. Maybe they just want it to be their business. Then, you know, if you were to post it online and then you break up, you probably wouldn’t want to change it and then everyone asks you what happened, so you might not put it there in the first place. Just let it be the people you actually know who knows. … It comes back because it’s stuck there. It’s like a permanent tattoo.”

A middle school boy related:

“I think some people in my class keep [their relationship] secret because they just like it that way. They don’t like to have everybody know.”

Other teens point to avoiding drama as a reason people kept relationships off social media. As a high school boy explained:

“A lot of people kind of don’t like it on social media because it doesn’t need to be on there. ‘Cause as long as the two know how they feel about each other, I feel like if you have it on social media, it’s like more drama. Because like more people ask questions and stuff like that.”

And some teens don’t post much about the relationship on social media because they’re not sure of the relationship status or they don’t want to seem like they’re bragging about their good fortune. A high school girl explained:

“Maybe they’re just not sure about it, too. I mean, I feel like that would be me. I wouldn’t really know if we were in a relationship yet, so I wouldn’t say anything about it. And I wouldn’t want to be obsessive about it, and I wouldn’t want people to think I was bragging either, so I just wouldn’t show anything.”

Occasionally, relationships are kept off social media to keep them from the prying eyes of parents. One middle school boy explained:

“Sometimes if your parents find out, I mean, my mom lets me have a girlfriend, but some protective parents … they sometimes don’t even let them out with their friends. One of my friends, he can never come out. But he liked a girl that I liked and he asked her out, and she said yeah. And then he went home and I walked home with him and I went by his house and then he told his dad and his dad said I had to leave. And then his dad slammed the door and started screaming.”

• Kik-ing refers to sending a message through Kik, a messaging app. ↩

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Home — Essay Samples — Sociology — Social Media — Negative Effects Of Social Media: Relationships And Communication

Negative Effects of Social Media: Relationships and Communication

• Categories: Effects of Social Media Negative Impact of Technology Social Media

About this sample

Words: 904 |

Published: Mar 14, 2019

Words: 904 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

A Good Hook Examples for “Why Social Media is Bad” Essay

• A Modern Dilemma: In an era dominated by likes, shares, and filters, have you ever paused to consider the darker side of social media? Join me as we unveil the reasons why this digital phenomenon may be more harmful than we realize.
• An Eye-Opening Statistic: Did you know that the average person spends nearly two and a half hours on social media every day? Let’s dive into the implications of this staggering statistic and why it’s cause for concern.
• A Thought-Provoking Quote: Plato once warned, “At the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet.” But in the age of social media, is the touch of love being replaced by the click of a button? Explore with me how these platforms can dilute genuine human connections.
• A Personal Awakening: As someone who has experienced the negative effects of social media firsthand, I invite you to join me in reflecting on the ways in which these platforms may be undermining our mental health, relationships, and overall well-being.
• A Societal Wake-Up Call: Social media is no longer just a personal choice; it’s a societal force. Discover how it has reshaped our culture, influenced our behaviors, and potentially posed a threat to the fabric of our society.

Works Cited

• Buunk, B. P., & Dijkstra, P. (2017). Gender differences in jealousy: Men are more jealous about physical infidelity than emotional infidelity. Evolutionary Psychology, 15(1), 1474704916680157.
• Eslit, N. (2017, May 5). Effects of social media on communication skills. TechJury. https://techjury.net/blog/effects-of-social-media-on-communication-skills/
• Phoon, A. (2017, March 8). Social media is bad for communication skills and replaces need for human interaction. Medium. https://medium.com/@alphoenix/social-media-is-bad-for-communication-skills-and-replaces-need-for-human-interaction-d78b1c2d1e1b
• Wikerson, M. (2017). The impact of social media on relationships. Marshall Digital Scholar, 1. https://mds.marshall.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=student_scholarship
• Wu, A. M. S., Cheung, V. I., & Ku, L. (2013). Continual and problematic internet use as predictors of low self-esteem, depression, and suicidal ideation among Chinese adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 52(2), S122-S127.
• Wu, Y. Q., Li, J., & Li, X. (2020). Cyberbullying victimization and depressive symptoms: The mediating role of resilience and the moderating role of social support in Chinese adolescents. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 2071.
• Zhang, S., Li, X., Chen, H., & Liu, Y. (2017). A longitudinal study of the relationship between problematic internet use and subjective well-being among college students. Social Indicators Research, 133(1), 345-355.

