The Influence of Social Media on Mental Health and Academic Performance

Increasingly, the internet has become synonymous with social media, whatever we are using it for, we are constantly encouraged to share online activity with friends and followers on social media platforms. Social networking services (SNS) are more popular than ever among young people, and sharing our online activity on SNS is often held as a reflection on the interests, thoughts and opinions of an individual. With technology now an integral part of education, it can be difficult for young people, as students, to distinguish between SNS as an educational resource for learning enhancement, and a platform for sharing online activity as a means to gain recognition among peers. Numerous studies have considered the effect of using SNS this way, and how it could affect mental health and wellbeing, yet the question of how it could impact the academic performance of an individual remains contested. This essay, therefore, will analyse the existing relationship between mental health issues and academic achievement, before discussing the impact social media can have on mental health and education, critically discussing the issues, before concluding with some beneficial revisions.

In 2017 the number of SNS users in the United Kingdom (U.K.) was estimated at a high of 42 million, equating to around 62 percent of the population (Statista, 2017). This indicates the vast reach of SNS and with accessibility to smart phones increasingly available to young people, these statistics are likely to increase. The Pew Research Center found 84 percent of people between the ages of 18-29 in the United States are on Facebook, more than any other age group, another recent report from the Pew Research Center found ‘96% of teens have access to a smartphone and are on social media constantly’. While this data may be correct for 96% of teens surveyed, the headline of this data appears sensationalised. It is a stretch to believe the majority of teens are on social media “constantly”, despite this, according to OECD data, over a third of U.K. fifteen year olds are defined as ‘extreme internet users’, using the internet for over six hours, outside of school on a typical weekend day. While statistical data can often be unreliable, what we can take from this information is that young people are using SNS more than adults and using it more often; perhaps, more importantly, we can conclude the greater hold social media has over young people in comparison with older generations.

It is undeniable young people are suffering from increased mental health issues, for example, in 1999, ten percent of children between the ages of five and fifteen had a mental disorder: five percent had clinically significant conduct disorders; four percent were assessed as having emotional disorders, such as anxiety and depression and one percent were rated as hyperactive. The same survey conducted five years later in 2003, found little increase in results, again one in ten children between the ages of five and fifteen had a mental disorder. However, when the survey was repeated in 2017, data revealed a significant increase in the prevalence of mental disorders, rising from 9.7% in 1999 and 10.1% in 2004, to 11.2% in 2017. One in eight (12.8%), five to nineteen year olds now suffer from at least one mental disorder, when assessed in 2017. In accordance with this rise in statistics, there have been numerous studies surrounding the idea that mental health affects academic performance. It has been shown, for example, students suffering from depression, stress and anxiety have increased difficulty retaining information, studying for exams, and generally enjoying their school experience as a whole. Despite this research being widely regarded, it could be argued all students are under pressure while studying for exams, and therefore all students experiencing the stress related to revision and exams could theoretically be diagnosed with a mental health difficulty. What is more important, is to discern students with external educational pressures or, considering difficulties in past or home-lives, experiences negatively attributing to mental health issues. Doing so could allow specialists to distinguish between pre-existing mental health conditions and those that arise naturally due to the pressures of the school environment.

While many early researchers advocated the use of school-based mental health programs to assist young people (Opie & Slater 1998), Puskar & Bernardo (2007, pp. 216), went further in showing twenty percent of students in the United States had undiagnosed mental health problems causing ‘difficulties’ with academic work. While this may be the case for the students surveyed at the time, much of this research could be considered outdated. What is important, is to look at whether school-based mental health programs are effectively assisting students today. Due to budget cuts, many primary schools in the U.K. no longer employ a school nurse. This can be a problem as without an adequate mental health assessment program undiagnosed issues could affect a child’s ability to reach their maximum potential as a student, negatively impacting overall well-being. This is evidenced by Maslow’s (1943) Hierarchy of Needs, in which the first four stages of his wellbeing pyramid could be potentially affected by mental health disorders. The hierarchy of needs remains in use today, as a relevant concept in assessing the stages of well-being associated with student learning.

Evidently, the correlation between mental health issues and academic performance often affects education negatively, and while statistics have proven cases of mental health disorders among young people are rising, some research has attempted to show SNS use is the main cause of this increase. According to a recent Ofcom report on internet use, one in ten people surveyed purported to be accessing the internet more than fifty times a day (Ofcom, 2016, pp. 30). The average time spent online rose from twenty-five hours per week among adults, to twenty-nine hours for those aged 16-24. 41% of people admitted to spending too much time online with some experiencing negative effects of excessive internet use. While these studies have shown certain aspects of social networking, further outlined below, can be harmful, it is my belief many negative effects experienced by users, could be negated through a proper education about the dangers of spending too much time online. Many journal articles in the field of behavioural psychology have linked an increased use of SNS in young people, to rising levels of anxiety, depression and stress (Farahani, 2012). Banjanin et al. (2015) concurred that links between increased stress and low levels of self-esteem are often relative to how much time an individual spent using social media on a daily basis, while Woods & Scott (2012) examined how extensive social media use related to sleep deprivation, self-esteem, anxiety and depression, finding an increased amount of time spent online, directly relates to a negative impact on academic performance.

