Every person is in social media nowadays. With the advancement of technology and the way people are coping with the said advancement, health experts are wary about the effects of social media on different age groups. As of the moment, researchers have largely focused on how social media affects the health of teenagers.
A new type of research has emerged concerning social media and the negativity associated with it is used in different stages of life.
Research from Michigan State University has revealed that regular use of social media can improve mental health among the adult age group. The same research also poses that social media could aid in reducing the risk of psychological distress among adults which includes depression and anxiety.
Dr. Keith Hampton, a professor from Michigan State University, stands by the concept that social media platforms and technology that promote communication has made it easier for people to maintain relationships. It also helped in accessing healthcare information. The professor is not dismissing the negativity surrounding social media.
Dr. Hampton added that taking a snapshot of the anxiety felt by today's young people and later concluding that a whole generation is at risk because of social media is, in fact, ignoring more noteworthy social changes. This includes the lingering effects of the great recession, older and more protective parents, the rise in single-child families, the increasing number of kids that go to college, and of course, the rising student debt.
For this study, the researchers have used data from 2015 and 2016 which includes a variety of questions about using communication technologies and the psychological distress of the consumers.
Dr. Hampton, together with his team, has found out that social media users were 63% less likely to experience severe psychological distress for at least a year. This number also includes serious anxiety and major depression. The team stated that having extended family members on social media has further reduced psychological distress, with the condition that the mental health of their family member was not already in decline. The team believes that their findings challenge the popular belief that social media is responsible for the current mental health crisis in the US.
Dr. Hampton added that according to the research people who use social networking sites are 1.6 times more likely to stay away from serious psychological distress. Ongoing contact with other people matters for mental health.
