persuasive essay about effects of social media to mental health

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Social media harms teens’ mental health, mounting evidence shows. what now.

Understanding what is going on in teens’ minds is necessary for targeted policy suggestions

Most teens use social media, often for hours on end. Some social scientists are confident that such use is harming their mental health. Now they want to pinpoint what explains the link.

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By Sujata Gupta

February 20, 2024 at 7:30 am

In January, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook’s parent company Meta, appeared at a congressional hearing to answer questions about how social media potentially harms children. Zuckerberg opened by saying: “The existing body of scientific work has not shown a causal link between using social media and young people having worse mental health.”

But many social scientists would disagree with that statement. In recent years, studies have started to show a causal link between teen social media use and reduced well-being or mood disorders, chiefly depression and anxiety.

Ironically, one of the most cited studies into this link focused on Facebook.

Researchers delved into whether the platform’s introduction across college campuses in the mid 2000s increased symptoms associated with depression and anxiety. The answer was a clear yes , says MIT economist Alexey Makarin, a coauthor of the study, which appeared in the November 2022 American Economic Review . “There is still a lot to be explored,” Makarin says, but “[to say] there is no causal evidence that social media causes mental health issues, to that I definitely object.”

The concern, and the studies, come from statistics showing that social media use in teens ages 13 to 17 is now almost ubiquitous. Two-thirds of teens report using TikTok, and some 60 percent of teens report using Instagram or Snapchat, a 2022 survey found. (Only 30 percent said they used Facebook.) Another survey showed that girls, on average, allot roughly 3.4 hours per day to TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, compared with roughly 2.1 hours among boys. At the same time, more teens are showing signs of depression than ever, especially girls ( SN: 6/30/23 ).

As more studies show a strong link between these phenomena, some researchers are starting to shift their attention to possible mechanisms. Why does social media use seem to trigger mental health problems? Why are those effects unevenly distributed among different groups, such as girls or young adults? And can the positives of social media be teased out from the negatives to provide more targeted guidance to teens, their caregivers and policymakers?

“You can’t design good public policy if you don’t know why things are happening,” says Scott Cunningham, an economist at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

Increasing rigor

Concerns over the effects of social media use in children have been circulating for years, resulting in a massive body of scientific literature. But those mostly correlational studies could not show if teen social media use was harming mental health or if teens with mental health problems were using more social media.

Moreover, the findings from such studies were often inconclusive, or the effects on mental health so small as to be inconsequential. In one study that received considerable media attention, psychologists Amy Orben and Andrew Przybylski combined data from three surveys to see if they could find a link between technology use, including social media, and reduced well-being. The duo gauged the well-being of over 355,000 teenagers by focusing on questions around depression, suicidal thinking and self-esteem.

Digital technology use was associated with a slight decrease in adolescent well-being , Orben, now of the University of Cambridge, and Przybylski, of the University of Oxford, reported in 2019 in Nature Human Behaviour . But the duo downplayed that finding, noting that researchers have observed similar drops in adolescent well-being associated with drinking milk, going to the movies or eating potatoes.

Holes have begun to appear in that narrative thanks to newer, more rigorous studies.

In one longitudinal study, researchers — including Orben and Przybylski — used survey data on social media use and well-being from over 17,400 teens and young adults to look at how individuals’ responses to a question gauging life satisfaction changed between 2011 and 2018. And they dug into how the responses varied by gender, age and time spent on social media.

Social media use was associated with a drop in well-being among teens during certain developmental periods, chiefly puberty and young adulthood, the team reported in 2022 in Nature Communications . That translated to lower well-being scores around ages 11 to 13 for girls and ages 14 to 15 for boys. Both groups also reported a drop in well-being around age 19. Moreover, among the older teens, the team found evidence for the Goldilocks Hypothesis: the idea that both too much and too little time spent on social media can harm mental health.

“There’s hardly any effect if you look over everybody. But if you look at specific age groups, at particularly what [Orben] calls ‘windows of sensitivity’ … you see these clear effects,” says L.J. Shrum, a consumer psychologist at HEC Paris who was not involved with this research. His review of studies related to teen social media use and mental health is forthcoming in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research.

Cause and effect

That longitudinal study hints at causation, researchers say. But one of the clearest ways to pin down cause and effect is through natural or quasi-experiments. For these in-the-wild experiments, researchers must identify situations where the rollout of a societal “treatment” is staggered across space and time. They can then compare outcomes among members of the group who received the treatment to those still in the queue — the control group.

That was the approach Makarin and his team used in their study of Facebook. The researchers homed in on the staggered rollout of Facebook across 775 college campuses from 2004 to 2006. They combined that rollout data with student responses to the National College Health Assessment, a widely used survey of college students’ mental and physical health.

The team then sought to understand if those survey questions captured diagnosable mental health problems. Specifically, they had roughly 500 undergraduate students respond to questions both in the National College Health Assessment and in validated screening tools for depression and anxiety. They found that mental health scores on the assessment predicted scores on the screenings. That suggested that a drop in well-being on the college survey was a good proxy for a corresponding increase in diagnosable mental health disorders. 

Compared with campuses that had not yet gained access to Facebook, college campuses with Facebook experienced a 2 percentage point increase in the number of students who met the diagnostic criteria for anxiety or depression, the team found.

When it comes to showing a causal link between social media use in teens and worse mental health, “that study really is the crown jewel right now,” says Cunningham, who was not involved in that research.

A need for nuance

The social media landscape today is vastly different than the landscape of 20 years ago. Facebook is now optimized for maximum addiction, Shrum says, and other newer platforms, such as Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok, have since copied and built on those features. Paired with the ubiquity of social media in general, the negative effects on mental health may well be larger now.

Moreover, social media research tends to focus on young adults — an easier cohort to study than minors. That needs to change, Cunningham says. “Most of us are worried about our high school kids and younger.” 

And so, researchers must pivot accordingly. Crucially, simple comparisons of social media users and nonusers no longer make sense. As Orben and Przybylski’s 2022 work suggested, a teen not on social media might well feel worse than one who briefly logs on. 

Researchers must also dig into why, and under what circumstances, social media use can harm mental health, Cunningham says. Explanations for this link abound. For instance, social media is thought to crowd out other activities or increase people’s likelihood of comparing themselves unfavorably with others. But big data studies, with their reliance on existing surveys and statistical analyses, cannot address those deeper questions. “These kinds of papers, there’s nothing you can really ask … to find these plausible mechanisms,” Cunningham says.

One ongoing effort to understand social media use from this more nuanced vantage point is the SMART Schools project out of the University of Birmingham in England. Pedagogical expert Victoria Goodyear and her team are comparing mental and physical health outcomes among children who attend schools that have restricted cell phone use to those attending schools without such a policy. The researchers described the protocol of that study of 30 schools and over 1,000 students in the July BMJ Open.

Goodyear and colleagues are also combining that natural experiment with qualitative research. They met with 36 five-person focus groups each consisting of all students, all parents or all educators at six of those schools. The team hopes to learn how students use their phones during the day, how usage practices make students feel, and what the various parties think of restrictions on cell phone use during the school day.

Talking to teens and those in their orbit is the best way to get at the mechanisms by which social media influences well-being — for better or worse, Goodyear says. Moving beyond big data to this more personal approach, however, takes considerable time and effort. “Social media has increased in pace and momentum very, very quickly,” she says. “And research takes a long time to catch up with that process.”

Until that catch-up occurs, though, researchers cannot dole out much advice. “What guidance could we provide to young people, parents and schools to help maintain the positives of social media use?” Goodyear asks. “There’s not concrete evidence yet.”

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Essay on Effects Of Social Media On Mental Health

Students are often asked to write an essay on Effects Of Social Media On Mental Health in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Effects Of Social Media On Mental Health

Introduction.

Social media is a tool that lets us communicate and share with people around the world. It’s very popular, especially with young people. But, it can also affect our mental health in different ways.

Positive Impact

Social media can have a good effect on our mental health. It allows us to connect with friends and family, even if they live far away. It can also help us find groups of people who share our interests. This can make us feel less alone and more understood.

Negative Impact

On the other hand, social media can also have a bad effect on our mental health. Seeing other people’s “perfect” lives can make us feel bad about our own. It can also lead to cyberbullying, which can hurt our self-esteem and cause stress.

Importance of Balance

Like most things, balance is key when using social media. Spending too much time online can make us feel isolated in real life. It’s important to take breaks and spend time doing other things we enjoy.

In conclusion, social media can have both positive and negative effects on our mental health. It’s important to use it wisely and remember that it’s okay to take a break if it’s making us feel bad.

