NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON YOUNG ADULTS. Social Media. Negative Effects of Social Media on Young Adults Taylar Long Bloomsburg University

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1 1 Social Media Negative Effects of Social Media on Young Adults Taylar Long Bloomsburg University

2 2 Within the last decade, the evolution of technology has erupted, increasing social media popularity and continually introducing new social media channels. Ranging from magazines to blogs to social networks, social media is rapidly becoming one of the most powerful sources for communication of information amongst the masses. Today s young adults are the first generation that have grown up fully immersed in technology and thus immersed in social media. In many ways, social media has made the adjustment to moving on with life simpler for young adults, especially young adults attending college, by providing them an easy way to keep in touch with family, friends, and to access information. Though social media has played a positive role in the lives of young adults, social media has also negatively affected them. These negative effects include an increase in what is known as internet addiction, loss of social skills, a contribution to depression in young adults, and an unhealthy body image among young adults. The following research studies attempt to support the hypothesis that social media does have negative affects on young adults. In a study conducted by Kelly Ann Mitchell and Fred Beard (2010), data was collected from a sample of students enrolled at a Midwestern university via an online survey. Participants weighed in on items assessing Internet dependence by using the Likert-scale, which ranges from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The primary objectives of this study was to (a) extend an existing scale and measurement method for measuring media dependence or addiction to a different medium (i.e., the Internet); (b) confirm the construct validity and reliability of the scale; (c) extend both the existing scale and other research findings on Internet dependence or addiction to a broad population of potentially at-risk media consumers, college students; (d) describe the

Today s young adults are the first generation that have grown up fully immersed in technology and thus immersed in social media.

3 3 extent to which college students Internet use reaches a level of dependence or addiction; and (e) contribute to the literature a single scale that, with minor modifications, can be used to measure dependence across multiple media. Previous research on Internet addiction has concluded that college students are more susceptible to Internet addiction because they more frequently use the computer to check , download music, use social network sites, etc. Therefore, the constant use of the Internet was thought to lead to dependency. These findings suggest that Internet addiction is consistent with other addictions, such as with drugs and alcohol. Through this study, Mitchell and Beard measured Internet dependency using four different scales: Problem Usage, Heavy Usage, Time Spent, and Withdrawal. Though Problem Usage scored low on the scale, Heavy Usage and Withdrawal scored above a neutral point, indicating that there is a correlation between college students and Internet dependency, thus supporting the hypothesis that social media can have negative effects on young adults. In the next article, Tong, Vitak, and LaRose take a closer look at addiction among college students to social network sites (SNS), such as Facebook. College students are among the heaviest users of SNS, and this research attempts to explain the consequences arising from habitual use of social networking sites. The results come from a survey of 180 college students from a Midwestern university who were enrolled in communication classes. Students were required to have been members of both MySpace and Facebook. These students were reported to have spent anywhere between two times a week to 300+ times a week on social networking sites. Several different factors were measured including loneliness, deficient social skill, POSI, deficient self-observation, self-reactive outcome expectations, deficient self-reaction, negative social consequences, and

Previous research on Internet addiction has concluded that college students are more susceptible to Internet addiction because they more frequently use the computer to check email, download music,

4 4 extraversion. This research really focused on social consequences caused by heavy SNS use. This study found that habitual use of social networking sites may not necessarily lead to social problems, but other negative effects may present themselves. Use of SNS may lead to depression, low self-esteem, shyness, and loneliness. SNS takes away faceto-face interaction, which attracts those who lack self-presentation and socialization skills, inhibiting them from ever developing social skills. Also, people look to social networking sites for attention and self-esteem boost from feedback on their social network profiles. Lack of feedback can cause low self-esteem, leading to depression. Another thing that can lead to depression stemming from the use of SNS is problems with real-life relationships. In a research article about battle of the sexes, Clipson, Wilson, and DuFrene, (2012) assess the challenges along gender lines between college students. This study found that more than a quarter of its participants had experienced relationship drama because of social networking miscommunication involving texting, tweeting, and/or Facebooking. The study concluded that men and women value social networking differently and suggests that etiquette guidelines would improve the use of social networking between the sexes (Clipson, Wilson, DuFrene, 2012). Narcissism, which refers to a personality trait reflecting a grandiose and inflated self-concept, has been linked to social networking. The research study by McKinney, Lynne Kelly, and Robert L. Duran (2012) suggests that there is a positive correlation between the use of social networking sites and narcissism. Two hundred and thirty-three undergraduate students were selected to complete a questionnaire. Results from the questionnaire suggested that narcissism is directly consistent with the number of tweets

Use of SNS may lead to depression, low self-esteem, shyness, and loneliness.