Perhaps, one of the biggest causes of mental health afflictions, while using social networking sites, is the need for users to portray themselves in the most positive way possible. Social media, to some individuals, could be considered almost a ‘highlight reel’; an online persona created to manipulate an individual’s identity in a way not reflecting their general life. The majority of people rarely choose to post negative images to social media pages, instead using it as a tool to express accomplishments and achievements. The effect of this behaviour results in social circles competing to showcase the best version of themselves, however, it could be argued users of SNS are giving too much credence to online personas and the profiles of others. Studies show the human ego plays a larger part in our online presence than we are consciously aware. Peter & Schouten (2006) found a correlation between low levels of self-esteem and excessive use of Facebook, while Gonzales & Hancock (2011), agreed, finding even viewing a social media profile has been shown to increase self-esteem. This is further evidenced by Valkenburg et al. (2006), where receiving positive or negative feedback on an online profile was found to increase or decrease self-esteem accordingly. While these studies attempt to use quantitative data to understand the problems arising from social media use, the results could be considered subjective to the opinion of the individual being surveyed. 

It is my belief Freud’s (1923) seminal work on psychoanalysis, could explain our online behaviour. His tripartite definition of the subconscious of human behaviour, could hold the answers as to why we seek gratification from peers while using SNS, and how this could lead to mental health issues. His Personality Theory (1923), although never conclusively proven, in my opinion, outlines an effective tool for both understanding our natural response to online content, and also in allowing us to rethink our subconscious responses, accordingly, taking back some form of control from our natural reactions. One example of this could be our instant, and often subconscious, reaction to viewing an online profile of someone in a higher socio-economic stratum. While using SNS, we may respond with subconscious feelings of low self-esteem, as outlined by Peter & Schouten above (2006), questioning our own personal achievements, or we may feel envious of others, even going as far as to feel signs of depression surrounding our own current circumstances in life. Freud would attribute this phenomenon to the unconscious part of our psyche, known as the id, which responds to natural instincts and causes us to exhibit selfish desires, ‘wishful in nature’ (McLeod, 2016). Our ability to negate these instincts is defined by Freud as our ego, by which, such natural desires are controlled by rational thinking. For example, we may see a social networking profile and initially feel jealous of another individual’s lifestyle, yet our ego reminds us to postpone satisfaction, or compromise, in order to avoid negative consequences. According to Freud, such negative consequences could include depression anxiety, or even stress, if not managed efficiently by the ego. In some cases, this could be the cause of an online mental health affliction, although, it could be argued social networking websites are not the only platform by which we are exposed to this occurrence. Television celebrities have been a staple of our on-screen entertainment, long before Facebook existed, and, as a culture, we are constantly exposed to advertisements for consumer products affecting our subconscious. As adults, the over-exposure to advertisements, experienced over a long period of time, leaves us normalised to the feelings they provoke, our ego eventually leads us to compromise in understanding we cannot buy and own every product advertised to us. The opposite, however, is true for an undeveloped mind, the idiom of being a child in a sweet shop comes to mind, where an undeveloped ego causes the id to run riot and urges us to satisfy our natural instincts. In summation, I theorise an undeveloped ego, or inability to critically think about the repercussions of our online activity, could explain why young people in particular are more susceptible to developing mental health disorders while using social networking websites. With that said, a young person could theoretically go online and see a friend has posted an image of his new smartphone. While this act could conceivably contribute to jealousy, this would be unlikely to affect the mental wellbeing of the child. Conversely, this occurrence could begin to affect the mental health of an individual, if an SNS user became too invested in online activities, consistently comparing themselves to others, became depressed about their own online persona and began developing a low self-esteem around their own image. This concept is exemplified by another potentially harmful effect of social media: body image.