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Social Media and Relationships

A few important rules..

Posted December 4, 2018 | Reviewed by Davia Sills

Research has shown that social media can affect the quality of our relationships. In fact, one survey study with 205 Facebook users demonstrated that a higher level of Facebook usage was associated with negative relationship outcomes (Clayton, Nagurney, & Smith, 2013). In addition, those relationships experienced Facebook-related conflict (Clayton, et al., 2013). Facebook usage has also been linked to increased feelings of jealousy (Muise, Christofides, & Desmarais, 2009).

Another study showed that exposure, after a breakup, to an ex’s Facebook profile may hinder the process of healing and moving on (Marshall, 2012). In fact, checking up on an ex’s profile led to more distress over the breakup, more negative feelings, and less personal growth (Marshall, 2012).

Research has demonstrated the toll that social media can take, not only on our current relationships but also on our ability to form new relationships. However, getting off social media is a challenge for many people, as a great deal of our communication happens online. If we want to remain online, but safeguard our relationships and ability to cope after a breakup, what steps can we take to make our online environment a bit safer?

1. Unfollow and/or remove your exes from social media.

It is nearly impossible to get over a person if your social media feed is constantly bombarded by pictures of him/her. If your goal is to remain friends with your ex, an honest conversation with him/her noting that you need your distance while the breakup is still fresh may be worthwhile. You may choose to unfollow him/her (if an option on the platform), rather than completely removing your former flame.

Muise et al. (2009) found in their study of 308 undergraduates that “Facebook may expose an individual to potentially jealousy-provoking information about their partner, which creates a feedback loop whereby heightened jealousy leads to increased surveillance of a partner’s Facebook page. Persistent surveillance results in further exposure to jealousy-provoking information” (p. 443). In order to break this cycle, try to remove yourself from social media to whatever extent possible.

2. Be aware of your online presence.

Yes, breakups can be hard, and yes, they can be very painful. However, it is important not to air any dirty laundry over the internet. What you put out there has a way of getting around and remaining public (even if swiftly deleted). If you are having a tough time, it is important to seek support from family, friends, and/or a professional. Do not solicit advice or vent about past problems to your social media communities. This may come back to haunt you. In addition, oversharing may actually alienate your other online friends.

Sharing too much has been shown to decrease the quality of real-life relationships. A study with 508 Facebook users found that sharing too many selfies can actually lead to a decrease in intimacy in relationships (Houghton, Joinson, Caldwell, & Marder, 2013). The authors suggest that a certain level of censorship is necessary so as not to alienate your companions by your online behavior.

3. Carry out your new relationship(s) IRL and not through social media.

Focus less on creating the perfect social media story and enjoy the time you spend with your partner and friends in real time in the real world. If everything is distilled through a website, you aren’t making the most of the time you spend together.

A Danish study by the Happiness Research Institute focusing on 1,095 participants found that those who went a week without Facebook reported greater life satisfaction (Happiness Research Institute, 2015). Therefore, it is important to cut back on your social media usage.

While social media can be a great way to connect with those we haven’t seen in a while and keep in contact with family, co-workers, and friends, it can have some negative side effects, especially when it comes to our romantic lives. Be conscious of how you engage with social media and use it sparingly. Avoid focusing too much on the past and live your life with your current partner in a meaningful way, and not for the purpose of a “perfect” post.