250 Words Essay on Effects Of Social Media On Mental Health

Social media is a powerful tool that connects people from all corners of the world. It is a platform where we share our thoughts, ideas, and daily life activities. But, it also has a great impact on our mental health.

Impacts on Self-Esteem

One of the main effects of social media on mental health is on our self-esteem. When we see our friends having fun, achieving things, or looking happy, we often compare ourselves with them. This comparison can make us feel less confident and happy about our own lives.

Loneliness and Isolation

Another effect is the feeling of loneliness and isolation. Even though we are connected with many people online, we can still feel alone. This is because social media interactions are not the same as real-life interactions. This feeling can lead to sadness and depression.

Anxiety and Fear

Social media can also cause anxiety and fear. We often worry about what others will think of our posts. We fear negative comments and judgments. This constant worry can lead to stress and anxiety.

In conclusion, while social media has its benefits, it can also have negative effects on our mental health. It can affect our self-esteem, make us feel lonely, and cause anxiety. Therefore, it is important to use social media wisely and not let it control our lives. We need to remember that what we see on social media is not always the full picture of someone’s life.

500 Words Essay on Effects Of Social Media On Mental Health

Social media is a big part of our lives. We use it to chat with friends, share photos, and learn about the world. But, it can also affect our mental health in both good and bad ways. This essay will explore these effects.

Positive Effects

First, let’s talk about the good things. Social media can make us feel connected. It allows us to keep in touch with friends and family, even if they live far away. This can make us feel less lonely. It can also help us find people who share our interests. For example, if you love painting, you can join an art group online. This can boost your confidence and make you feel part of a community.

Negative Effects

Now, let’s look at the negative side. Spending too much time on social media can make us feel sad or anxious. This is because we often compare our lives to the perfect ones we see online. This can make us feel like we are not good enough.

Another problem is cyberbullying. Some people use social media to hurt others by sending mean messages or spreading rumors. This can lead to stress, anxiety, and even depression.

Impact on Sleep

Social media can also affect our sleep. Many of us check our phones before bed. The bright screen can make it harder for us to fall asleep. Lack of sleep can lead to mood swings, trouble focusing, and feeling tired all the time.

Ways to Stay Healthy

The good news is there are ways to use social media without hurting our mental health. One way is to limit our time online. We can set a timer or use an app that reminds us to take a break.

We should also remember that what we see online is not always real. Many people only share the best parts of their lives, not the hard parts.

If someone is being mean to us online, we should tell a trusted adult. We can also block or report the person.

In conclusion, social media has both good and bad effects on our mental health. It can make us feel connected, but it can also make us feel sad, anxious, and tired. To stay healthy, we need to use social media in a balanced way, remember that what we see online is not always real, and speak up if someone is being mean to us.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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• Open access
• Published: 06 July 2023

Pros & cons: impacts of social media on mental health

• Ágnes Zsila 1 , 2 &
• Marc Eric S. Reyes   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-5280-1315 3  

BMC Psychology volume  11 , Article number:  201 ( 2023 ) Cite this article

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The use of social media significantly impacts mental health. It can enhance connection, increase self-esteem, and improve a sense of belonging. But it can also lead to tremendous stress, pressure to compare oneself to others, and increased sadness and isolation. Mindful use is essential to social media consumption.

Social media has become integral to our daily routines: we interact with family members and friends, accept invitations to public events, and join online communities to meet people who share similar preferences using these platforms. Social media has opened a new avenue for social experiences since the early 2000s, extending the possibilities for communication. According to recent research [ 1 ], people spend 2.3 h daily on social media. YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat have become increasingly popular among youth in 2022, and one-third think they spend too much time on these platforms [ 2 ]. The considerable time people spend on social media worldwide has directed researchers’ attention toward the potential benefits and risks. Research shows excessive use is mainly associated with lower psychological well-being [ 3 ]. However, findings also suggest that the quality rather than the quantity of social media use can determine whether the experience will enhance or deteriorate the user’s mental health [ 4 ]. In this collection, we will explore the impact of social media use on mental health by providing comprehensive research perspectives on positive and negative effects.

Social media can provide opportunities to enhance the mental health of users by facilitating social connections and peer support [ 5 ]. Indeed, online communities can provide a space for discussions regarding health conditions, adverse life events, or everyday challenges, which may decrease the sense of stigmatization and increase belongingness and perceived emotional support. Mutual friendships, rewarding social interactions, and humor on social media also reduced stress during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 4 ].

On the other hand, several studies have pointed out the potentially detrimental effects of social media use on mental health. Concerns have been raised that social media may lead to body image dissatisfaction [ 6 ], increase the risk of addiction and cyberbullying involvement [ 5 ], contribute to phubbing behaviors [ 7 ], and negatively affects mood [ 8 ]. Excessive use has increased loneliness, fear of missing out, and decreased subjective well-being and life satisfaction [ 8 ]. Users at risk of social media addiction often report depressive symptoms and lower self-esteem [ 9 ].

Overall, findings regarding the impact of social media on mental health pointed out some essential resources for psychological well-being through rewarding online social interactions. However, there is a need to raise awareness about the possible risks associated with excessive use, which can negatively affect mental health and everyday functioning [ 9 ]. There is neither a negative nor positive consensus regarding the effects of social media on people. However, by teaching people social media literacy, we can maximize their chances of having balanced, safe, and meaningful experiences on these platforms [ 10 ].

We encourage researchers to submit their research articles and contribute to a more differentiated overview of the impact of social media on mental health. BMC Psychology welcomes submissions to its new collection, which promises to present the latest findings in the emerging field of social media research. We seek research papers using qualitative and quantitative methods, focusing on social media users’ positive and negative aspects. We believe this collection will provide a more comprehensive picture of social media’s positive and negative effects on users’ mental health.

Data Availability

Not applicable.

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Acknowledgements

Ágnes Zsila was supported by the ÚNKP-22-4 New National Excellence Program of the Ministry for Culture and Innovation from the source of the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund.

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Ágnes Zsila

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AZ conceived and drafted the Editorial. MESR wrote the abstract and revised the Editorial. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Social Media and Mental Health Essay

The role of social media in people’s lives has increased exponentially over the past decade. The online personas that people create matter to them nearly just as much as their real-life image due to the constant communication and the opportunity to track down their responses to specific posts at any time. As a result, the impact of social media on the mental well-being of its users is worth considering. Sumner et al. point to the positive effects of social media, clarifying that the specified technological innovation can be used as the tool for improving mental health of its users. Namely, the research states that social media allows spreading useful and positive information about health-related issues much faster than traditional media. As a result, the opportunities for increasing the levels of public health and addressing some of the most common public health issues emerge.

The connection between the positivity of a message and its reception in social media is a crucial piece of information that needs to be incorporated into the current approach toward increasing the levels of public health, citizens’ health literacy, and the accessibility of health services. Namely, the conclusions that Sumner et al. make concerning the direct correlation between the positivity of a message and the likelihood of it being transmitted to a greater number of people should be used as the tool fro encouraging better health management: “Sheer volume of supportive content provided by produced by organizations or individuals may be less important than creating higher-quality messages” (p. 143). Thus, the conclusion that the authors provide should be used to enhance the efficacy and accessibility of the current health services.

One could argue that the general research outcomes should be seen as quite upsetting given the implications that they provide. Namely, the fact that the work of health professionals, who perform meticulous studies and arrange the data as carefully as possible to provide accurate and concise guidelines may be less important than an upbeat yet empty message is a rather sad idea. The specified conclusions may lead to a drop in the extent of health practitioners’ and nurse educators’ enthusiasm in providing the services of the highest quality.

However, the message that Sumner et al. convey could also be seen as an opportunity for enhancing health education and raising health literacy within the community by building a better rapport with its members. Namely, the data about the significance of the use of positivity in social networks as the tool for attracting the attention of patients and target audiences should be utilized to shape the current approach toward promoting health literacy. Specifically, healthcare practitioners and registered nurses, especially those that address the issues of patient education directly, need to create the strategy for the online conversation with patients through social media. The specified dialogue could be based on a combination of positive messages and clear visuals that inform patients about key issues in health management and provide them with an opportunity to improve their health literacy.

