Social media and the effects on American adolescents: Difference between revisions

 

The article, "No More FOMO: Limiting Social Media Decreases Loneliness and Depression" by Melissa G. Hunt, Rachel Marx, Courtney Lipson, and Jordyn Young, reports a research study of 143 undegraded students at the University of Pennsylvania who were randomly assigned to limit Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat use to 10 minutes a day per app. The results are incredibly positive. The authors explain that: "As of March 2018, 68% of adults in the United States had a Facebook account, and 75% of these people reported using Facebook on a daily basis. Furthermore, 78% of young adults (ages 18– 24) used Snapchat, while 71% of young adults used Instagram"<ref name=mgh>{{Cite journal |last1=Hunt |first1=Melissa G. |last2=Marx |first2=Rachel |last3=Lipson |first3=Courtney |last4=Young |first4=Jordyn |date=December 2018 |title=No More FOMO: Limiting Social Media Decreases Loneliness and Depression |url=https://guilfordjournals.com/doi/10.1521/jscp.2018.37.10.751 |journal=Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology |language=en |volume=37 |issue=10 |pages=751–768 |doi=10.1521/jscp.2018.37.10.751 |issn=0736-7236}}</ref> Here we can see a large number of young people between 18 and 24 years old use social networks. The survey also served to see the levels of anxiety, depression, and loneliness of the participants. The authors explain that: "Both loneliness and depressive symptoms declined in the experimental group".<ref name=mgh/> Studies show that participants lowered their levels of depression and anxiety due to limiting their time on social media. One of the excuses that young people use is that they use social media to connect and talk to their family or friends, but the authors explain that: "It is ironic, but perhaps not surprising, that reducing social media, which promised to help us connect with others, actually helps people feel less lonely and depressed"<ref name=mgh/> The authors conclude by saying that this survey was a success by limiting social media use to only 30 minutes a day. The level of depression and loneliness in the participants decreased and they were able to communicate better in person, something they had not done at all before. This article because it proves my argument that if there were a social media limit, people's self-esteem would improve.

 

== Conclusion ==