Clayton, R. B., Nagurney, A., & Smith, J. R. (2013). Cheating, breakup, and divorce: Is Facebook use to blame? Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 16 (10), 717-720. doi:10.1089/cyber.2012.0424

Happiness Research Institute (2015). The Facebook experiment: Does social media affect the quality of our lives? Retrieved from https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/928487_680fc12644c8428e b728cde7d61b13e7.pdf

Houghton, D., Joinson, A., Caldwell, N., & Marder, B. (2013). Tagger's delight? Disclosure and liking in Facebook: The effects of sharing photographs amongst multiple known social circles. Retrieved from http://epapers.bham.ac.uk/1723/1/2013-03_D_Houghton.pdf

Marshall, T. C. (2012). Facebook surveillance of former romantic partners: Associations with post breakup recovery and personal growth. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 15 (10), 521-526.

Muise, A., Christofides, E., & Desmarais, S. (2009). More information than you ever wanted: Does Facebook bring out the green eyed monster of jealousy? CyberPsychology & Behavior, 12 , 441-444.

Marisa T. Cohen, Ph.D. , is a psychology professor, relationship researcher, and author of From First Kiss to Forever: A Scientific Approach to Love .

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How Does Social Media Affect Your Mental Health?

Facebook has delayed the development of an Instagram app for children amid questions about its harmful effects on young people’s mental health. Does social media have an impact on your well-being?

By Nicole Daniels

What is your relationship with social media like? Which platforms do you spend the most time on? Which do you stay away from? How often do you log on?

What do you notice about your mental health and well-being when spending time on social networks?

In “ Facebook Delays Instagram App for Users 13 and Younger ,” Adam Satariano and Ryan Mac write about the findings of an internal study conducted by Facebook and what they mean for the Instagram Kids app that the company was developing:

Facebook said on Monday that it had paused development of an Instagram Kids service that would be tailored for children 13 years old or younger, as the social network increasingly faces questions about the app’s effect on young people’s mental health. The pullback preceded a congressional hearing this week about internal research conducted by Facebook , and reported in The Wall Street Journal , that showed the company knew of the harmful mental health effects that Instagram was having on teenage girls. The revelations have set off a public relations crisis for the Silicon Valley company and led to a fresh round of calls for new regulation. Facebook said it still wanted to build an Instagram product intended for children that would have a more “age appropriate experience,” but was postponing the plans in the face of criticism.

The article continues:

With Instagram Kids, Facebook had argued that young people were using the photo-sharing app anyway, despite age-requirement rules, so it would be better to develop a version more suitable for them. Facebook said the “kids” app was intended for ages 10 to 12 and would require parental permission to join, forgo ads and carry more age-appropriate content and features. Parents would be able to control what accounts their child followed. YouTube, which Google owns, has released a children’s version of its app. But since BuzzFeed broke the news this year that Facebook was working on the app, the company has faced scrutiny. Policymakers, regulators, child safety groups and consumer rights groups have argued that it hooks children on the app at a younger age rather than protecting them from problems with the service, including child predatory grooming, bullying and body shaming.

The article goes on to quote Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram:

Mr. Mosseri said on Monday that the “the project leaked way before we knew what it would be” and that the company had “few answers” for the public at the time. Opposition to Facebook’s plans gained momentum this month when The Journal published articles based on leaked internal documents that showed Facebook knew about many of the harms it was causing. Facebook’s internal research showed that Instagram, in particular, had caused teen girls to feel worse about their bodies and led to increased rates of anxiety and depression, even while company executives publicly tried to minimize the app’s downsides.

But concerns about the effect of social media on young people go beyond Instagram Kids, the article notes:

A children’s version of Instagram would not fix more systemic problems, said Al Mik, a spokesman for 5Rights Foundation, a London group focused on digital rights issues for children. The group published a report in July showing that children as young as 13 were targeted within 24 hours of creating an account with harmful content, including material related to eating disorders, extreme diets, sexualized imagery, body shaming, self-harm and suicide. “Big Tobacco understood that the younger you got to someone, the easier you could get them addicted to become a lifelong user,” Doug Peterson, Nebraska’s attorney general, said in an interview. “I see some comparisons to social media platforms.” In May, attorneys general from 44 states and jurisdictions had signed a letter to Facebook’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, asking him to end plans for building an Instagram app for children. American policymakers should pass tougher laws to restrict how tech platforms target children, said Josh Golin, executive director of Fairplay, a Boston-based group that was part of an international coalition of children’s and consumer groups opposed to the new app. Last year, Britain adopted an Age Appropriate Design Code , which requires added privacy protections for digital services used by people under the age of 18.