Additionally, the authors have provided an important tool for the development of a campaign aimed at public health management and improvement. Namely, based on the outcomes of the research carried out by Sumner et al. have informed the strategies for improving communication between patients and nurse educators. The specified change in how people perceive health management is especially important in the context of the present-day epidemic of coronavirus. Given the rapid spread of the epidemic and its recent transformation into the pandemic, reinforcing the instructions for people to remain safe is an essential task for APRNs and healthcare experts worldwide. In turn, the application of social media suits perfectly for the described purpose since it allows sharing information instantly and providing people with clear and concise guidelines for them to follow. Although social media mostly do not allow for detailed descriptions of specific health concerns and profound analysis of these issues, they serve their purpose of bulletin boards with clear and distinct guidelines that the members of the global community can apply to their daily routine.

Specifically, the use of positive messages in social media will reinforce the importance of guidelines and ensuring that people will follow them properly. For instance, Sumner et al. mention that the use of social networks has helped to promote social sharing. As the authors explain, “In topic areas such as cancer support, investigators found that the degree of positive sentiment in a message is associated with increased message spread” (Summer et al, p. 143). Therefore, the inclusion of positive thinking and positive emotions into the process of knowledge sharing enhances the extent to which people are willing to engage in the discussion. Moreover, the rise in the inclination to share a message that is positive will allow fighting some of the most severe health concerns that the global community is facing presently, primarily, the coronavirus.

Furthermore, the discussion sparked by the authors raises the question of inaccurate health-related information in social media and the means of filtering data. Indeed, for an uninitiated user of social media, discerning between accurate health-related information and the posts that reinforce health-associated myths is virtually impossible. Although some indicators such as the identity of the user posting the information could provide hints regarding the veracity of data, social media users have to rely on their intuition for the most part. Therefore, it is also critical for nurses to develop strategies for shielding social media users from the data that provides a distorted picture of health management.

Finally, the issue of addressing serious health concerns in social media should be discussed as a contentious subject. Given the outcomes of the research performed by Summer et al., it is critical to focus on delivering positive messages to target audiences to increase compliance with the established health management strategies. However, when tackling a serious health concern that has led or may potentially lead to a rapid rise in lethal outcomes, remaining positive becomes quite challenging. Not only will a message sound false in the specified circumstances, but it is also likely to be perceived in a negative light due to the dissonance between the subject matter and the tone of its delivery. Therefore, the outcomes of the study pose a difficult dilemma for educators and healthcare providers to resolve when addressing their target audiences via social media. Namely, retaining positivity while talking about serious issues is likely to become a major stumbling block for most healthcare service members.

The outcomes of the study performed by Summer et al. have offered a range of important insights, the significance of positivity in modern media as the means of encouraging citizens to accept healthy behaviors being one of the key conclusions. However, to apply the specified results to the management of current public health concerns, one will have to shape the existing framework for communicating with patients significantly. Therefore, the research should be seen as the basis for redesigning the present health education strategy, as well as the approach toward conversing with patients.

Sumner, Steven A., et al. “Factors Associated with Increased Dissemination of Positive Mental Health Messaging on Social Media.” Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention , vol. 41, no. 2, 2019, pp. 141-145. doi:10.1027/0227-5910/a000598.

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Social Media and Mental Health: Benefits, Risks, and Opportunities for Research and Practice

• Published: 20 April 2020
• Volume 5 , pages 245–257, ( 2020 )

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Introduction

Social media has become a prominent fixture in the lives of many individuals facing the challenges of mental illness. Social media refers broadly to web and mobile platforms that allow individuals to connect with others within a virtual network (such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, or LinkedIn), where they can share, co-create, or exchange various forms of digital content, including information, messages, photos, or videos (Ahmed et al. 2019 ). Studies have reported that individuals living with a range of mental disorders, including depression, psychotic disorders, or other severe mental illnesses, use social media platforms at comparable rates as the general population, with use ranging from about 70% among middle-age and older individuals to upwards of 97% among younger individuals (Aschbrenner et al. 2018b ; Birnbaum et al. 2017b ; Brunette et al. 2019 ; Naslund et al. 2016 ). Other exploratory studies have found that many of these individuals with mental illness appear to turn to social media to share their personal experiences, seek information about their mental health and treatment options, and give and receive support from others facing similar mental health challenges (Bucci et al. 2019 ; Naslund et al. 2016b ).

Across the USA and globally, very few people living with mental illness have access to adequate mental health services (Patel et al. 2018 ). The wide reach and near ubiquitous use of social media platforms may afford novel opportunities to address these shortfalls in existing mental health care, by enhancing the quality, availability, and reach of services. Recent studies have explored patterns of social media use, impact of social media use on mental health and wellbeing, and the potential to leverage the popularity and interactive features of social media to enhance the delivery of interventions. However, there remains uncertainty regarding the risks and potential harms of social media for mental health (Orben and Przybylski 2019 ) and how best to weigh these concerns against potential benefits.

In this commentary, we summarized current research on the use of social media among individuals with mental illness, with consideration of the impact of social media on mental wellbeing, as well as early efforts using social media for delivery of evidence-based programs for addressing mental health problems. We searched for recent peer reviewed publications in Medline and Google Scholar using the search terms “mental health” or “mental illness” and “social media,” and searched the reference lists of recent reviews and other relevant studies. We reviewed the risks, potential harms, and necessary safety precautions with using social media for mental health. Overall, our goal was to consider the role of social media as a potentially viable intervention platform for offering support to persons with mental disorders, promoting engagement and retention in care, and enhancing existing mental health services, while balancing the need for safety. Given this broad objective, we did not perform a systematic search of the literature and we did not apply specific inclusion criteria based on study design or type of mental disorder.

Social Media Use and Mental Health

In 2020, there are an estimated 3.8 billion social media users worldwide, representing half the global population (We Are Social 2020 ). Recent studies have shown that individuals with mental disorders are increasingly gaining access to and using mobile devices, such as smartphones (Firth et al. 2015 ; Glick et al. 2016 ; Torous et al. 2014a , b ). Similarly, there is mounting evidence showing high rates of social media use among individuals with mental disorders, including studies looking at engagement with these popular platforms across diverse settings and disorder types. Initial studies from 2015 found that nearly half of a sample of psychiatric patients were social media users, with greater use among younger individuals (Trefflich et al. 2015 ), while 47% of inpatients and outpatients with schizophrenia reported using social media, of which 79% reported at least once-a-week usage of social media websites (Miller et al. 2015 ). Rates of social media use among psychiatric populations have increased in recent years, as reflected in a study with data from 2017 showing comparable rates of social media use (approximately 70%) among individuals with serious mental illness in treatment as compared with low-income groups from the general population (Brunette et al. 2019 ).

Similarly, among individuals with serious mental illness receiving community-based mental health services, a recent study found equivalent rates of social media use as the general population, even exceeding 70% of participants (Naslund et al. 2016 ). Comparable findings were demonstrated among middle-age and older individuals with mental illness accessing services at peer support agencies, where 72% of respondents reported using social media (Aschbrenner et al. 2018b ). Similar results, with 68% of those with first episode psychosis using social media daily were reported in another study (Abdel-Baki et al. 2017 ).

Individuals who self-identified as having a schizophrenia spectrum disorder responded to a survey shared through the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) and reported that visiting social media sites was one of their most common activities when using digital devices, taking up roughly 2 h each day (Gay et al. 2016 ). For adolescents and young adults ages 12 to 21 with psychotic disorders and mood disorders, over 97% reported using social media, with average use exceeding 2.5 h per day (Birnbaum et al. 2017b ). Similarly, in a sample of adolescents ages 13–18 recruited from community mental health centers, 98% reported using social media, with YouTube as the most popular platform, followed by Instagram and Snapchat (Aschbrenner et al. 2019 ).

Research has also explored the motivations for using social media as well as the perceived benefits of interacting on these platforms among individuals with mental illness. In the sections that follow (see Table 1 for a summary), we consider three potentially unique features of interacting and connecting with others on social media that may offer benefits for individuals living with mental illness. These include: (1) Facilitate social interaction; (2) Access to a peer support network; and (3) Promote engagement and retention in services.

Facilitate Social Interaction

Social media platforms offer near continuous opportunities to connect and interact with others, regardless of time of day or geographic location. This on demand ease of communication may be especially important for facilitating social interaction among individuals with mental disorders experiencing difficulties interacting in face-to-face settings. For example, impaired social functioning is a common deficit in schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and social media may facilitate communication and interacting with others for these individuals (Torous and Keshavan 2016 ). This was suggested in one study where participants with schizophrenia indicated that social media helped them to interact and socialize more easily (Miller et al. 2015 ). Like other online communication, the ability to connect with others anonymously may be an important feature of social media, especially for individuals living with highly stigmatizing health conditions (Berger et al. 2005 ), such as serious mental disorders (Highton-Williamson et al. 2015 ).

