The Impact of Social Media on Adolescents’ Mental Health Background

1 The Impact of Social Media on Adolescents’ Mental Health Background Although virtual social interactions help young people to interact with peers, prolonged use of these platforms could negatively impact the psychological health and social skills of the target population. Experts argue that interacting with peers on electronic platforms is less emotionally satisfying than relating in person (McCrae et al., 2017). Mental health professionals are concerned that prolonged social media use could affect young people's health. These concerns arise from the increasing connection of internet-based communications with reduced in-person interactions, online bullying, addiction-like behaviors, and social pressure (Vidal et al., 2020).

Research shows that young persons, who spend more time online, develop an overwhelming feeling of isolation (Vidal et al., 2020). Some researchers also purport that children, who already feel isolated, may spend their free time on internet-enabled gadgets. It could also be that uncontrolled social media use makes children feel isolated. Another theory used by researchers to demonstrate the negative impact of social media on teenagers is selfesteem.

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2 Research shows that young girls who compare themselves with perfect pictures online could develop low self-esteem (Vidal et al., 2020). Further, online pictures of people wearing expensive clothing and colognes and driving expensive cars make young people realize their inadequate financial position. The subsequent negative perception of self could lead to depressive symptoms.

McCrae et al. (2017) noted that the fast growth and universal expansion of social media had turned socialization into a “cyber carriage” where many people are unaware of their physical environs while engrossed on the internet. Research shows that in-person interactions across populations have decreased owing to the overreliance on virtual interactions on social media (Vidal et al., 2020). Even with a significantly bigger social circle than conventional friendships, doubtlessly, communication is shallow. Social media creates a virtual world that becomes the real world for many users. In some instances, friends created through cyberspace become the only close confidant for some users. Unfortunately, as Vidal et al. (2020) highlighted, virtual friends, cannot provide the physical and social support necessary to overcome psychosocial challenges experienced in life.

Several studies suggest that whereas some people with remarkable social skills and technological aptitudes accumulate benefits from social media-based interactions, those with limited abilities do not fare so well (O’Reilly et al., 2018). Some studies, however, suggest that online interactions are supportive for depressive, nervous, and fearful young persons, and might reinforce poor self-esteem, thus compounding their difficulties. Nonetheless, concerns have emerged regarding the impact of online interactions on young persons' mental health. As highlighted by McCrae et al. (2017), early evidence revealed that uncontrolled internet use augmented the risk of psychosocial problems like depression.

3 Several studies have also demonstrated a correlation between online activity and low selfesteem, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and loneliness in young persons (Vidal et al., 2020).

However, other studies support social media, terming it a reliable platform to enhance interactions, thus improving self-esteem and life satisfaction (Vidal et al., 2020). These studies indicate that adolescents generate feelings of unmatched connection to friends besides interactions with different groups of people who can offer social support. Therefore, although depression and other problems related to poor social skills are increasingly becoming serious issues in the U.S, the extent to which spending more time on social media contributes to the rise in these problems remains controversial.

Problem Statement The problem is an increased risk of developing psychosocial problems among adolescents due to spending more time on virtual social interaction platforms during the COVID19 pandemic. The coronavirus outbreak has greatly affected in-person interactions. Major health organizations globally encourage people to isolate themselves to cut the chain of transmission.

Self-quarantine and isolation have become common practices. Irrefutably, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted all aspects of life. School closures, restricted travel, job loss, and social isolation are major disruptions associated with the pandemic. Reports from health institutions also show that the pandemic has negatively impacted young people's mental health (GadassiPolack et al., 2021). Although researchers have started exploring the psychological health implication of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is still much more to be looked into considering Coronavirus is largely an unresolved health issue (De France et al., 2021). Vaccines have been developed to arrest the situation but the problem is unrelenting. What many presumed to be a

4 few weeks’ stay-at-home order has become a dramatic disruption to routines and social lives for over 18 months.

Consequently, young people are increasingly utilizing online platforms to interact with peers. Although a consensus exists that rather than improve the social well-being of individuals, virtual interactions affect the social skills of young people and augment the possibility of becoming depressed, the issue requires further research and follow-up (Gadassi-Polack et al., 2021). The actual impact of virtual social interactions on the target population is not well understood.