5 5 that one tweets about oneself. However, Facebook was not determined dominated by narcissists (McKinney, Kelly, Duran, 2012). It is no secret that media exposure has had a negative effect on attitudes toward body image. This includes social media as well. In a study by Alyssa Pitura called Idealism: Factors Affecting the Body Image of College Students, 93% of students surveyed at a small Midwestern university admitted to having been influenced by media. Of this 93%, 77% said the media had influenced their personal body image. Almost half of these respondents claimed that online content was a form of media that impacted their view on a healthy body image. Though it is not the only factor that affects a person s view on body image, because young adults are so in-tune to social media, it is one of the most powerful (Pitura, 2010). In some cases, this can lead to an eating disorder, such as bulimia or anorexia. Research suggests that body image distortion from the media has directly increased eating disorders, especially in college and adolescent women. In an article by Meng and Bissell, they suggest that YouTube is a major factor when it comes to young women s poor outlook on body image. This type of social media is visual and can misinform, distort, and manipulate, causing young women to have body image issues (Meng, Bissel, 2009). The social comparison theory formulated by Festinger (1954) explains that increased body dissatisfaction in young women is mostly because of the feeling of failure to meet the social and cultural standards that the media has set for them with pictures of idealized beauty (Guimera, Levine, Carracedo, Fauquet, 2010). Although it has been proven that women are the main gender affected by social media, media is also affecting men s body image. Body image issues in men are rising as social

In a study by Alyssa Pitura called Idealism: Factors Affecting the Body Image of College Students, 93% of students surveyed at a small Midwestern university admitted to having been influenced by

6 6 media becomes more popular. There is a definite relationship between college student s exposure to media and their attitudes and self-efficacy (Xiao Wang, 2010). From Internet dependency/addiction to social networking addiction to body image issues, studies have found that social media does have negative effects on young adults. Unfortunately, social media is unavoidable. A reoccurring theme in these studies is this suggestion: self-control. These negative effects can be avoided if people are taught from a young age how to limit use of social media. However, with the ever-changing technology and the growing popularity of social media, social networking sites especially, limiting social media will be very difficult.

Unfortunately, social media is unavoidable. A reoccurring theme in these studies is this suggestion: self-control.

7 7 References Mitchell, K., & Beard, F. (2010). Measuring Internet Dependence Among College Students: A Replication and Confirmatory Analysis. Southwestern Mass Communication Journal, 25(2), McKinney, B. C., Kelly, L., & Duran, R. L. (2012). Narcissism or Openness?: College Students Use of Facebook and Twitter. Communication Research Reports, 29(2), doi: / Pitura, A. (2010). Idealism: Factors Affecting the Body Image of College Students. Journal Of The Communication, Speech & Theatre Association Of North Dakota, Tong, S., Vitak, J., & Larose, R. (2010). Truly Problematic or Merely Habitual? An Integrated Model of the Negative Consequences of Social Networking. Conference Papers -- International Communication Association, 1. Meng, J., & Bissell, K. (2009). YouTube and Media Literacy: Testing the Effectiveness of YouTube Media Literacy Campaigns About Body Image Targeted Toward Adolescent Girls and College Women. Conference Papers -- International Communication Association, Lopez-Guimera, G., Levine, M. P., Sanchez-carracedo, D., & Fauquet, J. (2010). Influence of Mass Media on Body Image and Eating Disordered Attitudes and Behaviors in Females: A Review of Effects and Processes. Media Psychology, 13(4), doi: / Xiao, W. (2010). More Than Just Anorexia and Steroid Abuse: Effects of Media Exposure on Attitudes Toward Body Image and Self-Efficacy. Atlantic Journal Of Communication, 18(1), doi: / Clipson, T. W., Wilson, S., & DuFrene, D. D. (2012). The Social Networking Arena: Battle of the Sexes. Business Communication Quarterly, 75(1), doi: /

(2010). Idealism: Factors Affecting the Body Image of College Students. Journal Of The Communication, Speech & Theatre Association Of North Dakota, 2362-68. Tong, S., Vitak, J., & Larose, R. (2010).

Use of social media by college students: Relationship to communication and self-concept

Use of social media by college students: Relationship to communication and self-concept Megan Sponcil Youngstown State University Priscilla Gitimu Youngstown State University ABSTRACT The purpose of this