Studies have found that individuals with serious mental disorders (Spinzy et al. 2012 ) as well as young adults with mental illness (Gowen et al. 2012 ) appear to form online relationships and connect with others on social media as often as social media users from the general population. This is an important observation because individuals living with serious mental disorders typically have few social contacts in the offline world and also experience high rates of loneliness (Badcock et al. 2015 ; Giacco et al. 2016 ). Among individuals receiving publicly funded mental health services who use social media, nearly half (47%) reported using these platforms at least weekly to feel less alone (Brusilovskiy et al. 2016 ). In another study of young adults with serious mental illness, most indicated that they used social media to help feel less isolated (Gowen et al. 2012 ). Interestingly, more frequent use of social media among a sample of individuals with serious mental illness was associated with greater community participation, measured as participation in shopping, work, religious activities, or visiting friends and family, as well as greater civic engagement, reflected as voting in local elections (Brusilovskiy et al. 2016 ).

Emerging research also shows that young people with moderate to severe depressive symptoms appear to prefer communicating on social media rather than in-person (Rideout and Fox 2018 ), while other studies have found that some individuals may prefer to seek help for mental health concerns online rather than through in-person encounters (Batterham and Calear 2017 ). In a qualitative study, participants with schizophrenia described greater anonymity, the ability to discover that other people have experienced similar health challenges and reducing fears through greater access to information as important motivations for using the Internet to seek mental health information (Schrank et al. 2010 ). Because social media does not require the immediate responses necessary in face-to-face communication, it may overcome deficits with social interaction due to psychotic symptoms that typically adversely affect face-to-face conversations (Docherty et al. 1996 ). Online social interactions may not require the use of non-verbal cues, particularly in the initial stages of interaction (Kiesler et al. 1984 ), with interactions being more fluid and within the control of users, thereby overcoming possible social anxieties linked to in-person interaction (Indian and Grieve 2014 ). Furthermore, many individuals with serious mental disorders can experience symptoms including passive social withdrawal, blunted affect, and attentional impairment, as well as active social avoidance due to hallucinations or other concerns (Hansen et al. 2009 ), thus potentially reinforcing the relative advantage, as perceived by users, of using social media over in person conversations.

Access to a Peer Support Network

There is growing recognition about the role that social media channels could play in enabling peer support (Bucci et al. 2019 ; Naslund et al. 2016b ), referred to as a system of mutual giving and receiving where individuals who have endured the difficulties of mental illness can offer hope, friendship, and support to others facing similar challenges (Davidson et al. 2006 ; Mead et al. 2001 ). Initial studies exploring use of online self-help forums among individuals with serious mental illnesses have found that individuals with schizophrenia appeared to use these forums for self-disclosure and sharing personal experiences, in addition to providing or requesting information, describing symptoms, or discussing medication (Haker et al. 2005 ), while users with bipolar disorder reported using these forums to ask for help from others about their illness (Vayreda and Antaki 2009 ). More recently, in a review of online social networking in people with psychosis, Highton-Williamson et al. ( 2015 ) highlight that an important purpose of such online connections was to establish new friendships, pursue romantic relationships, maintain existing relationships or reconnect with people, and seek online peer support from others with lived experience (Highton-Williamson et al. 2015 ).

Online peer support among individuals with mental illness has been further elaborated in various studies. In a content analysis of comments posted to YouTube by individuals who self-identified as having a serious mental illness, there appeared to be opportunities to feel less alone, provide hope, find support and learn through mutual reciprocity, and share coping strategies for day-to-day challenges of living with a mental illness (Naslund et al. 2014 ). In another study, Chang ( 2009 ) delineated various communication patterns in an online psychosis peer-support group (Chang 2009 ). Specifically, different forms of support emerged, including “informational support” about medication use or contacting mental health providers, “esteem support” involving positive comments for encouragement, “network support” for sharing similar experiences, and “emotional support” to express understanding of a peer’s situation and offer hope or confidence (Chang 2009 ). Bauer et al. ( 2013 ) reported that the main interest in online self-help forums for patients with bipolar disorder was to share emotions with others, allow exchange of information, and benefit by being part of an online social group (Bauer et al. 2013 ).

For individuals who openly discuss mental health problems on Twitter, a study by Berry et al. ( 2017 ) found that this served as an important opportunity to seek support and to hear about the experiences of others (Berry et al. 2017 ). In a survey of social media users with mental illness, respondents reported that sharing personal experiences about living with mental illness and opportunities to learn about strategies for coping with mental illness from others were important reasons for using social media (Naslund et al. 2017 ). A computational study of mental health awareness campaigns on Twitter provides further support with inspirational posts and tips being the most shared (Saha et al. 2019 ). Taken together, these studies offer insights about the potential for social media to facilitate access to an informal peer support network, though more research is necessary to examine how these online interactions may impact intentions to seek care, illness self-management, and clinically meaningful outcomes in offline contexts.

Promote Engagement and Retention in Services

Many individuals living with mental disorders have expressed interest in using social media platforms for seeking mental health information (Lal et al. 2018 ), connecting with mental health providers (Birnbaum et al. 2017b ), and accessing evidence-based mental health services delivered over social media specifically for coping with mental health symptoms or for promoting overall health and wellbeing (Naslund et al. 2017 ). With the widespread use of social media among individuals living with mental illness combined with the potential to facilitate social interaction and connect with supportive peers, as summarized above, it may be possible to leverage the popular features of social media to enhance existing mental health programs and services. A recent review by Biagianti et al. ( 2018 ) found that peer-to-peer support appeared to offer feasible and acceptable ways to augment digital mental health interventions for individuals with psychotic disorders by specifically improving engagement, compliance, and adherence to the interventions and may also improve perceived social support (Biagianti et al. 2018 ).

Among digital programs that have incorporated peer-to-peer social networking consistent with popular features on social media platforms, a pilot study of the HORYZONS online psychosocial intervention demonstrated significant reductions in depression among patients with first episode psychosis (Alvarez-Jimenez et al. 2013 ). Importantly, the majority of participants (95%) in this study engaged with the peer-to-peer networking feature of the program, with many reporting increases in perceived social connectedness and empowerment in their recovery process (Alvarez-Jimenez et al. 2013 ). This moderated online social therapy program is now being evaluated as part of a large randomized controlled trial for maintaining treatment effects from first episode psychosis services (Alvarez-Jimenez et al. 2019 ).

Other early efforts have demonstrated that use of digital environments with the interactive peer-to-peer features of social media can enhance social functioning and wellbeing in young people at high risk of psychosis (Alvarez-Jimenez et al. 2018 ). There has also been a recent emergence of several mobile apps to support symptom monitoring and relapse prevention in psychotic disorders. Among these apps, the development of PRIME (Personalized Real-time Intervention for Motivational Enhancement) has involved working closely with young people with schizophrenia to ensure that the design of the app has the look and feel of mainstream social media platforms, as opposed to existing clinical tools (Schlosser et al. 2016 ). This unique approach to the design of the app is aimed at promoting engagement and ensuring that the app can effectively improve motivation and functioning through goal setting and promoting better quality of life of users with schizophrenia (Schlosser et al. 2018 ).

Social media platforms could also be used to promote engagement and participation in in-person services delivered through community mental health settings. For example, the peer-based lifestyle intervention called PeerFIT targets weight loss and improved fitness among individuals living with serious mental illness through a combination of in-person lifestyle classes, exercise groups, and use of digital technologies (Aschbrenner et al. 2016b , c ). The intervention holds tremendous promise as lack of support is one of the largest barriers towards exercise in patients with serious mental illness (Firth et al. 2016 ), and it is now possible to use social media to counter such. Specifically, in PeerFIT, a private Facebook group is closely integrated into the program to offer a closed platform where participants can connect with the lifestyle coaches, access intervention content, and support or encourage each other as they work towards their lifestyle goals (Aschbrenner et al. 2016a ; Naslund et al. 2016a ). To date, this program has demonstrated preliminary effectiveness for meaningfully reducing cardiovascular risk factors that contribute to early mortality in this patient group (Aschbrenner, Naslund, Shevenell, Kinney, et al., 2016), while the Facebook component appears to have increased engagement in the program, while allowing participants who were unable to attend in-person sessions due to other health concerns or competing demands to remain connected with the program (Naslund et al. 2018 ). This lifestyle intervention is currently being evaluated in a randomized controlled trial enrolling young adults with serious mental illness from real world community mental health services settings (Aschbrenner et al. 2018a ).