Students, read the entire article , then tell us:

Do you think Facebook made the right decision in halting the development of the Instagram Kids app? Do you think there should be social media apps for children 13 and younger? Why or why not?

What is your reaction to the research that found that Instagram can have harmful mental health effects on teenagers, particularly teenage girls? Have you experienced body image issues, anxiety or depression tied to your use of the app? How do you think social media affects your mental health?

What has your experience been on different social media apps? Are there apps that have a more positive or negative effect on your well-being? What do you think could explain these differences?

Have you ever been targeted with inappropriate or harmful content on Instagram or other social media apps? What responsibility do you think social media companies have to address these issues? Do you think there should be more protections in place for users under 18? Why or why not?

What does healthy social media engagement look like for you? What habits do you have around social media that you feel proud of? What behaviors would you like to change? How involved are your parents in your social media use? How involved do you think they should be?

If you were in charge of making Instagram, or another social media app, safer for teenagers, what changes would you make?

Want more writing prompts? You can find all of our questions in our Student Opinion column . Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate them into your classroom.

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

Nicole Daniels joined The Learning Network as a staff editor in 2019 after working in museum education, curriculum writing and bilingual education. More about Nicole Daniels

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Science News

Social media harms teens’ mental health, mounting evidence shows. what now.

Understanding what is going on in teens’ minds is necessary for targeted policy suggestions

Most teens use social media, often for hours on end. Some social scientists are confident that such use is harming their mental health. Now they want to pinpoint what explains the link.

Carol Yepes/Getty Images

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By Sujata Gupta

February 20, 2024 at 7:30 am

In January, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook’s parent company Meta, appeared at a congressional hearing to answer questions about how social media potentially harms children. Zuckerberg opened by saying: “The existing body of scientific work has not shown a causal link between using social media and young people having worse mental health.”

But many social scientists would disagree with that statement. In recent years, studies have started to show a causal link between teen social media use and reduced well-being or mood disorders, chiefly depression and anxiety.

Ironically, one of the most cited studies into this link focused on Facebook.

Researchers delved into whether the platform’s introduction across college campuses in the mid 2000s increased symptoms associated with depression and anxiety. The answer was a clear yes , says MIT economist Alexey Makarin, a coauthor of the study, which appeared in the November 2022 American Economic Review . “There is still a lot to be explored,” Makarin says, but “[to say] there is no causal evidence that social media causes mental health issues, to that I definitely object.”

The concern, and the studies, come from statistics showing that social media use in teens ages 13 to 17 is now almost ubiquitous. Two-thirds of teens report using TikTok, and some 60 percent of teens report using Instagram or Snapchat, a 2022 survey found. (Only 30 percent said they used Facebook.) Another survey showed that girls, on average, allot roughly 3.4 hours per day to TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, compared with roughly 2.1 hours among boys. At the same time, more teens are showing signs of depression than ever, especially girls ( SN: 6/30/23 ).

As more studies show a strong link between these phenomena, some researchers are starting to shift their attention to possible mechanisms. Why does social media use seem to trigger mental health problems? Why are those effects unevenly distributed among different groups, such as girls or young adults? And can the positives of social media be teased out from the negatives to provide more targeted guidance to teens, their caregivers and policymakers?

“You can’t design good public policy if you don’t know why things are happening,” says Scott Cunningham, an economist at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

Increasing rigor

Concerns over the effects of social media use in children have been circulating for years, resulting in a massive body of scientific literature. But those mostly correlational studies could not show if teen social media use was harming mental health or if teens with mental health problems were using more social media.

Moreover, the findings from such studies were often inconclusive, or the effects on mental health so small as to be inconsequential. In one study that received considerable media attention, psychologists Amy Orben and Andrew Przybylski combined data from three surveys to see if they could find a link between technology use, including social media, and reduced well-being. The duo gauged the well-being of over 355,000 teenagers by focusing on questions around depression, suicidal thinking and self-esteem.