With increased emphasis put on portraying the perfect online persona, young people are consistently found to have negative body image perceptions. As far back as 1999, Siegel et al. found body image to be related to low self-esteem and depression in young people, with a significant difference between girls and boys. While further studies have shown a correlation between social media use and its effects on self-esteem, often leading to depression and anxiety among teenagers, one key factor appears to influence much of the research around the subject: Tiggeman & Slater (2014), found the link between poor body image, was affected by the increased amounts of time users spent on social media, this was particularly prevalent among girls. It seems the same issues are being raised again and again, those spending too much time online, and becoming too invested in the portrayal they create of themselves on social media, are suffering most from the negative effects it can create. While this may continue to be the most influential issue surrounding social media affecting mental health, one important factor to take in to account when considering personal opinions surrounding body image, is the threat of cyberbullying. As previously mentioned, the social circles of young people seemingly encourage each other to present themselves perfectly, adhering to the unwritten rules that one must only post their best side. If an embarrassing picture is posted by a user, or they say the wrong thing on a social media site, it can increasingly lead to cyberbullying (Kowalaski et al., 2012). The NSPCC has shown cases of cyberbullying on social media platforms have increased drastically (2014), while more recent statistics from the Educational Policy Institute (2017) show the number of young people that have experienced cyberbullying has risen incrementally. Douglas et al. (2012), argue that cyberbullying affords offenders a certain level of anonymity, while other studies have indicated victims of cyberbullying already know the perpetrators in an offline capacity (Spears et al., 2015). This data correlates with my own conclusion, users are being bullied more by peers in social circles, rather than strangers. While this could be the result of SNS being more accessible than ever, with access to the internet widely available on smartphones, these platforms are often neither the cause, or solely to blame, for cyberbullying. Numerous studies concur, considering the relationship between online and offline bullying among school children. While bullying of any form, can affect the mental health of an individual in obvious ways, Kiriakidis & Kavoura (2010) found cyberbullying can negatively impact the psychosocial development of young people, and, just like offline bullying, cyberbullying can have detrimental effects to self-confidence causing social anxiety, depression and, in the worst cases, lead to self-harm.

While cyberbullying is an ever present threat of SNS, research conducted by the BMC found a relationship between the amount of time young people spend on social media and an increased risk of being cyberbullied. Importantly, this study supports my previous argument that users are far more likely to be affected by the negative effects of social media if they are spending too much time online. Even more data, from ONS statistics, has shown a ‘clear association’ between the amount of time an individual spends on social media, and an increase in mental health issues. Figures have shown young people on social media are twice as likely to develop symptoms of mental health problems, if using social media on a school day. It seems the same issues are raised consistently: younger users are spending too much time on SNS and are not efficiently educated about the harmful effects this could lead to in some people.

Having discussed the relationship between mental health issues and academic performance, and critically examined the evidence surrounding the effects that social media can have on the mental health of young people, certain key issues continually arise. Studies concur with my own conclusions, in showing a link between the digital literacy of students, combined with the amount of time children are using SNS, unmonitored, is directly increasing the risk of suffering the potential negative effects of social media (EPI, 2017). When social media is over-used in this way, it can undoubtedly increase social anxiety, depression and stress, causing young people to feel insecurity, even among their own friendship groups. My psychosocial examination of online behaviour, using the theory of Freud (1923), argues young people are more vulnerable to developing mental health problems than adults. This could be caused by issues surrounding insecurity, such as poor body image, or more severely cyberbullying, in both cases, these issues could again lead to symptoms of anxiety, depression and self-harm. My following evaluation of these issues, results in some possible beneficial revisions to the problems listed above: Most importantly, the need to efficiently inform and educate students, and young people, about the possible dangers of social media is evident, attempting to help them understand these dangers are often caused by spending too much time online. In promoting digital literacy, students can be taught to self-audit their own online behaviour, and create online boundaries, that help to avoid the possible negative impacts of SNS. In clearly distinguishing between how social media can affect us positively or negatively, young people can be educated to recognise when they are putting themselves in danger online, making it easier to avoid certain situations in the future. Self-auditing in this way, not only helps keep young people safe online, but also teaches beneficial life skills, such as, behavioural awareness, time management and productivity, helping students to critically engage with real life issues on a mature level. It has always been my belief SNS, overall, is a positive tool for sharing information with wider communities, unfortunately it is seemingly used less in this capacity by young people. Social media is in most of our pockets, most of the day, while the wider issue of how much we use our mobile phones could be discussed, the more pertinent issue is to consider whether we need to check SNS as much as we do. People say they ‘cannot live without their phones’, and research has been conducted showing physical anxiety is present when people are forcibly removed from them. It is this concept that leads me to consider an analogy of SNS I believe could go a long way in helping to educate young people and avoid possible mental health issues arising from its use. All of us, at one time, have partaken in activities we know might not be beneficial to us, whether eating junk food, staying up too late, drinking too much alcohol, whatever it may be. These experiences, of course, can be enjoyable, yet they must be managed in moderation to live a physically healthy life. Social media is similar, it is enjoyable, we like to share and view online posts, yet we must moderate our use in order to live a mentally healthy life.

In conclusion, statistics have shown cases of mental health problems are increasing in young people and research has shown the negative effects stress, depression and anxiety can have on academic performance. Therefore, the correlation between mental health problems and education is evident, but the extent to which this relationship is affected by increased social media use, remains inconclusive, with more research needed to understand such an extensive subject. This essay has explored the extensive and unmonitored social media use of young people, critically engaging with existing literature surrounding the topic, in order to evaluate how the possible dangers of SNS can be negated by better understanding any negative effects. Overall, it could be argued that social media use could have a negative impact on the mental health of young people, as described above, however, it is my belief that improving the digital literacy of students, and educating them of the beneficial impacts social media can have on mental health can lead to maturity, critical discussion and an overall positive online experience for all users.