These examples highlight the promise of incorporating the features of popular social media into existing programs, which may offer opportunities to safely promote engagement and program retention, while achieving improved clinical outcomes. This is an emerging area of research, as evidenced by several important effectiveness trials underway (Alvarez-Jimenez et al. 2019 ; Aschbrenner et al. 2018a ), including efforts to leverage online social networking to support family caregivers of individuals receiving first episode psychosis services (Gleeson et al. 2017 ).

Challenges with Social Media for Mental Health

The science on the role of social media for engaging persons with mental disorders needs a cautionary note on the effects of social media usage on mental health and wellbeing, particularly in adolescents and young adults. While the risks and harms of social media are frequently covered in the popular press and mainstream news reports, careful consideration of the research in this area is necessary. In a review of 43 studies in young people, many benefits of social media were cited, including increased self-esteem and opportunities for self-disclosure (Best et al. 2014 ). Yet, reported negative effects were an increased exposure to harm, social isolation, depressive symptoms, and bullying (Best et al. 2014 ). In the sections that follow (see Table 1 for a summary), we consider three major categories of risk related to use of social media and mental health. These include: (1) Impact on symptoms; (2) Facing hostile interactions; and (3) Consequences for daily life.

Impact on Symptoms

Studies consistently highlight that use of social media, especially heavy use and prolonged time spent on social media platforms, appears to contribute to increased risk for a variety of mental health symptoms and poor wellbeing, especially among young people (Andreassen et al. 2016 ; Kross et al. 2013 ; Woods and Scott 2016 ). This may partly be driven by the detrimental effects of screen time on mental health, including increased severity of anxiety and depressive symptoms, which have been well documented (Stiglic and Viner 2019 ). Recent studies have reported negative effects of social media use on mental health of young people, including social comparison pressure with others and greater feeling of social isolation after being rejected by others on social media (Rideout and Fox 2018 ). In a study of young adults, it was found that negative comparisons with others on Facebook contributed to risk of rumination and subsequent increases in depression symptoms (Feinstein et al. 2013 ). Still, the cross-sectional nature of many screen time and mental health studies makes it challenging to reach causal inferences (Orben and Przybylski 2019 ).

Quantity of social media use is also an important factor, as highlighted in a survey of young adults ages 19 to 32, where more frequent visits to social media platforms each week were correlated with greater depressive symptoms (Lin et al. 2016 ). More time spent using social media is also associated with greater symptoms of anxiety (Vannucci et al. 2017 ). The actual number of platforms accessed also appears to contribute to risk as reflected in another national survey of young adults where use of a large number of social media platforms was associated with negative impact on mental health (Primack et al. 2017 ). Among survey respondents using between 7 and 11 different social media platforms compared with respondents using only 2 or fewer platforms, there were 3 times greater odds of having high levels of depressive symptoms and a 3.2 times greater odds of having high levels of anxiety symptoms (Primack et al. 2017 ).

Many researchers have postulated that worsening mental health attributed to social media use may be because social media replaces face-to-face interactions for young people (Twenge and Campbell 2018 ) and may contribute to greater loneliness (Bucci et al. 2019 ) and negative effects on other aspects of health and wellbeing (Woods and Scott 2016 ). One nationally representative survey of US adolescents found that among respondents who reported more time accessing media such as social media platforms or smartphone devices, there were significantly greater depressive symptoms and increased risk of suicide when compared with adolescents who reported spending more time on non-screen activities, such as in-person social interaction or sports and recreation activities (Twenge et al. 2018 ). For individuals living with more severe mental illnesses, the effects of social media on psychiatric symptoms have received less attention. One study found that participation in chat rooms may contribute to worsening symptoms in young people with psychotic disorders (Mittal et al. 2007 ), while another study of patients with psychosis found that social media use appeared to predict low mood (Berry et al. 2018 ). These studies highlight a clear relationship between social media use and mental health that may not be present in general population studies (Orben and Przybylski 2019 ) and emphasize the need to explore how social media may contribute to symptom severity and whether protective factors may be identified to mitigate these risks.

Facing Hostile Interactions

Popular social media platforms can create potential situations where individuals may be victimized by negative comments or posts. Cyberbullying represents a form of online aggression directed towards specific individuals, such as peers or acquaintances, which is perceived to be most harmful when compared with random hostile comments posted online (Hamm et al. 2015 ). Importantly, cyberbullying on social media consistently shows harmful impact on mental health in the form of increased depressive symptoms as well as worsening of anxiety symptoms, as evidenced in a review of 36 studies among children and young people (Hamm et al. 2015 ). Furthermore, cyberbullying disproportionately impacts females as reflected in a national survey of adolescents in the USA, where females were twice as likely to be victims of cyberbullying compared with males (Alhajji et al. 2019 ). Most studies report cross-sectional associations between cyberbullying and symptoms of depression or anxiety (Hamm et al. 2015 ), though one longitudinal study in Switzerland found that cyberbullying contributed to significantly greater depression over time (Machmutow et al. 2012 ).

For youth ages 10 to 17 who reported major depressive symptomatology, there were over 3 times greater odds of facing online harassment in the last year compared with youth who reported mild or no depressive symptoms (Ybarra 2004 ). Similarly, in a 2018 national survey of young people, respondents ages 14 to 22 with moderate to severe depressive symptoms were more likely to have had negative experiences when using social media and, in particular, were more likely to report having faced hostile comments or being “trolled” from others when compared with respondents without depressive symptoms (31% vs. 14%) (Rideout and Fox 2018 ). As these studies depict risks for victimization on social media and the correlation with poor mental health, it is possible that individuals living with mental illness may also experience greater hostility online compared to individuals without mental illness. This would be consistent with research showing greater risk of hostility, including increased violence and discrimination, directed towards individuals living with mental illness in in-person contexts, especially targeted at those with severe mental illnesses (Goodman et al. 1999 ).

A computational study of mental health awareness campaigns on Twitter reported that while stigmatizing content was rare, it was actually the most spread (re-tweeted) demonstrating that harmful content can travel quickly on social media (Saha et al. 2019 ). Another study was able to map the spread of social media posts about the Blue Whale Challenge, an alleged game promoting suicide, over Twitter, YouTube, Reddit, Tumblr, and other forums across 127 countries (Sumner et al. 2019 ). These findings show that it is critical to monitor the actual content of social media posts, such as determining whether content is hostile or promotes harm to self or others. This is pertinent because existing research looking at duration of exposure cannot account for the impact of specific types of content on mental health and is insufficient to fully understand the effects of using these platforms on mental health.

Consequences for Daily Life

The ways in which individuals use social media can also impact their offline relationships and everyday activities. To date, reports have described risks of social media use pertaining to privacy, confidentiality, and unintended consequences of disclosing personal health information online (Torous and Keshavan 2016 ). Additionally, concerns have been raised about poor quality or misleading health information shared on social media and that social media users may not be aware of misleading information or conflicts of interest especially when the platforms promote popular content regardless of whether it is from a trustworthy source (Moorhead et al. 2013 ; Ventola 2014 ). For persons living with mental illness, there may be additional risks from using social media. A recent study that specifically explored the perspectives of social media users with serious mental illnesses, including participants with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, bipolar disorder, or major depression, found that over one third of participants expressed concerns about privacy when using social media (Naslund and Aschbrenner 2019 ). The reported risks of social media use were directly related to many aspects of everyday life, including concerns about threats to employment, fear of stigma and being judged, impact on personal relationships, and facing hostility or being hurt (Naslund and Aschbrenner 2019 ). While few studies have specifically explored the dangers of social media use from the perspectives of individuals living with mental illness, it is important to recognize that use of these platforms may contribute to risks that extend beyond worsening symptoms and that can affect different aspects of daily life.

In this commentary, we considered ways in which social media may yield benefits for individuals living with mental illness, while contrasting these with the possible harms. Studies reporting on the threats of social media for individuals with mental illness are mostly cross-sectional, making it difficult to draw conclusions about direction of causation. However, the risks are potentially serious. These risks should be carefully considered in discussions pertaining to use of social media and the broader use of digital mental health technologies, as avenues for mental health promotion or for supporting access to evidence-based programs or mental health services. At this point, it would be premature to view the benefits of social media as outweighing the possible harms, when it is clear from the studies summarized here that social media use can have negative effects on mental health symptoms, can potentially expose individuals to hurtful content and hostile interactions, and can result in serious consequences for daily life, including threats to employment and personal relationships. Despite these risks, it is also necessary to recognize that individuals with mental illness will continue to use social media given the ease of accessing these platforms and the immense popularity of online social networking. With this in mind, it may be ideal to raise awareness about these possible risks so that individuals can implement necessary safeguards, while highlighting that there could also be benefits. Being aware of the risks is an essential first step, before then recognizing that use of these popular platforms could contribute to some benefits like finding meaningful interactions with others, engaging with peer support networks, and accessing information and services.