Digital technology use was associated with a slight decrease in adolescent well-being , Orben, now of the University of Cambridge, and Przybylski, of the University of Oxford, reported in 2019 in Nature Human Behaviour . But the duo downplayed that finding, noting that researchers have observed similar drops in adolescent well-being associated with drinking milk, going to the movies or eating potatoes.

Holes have begun to appear in that narrative thanks to newer, more rigorous studies.

In one longitudinal study, researchers — including Orben and Przybylski — used survey data on social media use and well-being from over 17,400 teens and young adults to look at how individuals’ responses to a question gauging life satisfaction changed between 2011 and 2018. And they dug into how the responses varied by gender, age and time spent on social media.

Social media use was associated with a drop in well-being among teens during certain developmental periods, chiefly puberty and young adulthood, the team reported in 2022 in Nature Communications . That translated to lower well-being scores around ages 11 to 13 for girls and ages 14 to 15 for boys. Both groups also reported a drop in well-being around age 19. Moreover, among the older teens, the team found evidence for the Goldilocks Hypothesis: the idea that both too much and too little time spent on social media can harm mental health.

“There’s hardly any effect if you look over everybody. But if you look at specific age groups, at particularly what [Orben] calls ‘windows of sensitivity’ … you see these clear effects,” says L.J. Shrum, a consumer psychologist at HEC Paris who was not involved with this research. His review of studies related to teen social media use and mental health is forthcoming in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research.

Cause and effect

That longitudinal study hints at causation, researchers say. But one of the clearest ways to pin down cause and effect is through natural or quasi-experiments. For these in-the-wild experiments, researchers must identify situations where the rollout of a societal “treatment” is staggered across space and time. They can then compare outcomes among members of the group who received the treatment to those still in the queue — the control group.

That was the approach Makarin and his team used in their study of Facebook. The researchers homed in on the staggered rollout of Facebook across 775 college campuses from 2004 to 2006. They combined that rollout data with student responses to the National College Health Assessment, a widely used survey of college students’ mental and physical health.

The team then sought to understand if those survey questions captured diagnosable mental health problems. Specifically, they had roughly 500 undergraduate students respond to questions both in the National College Health Assessment and in validated screening tools for depression and anxiety. They found that mental health scores on the assessment predicted scores on the screenings. That suggested that a drop in well-being on the college survey was a good proxy for a corresponding increase in diagnosable mental health disorders. 

Compared with campuses that had not yet gained access to Facebook, college campuses with Facebook experienced a 2 percentage point increase in the number of students who met the diagnostic criteria for anxiety or depression, the team found.

When it comes to showing a causal link between social media use in teens and worse mental health, “that study really is the crown jewel right now,” says Cunningham, who was not involved in that research.

A need for nuance

The social media landscape today is vastly different than the landscape of 20 years ago. Facebook is now optimized for maximum addiction, Shrum says, and other newer platforms, such as Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok, have since copied and built on those features. Paired with the ubiquity of social media in general, the negative effects on mental health may well be larger now.

Moreover, social media research tends to focus on young adults — an easier cohort to study than minors. That needs to change, Cunningham says. “Most of us are worried about our high school kids and younger.” 

And so, researchers must pivot accordingly. Crucially, simple comparisons of social media users and nonusers no longer make sense. As Orben and Przybylski’s 2022 work suggested, a teen not on social media might well feel worse than one who briefly logs on. 

Researchers must also dig into why, and under what circumstances, social media use can harm mental health, Cunningham says. Explanations for this link abound. For instance, social media is thought to crowd out other activities or increase people’s likelihood of comparing themselves unfavorably with others. But big data studies, with their reliance on existing surveys and statistical analyses, cannot address those deeper questions. “These kinds of papers, there’s nothing you can really ask … to find these plausible mechanisms,” Cunningham says.

One ongoing effort to understand social media use from this more nuanced vantage point is the SMART Schools project out of the University of Birmingham in England. Pedagogical expert Victoria Goodyear and her team are comparing mental and physical health outcomes among children who attend schools that have restricted cell phone use to those attending schools without such a policy. The researchers described the protocol of that study of 30 schools and over 1,000 students in the July BMJ Open.