5 Research Question Understandably, young people utilize remote learning software and other social media platforms to interact with peers. The common platforms include Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram. These sites have become outlets for expressing emotions, launching businesses, sharing ideas and interacting with friends and family. “What are the consequences, both positive and negative, of adolescents located in the United States utilizing virtual social interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic?” This question is relevant to psychological counseling considering there are reports of increasing mental health issues among young people, and challenges experienced might affect an individual’s health in the future.

Purpose of the Study Although there is a noticeable growth in social media use among adolescents, there is little evidence of the impact of virtual social interaction on the mental health of the target population.

This qualitative study investigates the experiences of teenagers with virtual interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study will generate evidence on, both positive and negative, the consequences of virtual interactions among adolescents. This evidence will also help find out if restrictions on virtual interactions could improve the social and psychological health of adolescents.

Expanded Literature Review Several studies have investigated the issue of social media use and adolescents' mental health and produced varying evidence. Whereas some researchers argue that social media improve the self-esteem and confidence of young people, others associate this form of interaction with mental health issues. However, there is a consensus that social media use influences teens' mental health. While investigating the impact of social media and smartphone use on youth

6 mental health, Abi-Jaoude et al. (2020) noted that prolonged usage reduces life satisfaction and self-esteem besides negatively affecting self-reported happiness. Hartas (2021) supports these findings arguing that social media have significant implications on young people's mental health and wellbeing. Hartas (2021) found out that girls fare poorly than boys in coping with the negative health impact of social media use. The theme supported by Hartas (2021) and AbiJaoude et al. (2020) is that social media use could aggravate depressive symptoms since young users experience low self-esteem, low life satisfaction, negative feelings, and self-harming feelings. These researchers acknowledged the need for further research on utilizing social media to improve the mental health of younger persons.

Dhir et al. (2018) concurred with Hartas (2021) that users' adverse mental health effects outweigh the social benefits of online interactions. Dhir et al. (2018) clarified that prolonged social media use leads to fatigue and poor psychological wellbeing. Users experience an overwhelming fear of missing out and develop anxiety, depression, and fatigue. Dhir et al.

(2018) noted social media fatigue drives many out of online interactions. These findings indicate that social media could potentially drive depressed persons deep into this mental problem.

Although researchers have explored diverse antecedents and eventualities of social media fatigue, Dhir et al. (2018) noted that empirical relationships between these variables need further investigation.

Several studies have also postulated that social media use among young people correlates with fear, anxious and depressive symptomatology. For instance, while investigating the link between social media use and young adult depression, Bettmann et al. (2020) disclosed remarkable trends linking the two variables. Bettmann et al. (2020) noted that over 90% of college students use social media daily, and a third of this population is depressed.

7 Unfortunately, rather than seek psychiatric assistance, the depressive young college students plunge themselves deeper into online interactions (Bettmann et al., 2020). Their anxiety and depression remain untreated for long, with unprecedented consequences such as suicidal ideations.

Some researchers, however, argue that internet-enabled communications help individuals overcome overwhelming emotions and negative feelings. For instance, a systematic review of online interactions by Dyson et al. (2016) revealed that social media platforms promote interactions, thus creating a sense of community among users. According to Dyson et al. (2016), online interactions provide social support, encouragement, and suggestions for formal treatment.

People with inappropriate behaviors are advised on how to stop self-harming behavior. Dyson et al. (2016) suggested that prospective longitudinal studies could help disclose probable long-term harm of social media use.

Unlike Dyson et al. (2016), who explored how young people use social media to discuss inappropriate behavior like self-harm, Radovic et al. (2017) qualitatively investigated positive and negative aspects of social media use among depressed adolescents. As disclosed by Radovic et al. (2017), the positive aspects of social media include unlimited positive content, social connection, and knowledge sharing. The negative aspects, on the contrary, include cyberbullying, sharing inappropriate behaviors, and self-degenerating comparisons. Users are also likely to encounter “triggering posts.” Unfortunately, major challenges face studies investigating social media's effects on psychological health. For instance, as highlighted by Radovic et al.

(2017, participants do not provide verifiable examples on their social media sites. Examples and opinions are, therefore, based on personal recollections. Nonetheless, user perceptions of these incidents are important to investigate.