To capitalize on the widespread use of social media and to achieve the promise that these platforms may hold for supporting the delivery of targeted mental health interventions, there is need for continued research to better understand how individuals living with mental illness use social media. Such efforts could inform safety measures and also encourage use of social media in ways that maximize potential benefits while minimizing risk of harm. It will be important to recognize how gender and race contribute to differences in use of social media for seeking mental health information or accessing interventions, as well as differences in how social media might impact mental wellbeing. For example, a national survey of 14- to 22-year olds in the USA found that female respondents were more likely to search online for information about depression or anxiety and to try to connect with other people online who share similar mental health concerns when compared with male respondents (Rideout and Fox 2018 ). In the same survey, there did not appear to be any differences between racial or ethnic groups in social media use for seeking mental health information (Rideout and Fox 2018 ). Social media use also appears to have a differential impact on mental health and emotional wellbeing between females and males (Booker et al. 2018 ), highlighting the need to explore unique experiences between gender groups to inform tailored programs and services. Research shows that lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender individuals frequently use social media for searching for health information and may be more likely compared with heterosexual individuals to share their own personal health experiences with others online (Rideout and Fox 2018 ). Less is known about use of social media for seeking support for mental health concerns among gender minorities, though this is an important area for further investigation as these individuals are more likely to experience mental health problems and online victimization when compared with heterosexual individuals (Mereish et al. 2019 ).

Similarly, efforts are needed to explore the relationship between social media use and mental health among ethnic and racial minorities. A recent study found that exposure to traumatic online content on social media showing violence or hateful posts directed at racial minorities contributed to increases in psychological distress, PTSD symptoms, and depression among African American and Latinx adolescents in the USA (Tynes et al. 2019 ). These concerns are contrasted by growing interest in the potential for new technologies including social media to expand the reach of services to underrepresented minority groups (Schueller et al. 2019 ). Therefore, greater attention is needed to understanding the perspectives of ethnic and racial minorities to inform effective and safe use of social media for mental health promotion efforts.

Research has found that individuals living with mental illness have expressed interest in accessing mental health services through social media platforms. A survey of social media users with mental illness found that most respondents were interested in accessing programs for mental health on social media targeting symptom management, health promotion, and support for communicating with health care providers and interacting with the health system (Naslund et al. 2017 ). Importantly, individuals with serious mental illness have also emphasized that any mental health intervention on social media would need to be moderated by someone with adequate training and credentials, would need to have ground rules and ways to promote safety and minimize risks, and importantly, would need to be free and easy to access.

An important strength with this commentary is that it combines a range of studies broadly covering the topic of social media and mental health. We have provided a summary of recent evidence in a rapidly advancing field with the goal of presenting unique ways that social media could offer benefits for individuals with mental illness, while also acknowledging the potentially serious risks and the need for further investigation. There are also several limitations with this commentary that warrant consideration. Importantly, as we aimed to address this broad objective, we did not conduct a systematic review of the literature. Therefore, the studies reported here are not exhaustive, and there may be additional relevant studies that were not included. Additionally, we only summarized published studies, and as a result, any reports from the private sector or websites from different organizations using social media or other apps containing social media–like features would have been omitted. Although, it is difficult to rigorously summarize work from the private sector, sometimes referred to as “gray literature,” because many of these projects are unpublished and are likely selective in their reporting of findings given the target audience may be shareholders or consumers.

Another notable limitation is that we did not assess risk of bias in the studies summarized in this commentary. We found many studies that highlighted risks associated with social media use for individuals living with mental illness; however, few studies of programs or interventions reported negative findings, suggesting the possibility that negative findings may go unpublished. This concern highlights the need for a future more rigorous review of the literature with careful consideration of bias and an accompanying quality assessment. Most of the studies that we described were from the USA, as well as from other higher income settings such as Australia or the UK. Despite the global reach of social media platforms, there is a dearth of research on the impact of these platforms on the mental health of individuals in diverse settings, as well as the ways in which social media could support mental health services in lower income countries where there is virtually no access to mental health providers. Future research is necessary to explore the opportunities and risks for social media to support mental health promotion in low-income and middle-income countries, especially as these countries face a disproportionate share of the global burden of mental disorders, yet account for the majority of social media users worldwide (Naslund et al. 2019 ).

Future Directions for Social Media and Mental Health

As we consider future research directions, the near ubiquitous social media use also yields new opportunities to study the onset and manifestation of mental health symptoms and illness severity earlier than traditional clinical assessments. There is an emerging field of research referred to as “digital phenotyping” aimed at capturing how individuals interact with their digital devices, including social media platforms, in order to study patterns of illness and identify optimal time points for intervention (Jain et al. 2015 ; Onnela and Rauch 2016 ). Given that most people access social media via mobile devices, digital phenotyping and social media are closely related (Torous et al. 2019 ). To date, the emergence of machine learning, a powerful computational method involving statistical and mathematical algorithms (Shatte et al. 2019 ), has made it possible to study large quantities of data captured from popular social media platforms such as Twitter or Instagram to illuminate various features of mental health (Manikonda and De Choudhury 2017 ; Reece et al. 2017 ). Specifically, conversations on Twitter have been analyzed to characterize the onset of depression (De Choudhury et al. 2013 ) as well as detecting users’ mood and affective states (De Choudhury et al. 2012 ), while photos posted to Instagram can yield insights for predicting depression (Reece and Danforth 2017 ). The intersection of social media and digital phenotyping will likely add new levels of context to social media use in the near future.

Several studies have also demonstrated that when compared with a control group, Twitter users with a self-disclosed diagnosis of schizophrenia show unique online communication patterns (Birnbaum et al. 2017a ), including more frequent discussion of tobacco use (Hswen et al. 2017 ), symptoms of depression and anxiety (Hswen et al. 2018b ), and suicide (Hswen et al. 2018a ). Another study found that online disclosures about mental illness appeared beneficial as reflected by fewer posts about symptoms following self-disclosure (Ernala et al. 2017 ). Each of these examples offers early insights into the potential to leverage widely available online data for better understanding the onset and course of mental illness. It is possible that social media data could be used to supplement additional digital data, such as continuous monitoring using smartphone apps or smart watches, to generate a more comprehensive “digital phenotype” to predict relapse and identify high-risk health behaviors among individuals living with mental illness (Torous et al. 2019 ).

With research increasingly showing the valuable insights that social media data can yield about mental health states, greater attention to the ethical concerns with using individual data in this way is necessary (Chancellor et al. 2019 ). For instance, data is typically captured from social media platforms without the consent or awareness of users (Bidargaddi et al. 2017 ), which is especially crucial when the data relates to a socially stigmatizing health condition such as mental illness (Guntuku et al. 2017 ). Precautions are needed to ensure that data is not made identifiable in ways that were not originally intended by the user who posted the content as this could place an individual at risk of harm or divulge sensitive health information (Webb et al. 2017 ; Williams et al. 2017 ). Promising approaches for minimizing these risks include supporting the participation of individuals with expertise in privacy, clinicians, and the target individuals with mental illness throughout the collection of data, development of predictive algorithms, and interpretation of findings (Chancellor et al. 2019 ).

In recognizing that many individuals living with mental illness use social media to search for information about their mental health, it is possible that they may also want to ask their clinicians about what they find online to check if the information is reliable and trustworthy. Alternatively, many individuals may feel embarrassed or reluctant to talk to their clinicians about using social media to find mental health information out of concerns of being judged or dismissed. Therefore, mental health clinicians may be ideally positioned to talk with their patients about using social media and offer recommendations to promote safe use of these sites while also respecting their patients’ autonomy and personal motivations for using these popular platforms. Given the gap in clinical knowledge about the impact of social media on mental health, clinicians should be aware of the many potential risks so that they can inform their patients while remaining open to the possibility that their patients may also experience benefits through use of these platforms. As awareness of these risks grows, it may be possible that new protections will be put in place by industry or through new policies that will make the social media environment safer. It is hard to estimate a number needed to treat or harm today given the nascent state of research, which means the patient and clinician need to weigh the choice on a personal level. Thus, offering education and information is an important first step in that process. As patients increasingly show interest in accessing mental health information or services through social media, it will be necessary for health systems to recognize social media as a potential avenue for reaching or offering support to patients. This aligns with growing emphasis on the need for greater integration of digital psychiatry, including apps, smartphones, or wearable devices, into patient care and clinical services through institution-wide initiatives and training clinical providers (Hilty et al. 2019 ). Within a learning healthcare environment where research and care are tightly intertwined and feedback between both is rapid, the integration of digital technologies into services may create new opportunities for advancing use of social media for mental health.