Goodyear and colleagues are also combining that natural experiment with qualitative research. They met with 36 five-person focus groups each consisting of all students, all parents or all educators at six of those schools. The team hopes to learn how students use their phones during the day, how usage practices make students feel, and what the various parties think of restrictions on cell phone use during the school day.

Talking to teens and those in their orbit is the best way to get at the mechanisms by which social media influences well-being — for better or worse, Goodyear says. Moving beyond big data to this more personal approach, however, takes considerable time and effort. “Social media has increased in pace and momentum very, very quickly,” she says. “And research takes a long time to catch up with that process.”

Until that catch-up occurs, though, researchers cannot dole out much advice. “What guidance could we provide to young people, parents and schools to help maintain the positives of social media use?” Goodyear asks. “There’s not concrete evidence yet.”

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Home Essay Examples Marketing Media

Impact Of Social Media On Relationships

• Category Marketing
• Subcategory News Media
• Topic Media

What is social media? Social media is a source on the internet where people can communicate with family and friends anywhere in the world. Also, it is a great way for people to earn money by promoting their businesses reaching the certain demographics needed for their products. The popular social media platforms today are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat. But as technology grows more and more platforms are created. For example, video game consoles like Xbox have twitch, where you can stream live action footage of the games people play online. These platforms help people stay connected with friends and family. People can also build new relationships through social media sites. Moreover, people use social media as a source of income and further their businesses gaining followers or having people purchase things from them. Social media can improve or harm relationships therefore this paper will determine the answer. The argument will be displayed from both sides of the question with analysis of reasoning and supporting evidence of each side.

Social Media can Improve Relationships

One of the articles I have found in the Ashford University library is how social media can improve relationships. The article is titled “Helpful or harmful? Exploring the impact of social media usage on intimate relationships”. This article proclaims social media helps build and maintain relationships, share information, and basically have fun (Whiteside, Aleti, Pallant, & Zeleznikow, 2018). The article focuses it research in Australia that social media can have positive outcomes for intimate relationships and individuals.

Our writers can write you a new plagiarism-free essay on any topic

Premise 1: “Specifically, they posit that increasing the ‘amount of communication with a partner’s network’ will reduce uncertainty and enhance the stability of a relationship” (Whiteside, Aleti, Pallant, & Zeleznikow, 2018).

Premise 2: “Social media provides another channel via which partners can engage with one another and their extended group of family and friends” (Whiteside, Aleti, Pallant, & Zeleznikow, 2018).

Premise 3: “Advances in social media technology allow people to stay connected with their loved ones no matter where they are located” (Nongpong & Charoensukmongkol 2016).

Conclusion: “The literature indicates that social media use can have a helpful or harmful impact on intimate relationships. Our findings extend this body of knowledge, showing that how you use social media and who you use social media to connect with plays a key role in relationship satisfaction” (Whiteside, Aleti, Pallant, & Zeleznikow, 2018).

Defense for Social Media Improving Relationships

The article I found while conducting the research shows why social media can improve relationships. A lot of relationship is in the form of what is called long-distance. Since being in a long-distance relationship, it is hard to physically be next to your significant other. The use of social media and the advancement of technology helps couple communicate from anywhere in the world. Facebook allows couples to “FaceTime” each other through a camera phone or on the computer. Couples can see each other’s faces instead of talking on the phone. The constant communication helps build trust in a relationship which people look for is stability of knowing their it could last until they are together again. “Social media provides utilitarian benefits as it allows users to keep up to date with activities and preferences of friends or connections” (Whiteside, Aleti, Pallant, & Zeleznikow, 2018). Social media usage is an issue that can improve or hinder relationships. The premises are a strong and valid points of view of how social media can improve relationships. All the premises are great examples of how people feel stable in their relationships due to social media. Trust in a relationship is vital to a healthy one and for those who are in a long-distance relationship rely on social media to keep their relationships strong. That’s part of the saying “happy wife, happy life.”

