The Relationship Between Social Media and Anxiety

Q. What do you think is the biggest mental health challenge facing university students today? How might social media contribute to that, if at all?

In my opinion, anxiety is the biggest mental health challenge among university students today. Anxiety is a disorder that interferes with ones daily life, which causes great stress and fear for one and an inability to properly function. Anxiety disorders encompass a large range of disorders, including general anxiety disorder, social-anxiety disorder, and panic disorder, and some of the symptoms include irritability, trouble concentrating, shortness of breath, and frequent stomach problems. While anxiety disorders may be linked to ones genetics or brain chemicals, they are often the result of one’s life experiences and stress. It is reported that anxiety is the most common mental illness in the U.S., in which 40 million adults over 18 years of age are affected (“Top 5”).

In relating this to Canadian students, a study completed for Canada universities and colleges concluded that 90% of the 30 000 students surveyed reported a strong sense of stress and feeling overwhelmed within the past year (Miller, 2013). Over the years, the results of this survey have increased with a growing number of students reporting anxiety, and the report attributes these results to the growing number of issues students must deal with daily. Issues regarding health, academics, relationships, finances, and so forth, but most importantly the juggling of all these issues at once, places great pressure on students which move beyond the pressures of attending university. Further, in attempting to alleviate these issues, Dr. Su-Ting Teo, a Ryerson director of student health and wellness at Ryerson University, says that many mental health issues students are often overlooked (Miller, 2013).

It is important to note that the study analyzed was conducted in 2013. However, the information is still very relevant in that mental health is still a prominent issue among today’s students, and I still believe that anxiety is the number one issue present. I also believe that while mental health has become a much more talked about issue, we still have a long way to go. Additionally, mental health aid must not only attempt to help current issues of anxiety, but look ahead to see where future issues of anxiety will occur. For example, social media is evidently becoming a more prominent part of people’s lives, especially students, and I do believe it may soon become one of the top reasons for a student having anxiety.

One of the reasons social media may cause anxiety for a student is the addiction to using it. According to the University of Chicago, social media is more addictive than cigarettes, harder to forego than alcohol, and most

usually is never addressed properly as its use does not cause physical diseases such as cancer (“Is Your Online”). These facts are very alarming, as they suggest that social media use for many is a necessary part of their day. Going without social media creates a strong mental discontent for a person. And with the largest amount of social media users being within the ages of 18–29, it is clear that social media stress affects young people most (Marinigh, 2016).

Another reason social media creates anxiety for students is due to the idea of missing out. With the click of a button, one has the ability to keep tabs on all of the activities their network is engaged with. However, coming into contact with posts in which the viewer was not invited to, could not attend, etc., takes a toll on one’s self-esteem, trust in friends and family, and confidence

(“Is Your Online”). While the idea of not being invited or not being able to attend an event has always been prevalent in society, the ability to consume content from that event perpetually and with ease was not available. Therefore, the emotional despair that occurs with FOMO was not endured for a long period of time and was thus easier to overcome. And so, it can be said that social media creates greater anxiety for one. During a time in life where one’s self-esteem is already very fragile, constant exposure to FOMO events may cause continuous social stress for one, which can grow into larger mental or physical issues.

Thirdly, social media creates anxiety for students due to its lack of physical social interaction. It is always recommended that physical communication with another aids in dealing with stress and other emotions, however, the use of social media is a very individualistic and unshared activity. 63% of students surveyed in the report mentioned above said that they felt very

lonely (Miller, 2013), and I believe that social media is a strong factor in this growing emotion. Further, when one feels emotion through social media, the link of communication ends with the user, forcing them to deal with the emotions themselves. This is very detrimental because social media often creates many irrational fears for a user, which can be easily debunked in real life. For example, the idea of FOMO as mentioned above is quite irrational. I know from personal experience that if I ask my friend for example why I was not invited to something, the answer is most usually valid and alleviates my stress immediately. However, I know I am not alone in most usually not talking about my emotions from social media to others.

Therefore, I believe that social media has a strong influence on students’ anxiety because it allows for constant exposure to stress inducing content, which fuels a constant stress induced emotional state, that is often never communicated to others in reality. This cycle is very dangerous, and students must be conscious of their use of social media, and must always remember that being engaged in physical reality is more important than one’s online world.

Note: Mental health is a very serious issue. Please visit http://www.ryerson.ca/mentalhealth/students/get_help/ to find out more about the many resources Ryerson University offers in helping students deal with mental illness.

References

“Is Your Online Addiction Making You Anxious?” Anxiety.org, 2016, https://www.anxiety.org/social-media-causes-anxiety. Accessed 20 Mar. 2017.

Marinigh, Lauren. “A Breakdown of Social Media Platforms and Their Uses.” Futurpreneur, 2016, http://www.futurpreneur.ca/en/2016/a-breakdown-of-social-media-platforms-and-their-uses/. Accessed 20 Mar. 2017.

Miller, Adam. “Canadian students fell stress, anxiety, have suicidal thoughts, study reveals.” Globe and Mail, 2013, http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/college-university-students-feel-stress-anxiety-have-suicidal-thoughts-survey-reveals/article12613742/. Accessed 20 Mar. 2017.

“Top 5 Mental Health Problems Facing College Students.” Best Colleges.com, n.d., http://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/top-5-mental-health-problems-facing-college-students/. Accessed 20 Mar. 2017.