As highlighted in this commentary, social media has become an important part of the lives of many individuals living with mental disorders. Many of these individuals use social media to share their lived experiences with mental illness, to seek support from others, and to search for information about treatment recommendations, accessing mental health services and coping with symptoms (Bucci et al. 2019 ; Highton-Williamson et al. 2015 ; Naslund et al. 2016b ). As the field of digital mental health advances, the wide reach, ease of access, and popularity of social media platforms could be used to allow individuals in need of mental health services or facing challenges of mental illness to access evidence-based treatment and support. To achieve this end and to explore whether social media platforms can advance efforts to close the gap in available mental health services in the USA and globally, it will be essential for researchers to work closely with clinicians and with those affected by mental illness to ensure that possible benefits of using social media are carefully weighed against anticipated risks.

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Dr. Naslund is supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (U19MH113211). Dr. Aschbrenner is supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (1R01MH110965-01).

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Naslund, J.A., Bondre, A., Torous, J. et al. Social Media and Mental Health: Benefits, Risks, and Opportunities for Research and Practice. J. technol. behav. sci. 5 , 245–257 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41347-020-00134-x

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Received : 19 October 2019

Revised : 24 February 2020

Accepted : 17 March 2020

Published : 20 April 2020

Issue Date : September 2020

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s41347-020-00134-x

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Social Media and Teen Mental Health: A Complex Mix

There is strong evidence to suggest that teenagers in the United States are collectively in the midst of a mental health crisis, as rates of both depression and suicide have climbed in recent years. Could the popularity of social media among young people be to blame?

Melissa DuPont-Reyes, PhD, MPH is an Assistant Professor of Sociomedical Sciences and Epidemiology

Melissa DuPont-Reyes , assistant professor of sociomedical sciences and epidemiology, says the answer may not be as simple as you think. She is leading a new study that takes a holistic perspective, broadening the focus from how the use of TikTok, Instagram, and other social media platforms can harm mental health to include an understanding of how they can be protective, too.

The National Institutes of Mental Health -funded longitudinal study is focused on Latinx adolescents, who use social media more than all other racial/ethnic or age groups, nationally. Beyond a simple measure of the frequency of social media use, Dupont-Reyes and colleagues will drill down into the diverse content young people encounter, including Spanish-language, Latinx-tailored, and English-language posts on a variety of platforms.

The study will collect data on both protective aspects like anti-stigma awareness campaigns and symptom support, as well as negative effects such as stigmatizing content, hate speech, and cyber-bullying. Researchers will examine how these exposures drive youths’ self-perception, help-seeking, and mental health outcomes, as well as the mediating role played by peers and family members.

To accomplish her study objective, in part, Dupont-Reyes will utilize validated, culturally appropriate survey assessments she developed as part of a project funded through a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Pioneering Ideas Award. As part of the new study, young people will have the chance to research the question and have a say in how to address it through a process called Youth Participatory Action Research.

When it comes to social media’s effects on an adolescent mental health, Dupont-Reyes hypothesizes that context matters quite a lot. Her preliminary work has shown that for some youth, social media can be a lifeline. For instance, youth who are unaccompanied minors migrating, are LGBTQI+ in nontolerant settings, have a disability such as a speech impediment or even mental illness, or have experienced police brutality, all report that social media can be empowering as a tool to make their voices heard while also lending support and resources.

“I hope that my project demonstrates a more diverse portrait of adolescents in the U.S., and globally, as well as the social media that they encounter, and specifies the contexts in which social media can be beneficial to mental health and the contexts in which it might be harmful,” she says.

DuPont-Reyes says the evidence generated from the project could inform policies that are more equitable, accountable, and transparent—ultimately to create a safer technological landscape for diverse populations to promote mental health on a population level. At the same time, its findings can reach parents, teachers, the tech industry, health care providers, and others with its message that vilifying social media is not the answer.

“I hope my research can inform a more holistic and equitable approach to creating a safer social media environment for youth that doesn’t solely require restricting technology,” she says.

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The Social Media and Mental Health Connection

Sherri Gordon, CLC is a published author, certified professional life coach, and bullying prevention expert. She's also the former editor of Columbus Parent and has countless years of experience writing and researching health and social issues.

Rachel Goldman, PhD FTOS, is a licensed psychologist, clinical assistant professor, speaker, wellness expert specializing in eating behaviors, stress management, and health behavior change.

Verywell / Catherine Song

Why Social Media Is Growing in Popularity

Social media and mental health concerns, signs social media is impacting your mental health.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in social media use. According to the Pew Research Center, 72% of Americans in the U.S. use social media.

People use social networking tools to stay in touch with family and friends, get their news, and share their political views . This has some researchers wondering about the long-term effects of social media use.

Because social media use is still relatively new, there are no long-term studies documenting its effects. But several studies indicate that social media impacts mental health in a number of ways. The increasing reliance on and use of social media puts a large number of Americans at an increased risk for feeling anxious, depressed, lonely, envious, and even ill over social media use.

Aside from the fact that social media allows people to reconnect with family and friends that live far away or that they have lost touch with, it became a vital communication tool during the pandemic.

Social Media Supports Connections

People used social media to share information and connect with others when stay-at-home orders kept them from meeting in person. It became a vehicle for social support and connectedness that they would not otherwise have had.

Social Media Makes People Feel Good

Social media has a tendency to reinforce use. People quickly become hooked on checking their statuses for comments and likes, as well as perusing other people's posts.

Using social media sometimes activates the brain's reward center by releasing dopamine , also known as the feel-good chemical. This dopamine release, in turn, keeps people coming back because they want to repeat those feel-good experiences.

Social Media Boosts Self-Esteem

Social media also can boost self-esteem , especially if a person is viewed favorably online or gets a number of likes or interactions on their content. And social media allows some people to share parts of their identity that may be challenging to communicate in person.

Social media can be particularly helpful for people with social anxiety who struggle to interact with people in person.

Despite the above benefits, researchers are discovering that there are some downsides to social media, particularly with regard to mental health.

Social Media Use May Contribute to Depression

For a technology that's supposed to bring people closer together, it can have the opposite effect—especially when disagreements erupt online. Social media has been linked to depression , anxiety, and loneliness. It can make people feel isolated and alone.

One 2017 study found that young people who use social media more than two hours per day are much more likely to categorize their mental health as fair or poor compared to occasional social media users.

A large-scale study of young adults in the U.S. found that occasional users of social media are three times less likely to experience symptoms of depression than heavy users.

Social Media May Hurt Your Self-Esteem

While social media can sometimes be a self-esteem booster, it can also cause you to experience feelings of inadequacy about your life and your appearance. Even if you know that the images you see online are manipulated or represent someone else's highlight reel, they can still cause feelings of insecurity, envy, and dissatisfaction.

Fear of Missing Out

Another mental health phenomenon associated with social media is what is known as FOMO , or the "fear of missing out." Social media sites like Facebook and Instagram exacerbate the fear that you're missing something or that other people are living a better life than you are.

In extreme cases, FOMO can cause you to become tethered to your phone where you are constantly checking for updates or responding to every single alert.

Social Media Can Lead to Self-Absorption

Sharing endless selfies as well as your innermost thoughts on social media can create an unhealthy self-centeredness that causes you to focus on crafting your online image rather than making memories with your friends and family members in real life.

In fact, strenuous efforts to engage in impression management or get external validation can have psychological costs, especially if the approval you're seeking is never received. Ultimately, the lack of positive feedback online can lead to self-doubt and self-hatred .

Impulse Control Issues

Excessive social media use can lead to impulse control issues , especially if you access your social networks using a smartphone. This means that you have round-the-clock access to your accounts, which not only makes it easy for you always to be connected, but can affect your concentration and focus. It can even disturb your sleep and compromise your in-person relationships.

Social Media May Be Used As an Unhealthy Coping Mechanism

Social media can become an unhealthy way of coping with uncomfortable feelings or emotions . For instance, if you turn to social media when you're feeling down, lonely, or bored, you're potentially using it as a way to distract you from unpleasant feelings.

Ultimately, social media is a poor way to self-soothe, especially because perusing social media can often make you feel worse instead of better.

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Because everyone is different, there is no set amount of time spent on social media that is recommended. Instead, you need to evaluate how your social media use is impacting your life, including how you feel when you don't use social media as well as how you feel after using it.