8 Theoretical Foundation Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a suitable psychological theory to investigate the connection between virtual social interactions and the mental health outcomes of young people. Maslow categorized needs into five major groups with psychological and safety being placed under the physical needs, whereas belonging, esteem, and self-actualization were placed under the psychological and emotional needs. The theory identifies belonging as a tertiary need.

Geher (2020) clarified that a person’s need for love and belonging reflects the desire for full support and providing similar support in return. Children obtain such love and support from their parents and caretakers. However, during adolescence, a person's time with parents decreases considerably. Individuals spend more time interacting with peers. The desire to be fit in a specific social circle increases significantly during adolescence. Unfortunately, Covid-19 has disrupted the social life of teenagers (Gadassi-Polack et al., 2021). Using the need theory in this study would help determine how online interactions influence the social needs of adolescents during the pandemic.

Research Methods and Design Sample Participants will be recruited from six schools in two major cities to incorporate diverse ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Announcements for participation will be made in school assemblies. The inclusion criteria will be students who have used virtual social interaction platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interested parties will fill a participation form provided by the teachers. Each form will have a unique number to identify the participant. Eight forms will be selected randomly from each school batch and the participants’ number displayed

9 on the noticeboard. Six focus groups will be conducted in two months with young people between 13 and 18 years (N-48).

Study design The study will employ focus groups to explore the research question since it is sensitive and targets younger participants. This research design is preferred when investigating the experiences of younger populations sharing similar experiences. Price et al. (n.d.) noted that focus groups are preferred when investigating the experiences of a specific population as participants mobilize others to analyze and respond to others' contributions.

Data Collection Six focus groups of eight people will be conducted in quiet classrooms to create a suitable platform for investigating the central issue in depth. These discussions will be audio recorded.

Data Analysis Individual data will be the focus of analysis. It will be analyzed with a data-driven inductive approach and coded to reflect emergent themes. The raw data will be read and interpreted multiple times in a rigorous and systematic process. Themes will yield relevant and interesting information on adolescents’ experiences with electronic-based social interactions.

Limitations for the Proposed Study The proposed study’s main limitations include a small sample size and the sampling method. Small sample size could hamper the generalization of results. The sampling method requires the participants to provide a self-report on virtual social interactions, including the impact of these interactions on their social skills, communication, physical and psychological

10 health. Therefore, the researcher will have no way of verifying the information provided by the participants.

Ethical Considerations for the Proposed Study In line with the ACA (2014) Code of Ethics, the researcher will obtain informed consent from the participants and the parents or the caretaker since the study involves an underage population. Respect and confidentiality of the participants will be protected. The code of ethics further states that researchers must uphold the privacy and confidentiality of the participants (ACA, 2014). The researcher will keep the audio recorder securely to ensure third parties do not access personal information in the proposed study. The participants will be compensated in-kind with gift certificates and books. The parents will be informed of the compensation process for their children. The participants will not be forced to continue with the study against their will since such a move violates the principle of autonomy. Rather, they will be appropriately notified of the potential benefits of the study and assured of freedom to terminate their participation at any point. Importantly, per the principle of non-maleficence, the researcher will not expose the participants to potential harm (ACA, 2014).

Significance of the Proposed Study Previous studies have linked poor mental health outcomes with prolonged internet-based communications. However, evidence is shallow on how virtual social interactions affect adolescents' psychological health. Therefore, evidence generated from the proposed study adds to the knowledge pool of factors that influence adolescents’ mental health and social well-being.

This information will also be relevant to practice. It will help educators determine whether integrating virtual interactions into learning activities could improve learning outcomes besides understanding the psychological implication on the target group.

11 Conclusion Although virtual social interactions improve relationships, interactions, and mental health of adolescents, prolonged use of these platforms could negatively impact the psychological health and social skills of the target population. Studies support the connection between social media use and psychological health problems. But, there is inadequate evidence regarding how virtual social interactions have affected young people during the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed study aims to generate reliable information concerning the experiences of young people who use social media to determine if they interrupt their developing higher level of needs. This evidence contributes to existing knowledge, and psychotherapists could integrate it into treatment plans for young people with psychosocial problems.

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