There is reportedly very little association between the use of social media among young adults and problems with Mental Health such as loneliness, empathy and social anxiety, depending on results of a study published in the journal Psychiatric Quarterly.
Researchers at the University of Central Florida in the United States conducted a study with 467 young adults who were asked how much time they spend on social media per day, how important it is in their lives, and how they used them. Their mental health, levels of social anxiety, the quality of their relationships with their parents and the social support they could count on were also assessed. Aspects such as general mental health symptoms, suicidal thoughts, loneliness, social anxiety and decreased empathy were also considered.
Beware of “wavebooking”
The only worrying trend that has been found is ‘vague booking’, which refers to a person’s tendency to write social media posts that contain little clear, concrete, but often worrying information. Young people who tended to write such messages often were more isolated and had more suicidal thoughts than others.
“We do not deny the risk that certain online behaviors are associated with mental health problems, but we suggest that the research focus on the behavior of individuals rather than making the media responsible for all socio-personal problems”, explains Chloe Berryman.
“Overall, the results of this study suggest that, with the exception of vague booking, concerns about the use of social media are not justified,” she adds.
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