Social Media can Harm Relationships

The other article I found is also from the Ashford library called “I Don’t Care Much as Long as I Am Also on Facebook: Impacts of Social Media Use of Both Partners on Romantic Relationship Problems” by Santika Nongpong and Peerayuth Charoensukmongkol. This article is about how social media usage impacts relationships and causes of the relationship problem.

Premise 1: “Relationship problems inevitably arise when individuals spend an excessive amount of time on social media” (Nongpong & Charoensukmongkol 2016).

Premise 2: “The conceptualization of social media use in this sense also involves the tendency of individuals to pay more attention to activities in social media than paying attention to their partners during the activities they normally do together” (Nongpong & Charoensukmongkol 2016).

Premise 3: “In love relationships, being overwhelmed by social media use may cause individuals to care less about their partners while being together” (Nongpong & Charoensukmongkol 2016).

Premise 4: “The feeling of being ignored by a loved one who is obsessed with social media can cause a partner to feel lonely” (Nongpong & Charoensukmongkol 2016).

Conclusion: The article has proven that a person who excessively use social media while being with their significant other could cause relationship problems because it displays inappropriate behavior.

Defense for Social Media Harming Relationships

The article reasoning provides a strong case against excessive social media usage and the impacts it can have on relationships. The premises listed above are powerful examples of how a person overly using social media makes their significant others feel in the relationship. The author of the article explains how it make the other person feel based on the perception of using social media all the time. People feel lonely and become jealous of why their partners use social media rather than spend quality time with them. Couples would feel less appreciated when they are neglected by their partners. Too much time spent on social media tend to cause people to behave in unacceptable manner. Allowing them to connect with past relationship and communicate with past partners. Which they could engage in inappropriate relations and possibly commit infidelity. “Regardless of who uses social media more or less intensively than the other, in the end, this behavior inevitably impairs the perception of relationship quality. Therefore, it is important for individuals to beware of their own social media use when they are with their loved ones in order to avoid the negative consequences that might follow” (Nongpong & Charoensukmongkol 2016).

Analysis of Reasoning for Both Sides

While conducting the research on the effects social media has on relationship, I’ve learned a great deal on this topic. The reasoning helped me understand social media from both points of view. I always knew social media was no good in my opinion. I know there is good aspects to social media but the way people use it now and days is not good for society. From experience I have seen how social media can have a negative and positive outlook on relationships. From the first article I was researching mentioned how couples could use social media to connect with each other while in a long-distance relationship. This benefit will give couples that stability in their relationship while distant from each other. The steady stream of communication is needed for a healthy relationship. On the other side of the argument shows more negative aspect of how social media can affect relationships. Feeling ignored in a by your partner is never healthy in a relationship. Those who spend more time on social media and not enough time with their significant other can make them feel unwanted. Both sides of the argument have premises which supports each of them. Which have all the premise supports the truth in the conclusion of the argument. I feel that the negative impacts of social media presented by article “I Don’t Care Much as Long as I Am Also on Facebook: Impacts of Social Media Use of Both Partners on Romantic Relationship Problems” makes a stronger case than the other article. The reason I feel that it does because of the examples brought up in the articles are serious issues and could really harm a relationship. “The results from the partial least squares regression indicated that individuals who perceived that their partners used social media excessively tended to report a higher perception of lack of caring, loneliness, and jealousy. However, only lack of caring was found to be the key reason that significantly explained the intention to break up”(Nongpong & Charoensukmongkol 2016). “In addition, the analysis of the moderating effect revealed interesting evidence showing that the perception of relationship problems associated with social media use of own partners appeared to be more severe for the respondents who reported that they used social media less intensively than their partners”(Nongpong & Charoensukmongkol 2016).

After completing research, I found out more information that better proves that too much social media usage can harm relationships. Social media is a great tool to communicate especially with loved ones far away. But while can also cause issues with your partner if you are not showing them the attention they need. For critical thinkers I would develop a plan to counteract the negative impacts of too much social media usage. Take time away from social media or even deactivate your account to put your focus towards something else. Also, while on social media include your partner so they don’t feel left out. Finally, use social media to your advantage and look for ways to do something nice for your significant other. Therefore, after reading more information it is important that people become aware of social media use while they’re with their partners to avoid the negative consequences it could have.

• Manning, K. The impacts of Online Social Net. Retrieved from http://www.mckendree.edu/academics/scholars/issue13/manning.htm
• Naomi, W., Torgeir, A., Jason, P., & John, Z. (2018). Helpful or harmful? Exploring the impact of social media usage on intimate relationships. Australasian Journal Of Information Systems, Vol 22, Iss 0 (2018), (0), doi:10.3127/ajis.v22i0.1653
• Nongpong, S., & Charoensukmongkol, P. (2016). I don’t care much as long as I am also on Facebook: Impacts of social media use of both partners on romantic relationship problems. The Family Journal, 24(4), 351-358. doi:10.1177/1066480716663199
• Tang-Mui, J., & Chan-Eang, T. (2017). Impacts of Social Media (Facebook) on Human Communication and Relationships : A View on Behavioral Change and Social Unity. International Journal Of Knowledge Content Development & Technology / International Journal Of Knowledge Content Development & Technology, 27.

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Social Media’s Impact on Children Essay

The topic I would like to discuss is the impact of social media on children. This issue is critical to be developed because children are the future of society, and the subsequent development of humanity primarily depends on them. Thus, it is essential to ensure the stable development of children’s personalities in order to ensure the decent future generation. The growth of social media has completely changed human life. Social networking sites have become an integral part of the daily routine of adults and children. Even though new technologies empower progress in the information sphere, social media has negative impacts which should be addressed. It is vital to develop strategies to minimize these negative influences in order to empower the future progress of humanity. Reducing the negative impacts is especially important for children because they are in a personality development state.

In the scope of the mentioned problem, there is one specific issue which I would like to explore in details. It can be formulated as follows: the fear of mission out syndrome and its psychological impact on children’s personality development. This dangerous syndrome has recently developed and, according to the statistics, has infiltrated the minds of millions of people all over the world (McGinnis, 2020). Fear of missing out syndrome is usually characterized by the feeling that people live a less fulfilling life than those around them (McGinnis, 2020). The stronger this feeling, the greater the desire to check other people’s profiles. This syndrome provokes dangerous unfavorable comparison, which affects the human mind leading to psychological distortions. It is incredibly hazardous for children who are being at the stage of shaping their personalities. Fear of missing out syndrome can provoke the establishment of envy and negative comparison emotion, which interfere with the normal psychological development of the mental strength causing moral weakness and lack of confidence.

Thus, this problem is essential to be discussed by sociologists because the impact of social media cannot be eliminated completely. Through the research, scientists can design the methods how to minimize the adverse effects of this syndrome on children. From my perspective, the research on this topic requires various experiments, including both research methods: qualitative and quantitative. The combination of methodologies allows researchers to gain more detailed data about the investigated topic (Ferris & Stein, 2020). If I were able to conduct research on his specific issue, I would start qualitative research because it allows gaining in-depth insights into the subjects’ personalities. The prevalent method which will be helpful for the study is the interview or open-ended questions. Such an approach will help to formulate the scope of the problem. The next step is quantitative research which will help collect the numerical data regarding the problem. Only the combination of research methodologies can provide a full-fledged picture of the problem.

Therefore, the syndrome of missing out is one of the most dangerous social media-involving threats for children. The question of the connection of the syndrome and the children’s future success and wellbeing is not established yet. It is essential to elaborate on this topic scientifically involving the practical and theoretical experiments. This sociological problem requires urgent discussion. Only through the sorely conducted scientific experiments sociologist will design the approaches of fighting the negative impacts of this syndrome. The psychological and social training should be updated to prepare children to cope with the syndrome of missing out.

Ferris, K., & Stein, J. (2020). The real world: An introduction to sociology (7 th ed.) . W. W. Norton & Company.

McGinnis, P. (2020). Fear of missing out: Practical decision-making in a world of overwhelming choice. Sourcebooks.

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Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Social Media’s Impact on Children." December 23, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/social-medias-impact-on-children/.

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