A 2018 University of Pennsylvania study suggests that self-monitoring can change one's perception of social media. According to the lead researcher, psychologist Melissa G. Hunt, PhD, using social media less than you normally do, can lead to significant decreases in loneliness and depression. By using self-monitoring and making adjustments, people can significantly improve their overall well-being.

Social Media Distracts You

If you find that your social media use is impacting your relationships or is distracting you from work or school, it may be problematic. Additionally, if scrolling through social media leaves you feeling envious, depressed, anxious, or angry, then you need to re-evaluate your use.

It could be that you need to detox from social media and spend some time offline in order to safeguard your mental health.

You Use Social Media to Avoid Negative Emotions

Social media also could be an issue if you tend to use it to fight boredom or to deal with loneliness. Although these feelings are uncomfortable and it's only natural to want to alleviate them, turning to social media for comfort or as a distraction is not a healthy way to cope with difficult feelings and emotions.

As a result, it may be time for you to reassess your social media habits. Here are some additional signs that social media may be having a negative impact on your life and your mental health:

• Your symptoms of anxiety, depression, and loneliness are increasing.
• You are spending more time on social media than with your real-world friends and family members.
• You tend to compare yourself unfavorably with others on social media or you find that are your frequently jealous of others.
• You are being trolled or cyberbullied by others online.
• You are engaging in risky behaviors or taking outrageous photos in order to gain likes.
• Your work obligations, family life, or school work is suffering because of the time you spend on social media.
• You have little time for self-care activities like mindfulness , self-reflection, exercise, and sleep.

If you're spending a significant amount of time on social media and you're beginning to notice feelings of sadness, dissatisfaction, frustration, and loneliness that are impacting your life and your relationships, it may be time to re-evaluate your online habits.

If you find that even after adjusting your social media use, you're still experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, it's important to talk with your healthcare provider so that you can be evaluated. With proper treatment, you will soon be feeling better.

If you or a loved one are struggling with [condition name], contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database .

Pew Research Center. Social media fact sheet .

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Social media use and mental health among students in Ontario . CAMH Population Studies eBulletin . 2018;19(2).

Lin LY, Sidani JE, Shensa A, et al. Association between social media use and depression among U.S. young adults . Depress Anxiety . 2016;33(4):323-31. doi:10.1002/da.22466.

Chou H-TG, Edge N. “They are happier and having better lives than i am”: The impact of using Facebook on perceptions of others’ lives .  Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw . 2012;15(2):117-121. doi:10.1089/cyber.2011.0324

Hunt MG, Marx R, Lipson C, Young J. No more FOMO: limiting social media decreases loneliness and depression . J Soc Clin Psychol . 2018;37(10):751-768. doi:10.1521/jscp.2018.37.10.751

Karim F, Oyewande AA, Abdalla LF, Chaudhry Ehsanullah R, Khan S. Social media use and its connection to mental health: a systematic review .  Cureus . 2020;12(6):e8627. doi:10.7759/cureus.8627

Pantic I. Online social networking and mental health .  Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw . 2014;17(10):652-657. doi:10.1089/cyber.2014.0070

By Sherri Gordon Sherri Gordon, CLC is a published author, certified professional life coach, and bullying prevention expert. She's also the former editor of Columbus Parent and has countless years of experience writing and researching health and social issues.

Social Media

Can social media cause mental health conditions, what is the real relationship between using social media and poor mental health.

Posted March 28, 2024 | Reviewed by Michelle Quirk

• Understanding any link requires an understanding of what diagnosis of a mental health condition involves.
• Talk of causation can be misleading as to the nature of the needed exploration.
• It may be better to examine the relationships between the social media use behavior and behaviors that emerge.

Legitimate questions have been asked for a long period concerning whether social media use causes particular mental health conditions. Mental health conditions such as depression , anxiety , autism spectrum disorder, attention -deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and narcissistic personality disorder have been linked with overuse of social media. If the development of such conditions is demonstrated to be correlated with the usage of social media, then whether a causal relationship exists appears to be an important and sensible question. However, understanding any link between social media use and mental health conditions is far from straightforward and requires a subtle understanding of what the diagnosis of a mental health condition involves.

4 Possible Reasons

There are several plausible answers to the question of what underlies the correlations often seen in the literature. Firstly, it could be that social media use leads to the development of mental health conditions. This answer implies a causal relationship and suggests that something about social media use is damaging to mental health. Secondly, it could be that mental health conditions lead to social media use. This answer suggests that the presence of mental health conditions somehow makes a person use social media more often, perhaps as a coping mechanism or management strategy. Thirdly, it may be that some third variable leads to the development of mental health conditions and overuse of social media; for instance, an attachment problem may provoke mental health issues as well as using social media to gain attachment that cannot otherwise be found. Finally, it could be argued that social media use produces behaviours similar to those seen in mental health conditions but that are not really the same as a mental health condition. For example, heavy selfie-posting on social media may lead to behaviours similar to those seen with narcissism, but that are not really narcissism.

All these solutions to why a correlation exists between social media overuse and mental health problems are legitimate, in the sense that all have been posited and all fall within the realm of sensible scientific discourse. However, there is an issue that all such attempts to address this relationship must grapple with, which concerns the nature of a mental health problem. All the above solutions, although different in their particulars, share one thing in common—namely, they all assume that there is such a thing as a mental health condition that can be caused. They all assume some kind of relatively straightforward "billiard ball" model of cause and effect—that is, one thing (e.g., social media use) impacts upon another (e.g., mental health) and sets the second thing in motion.

It may be that this sort of causal model does not capture the relationship between a particular behaviour (overuse of social media) and a set of subsequently co-occurring behaviours (the mental health condition). The first can be regarded as a single sort of thing—the use of a digital device—and this sort of thing could easily be fitted into a billiard-ball model of causation. However, the latter (the mental health condition) is not a thing in the sense that there is an "it," but rather, this is a concept, and it is far from clear that a concept is a type of thing that can be caused in a billiard ball sort of way.

There are many everyday conceptions of what a mental health condition is; often, people think of these conditions as illnesses, like a cold, that have signs and symptoms (e.g., coughs and sneezes) resulting from an underlying viral infection. In this conception, the cause-effect relationship is somewhat difficult to specify, as the virus does not cause the cold, but the virus is identical to the cold (and so cannot be its cause in any ordinary sense). The virus might possibly be said to be the cause of the signs and symptoms associated with the cold (although, this is tricky), or some event could be said to have caused the virus to act on the person. If this view of a mental health condition is to be followed, then any of the first three explanations as to the social-media-use and poor-mental-health relationship, noted above, must be examined carefully for their precise view of what is being caused by what.

However, in mental health, there is an aspect of the above cold-virus-symptoms relationship that is missing: There is no thing (like a virus) that underlies the signs and symptoms of a mental health condition. A mental health condition is defined, in all recognised diagnostic manuals, only as a cluster of signs and symptoms that, when occurring together in the appropriate numbers, are termed a "mental health condition." For example, for depression, there must exist together a minimum of five out of a possible nine behaviours; there is no depression independent of these behaviours. In this sense, social media use does not cause a mental health condition like a virus causes the signs and symptoms in a physical illness. The mental health condition does not exist beyond the signs and symptoms; it is identical with those signs and symptoms—note the contrast between the nature of the identity present in physical and mental health—and so cannot be their cause.

Looking for the Relationship Rather Than Causation

It may be more proper to look for the relationship between social media use and particular behaviours, rather than a mental health condition, per se. Once this view is taken, then the fourth view, outlined above—that social media use is related to particular behaviours that look like, but are not, particular mental health conditions—cannot be correct. If the behaviours are those that tick the boxes for a mental health condition, and they occur together in the appropriate numbers, then it is that mental health condition.

The upshot of any such analysis is that talk of causation between social media use and mental health conditions can be confusing and can be misleading as to the nature of the exploration that needs to be undertaken. It may be much more profitable to examine the functional relationships between the behaviour of social media use and the behaviours that subsequently emerge. To start searching for things that do not exist outside those behaviours can produce much wasted time and effort. It can also allow a degree of misdirection in terms of the harms that can be done by social media, by obscuring the important relationships involved.

Phil Reed, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at Swansea University.

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Persuasive Essay Writing

Persuasive Essay About Social Media

Learn How to Write a Persuasive Essay About Social Media With Examples

Published on: Jan 26, 2023

Last updated on: Jan 29, 2024

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Are you looking to learn how to write a persuasive essay about social media? 

Perfect, you've come to the right place!

From navigating the power of hashtags to analyzing changes in public opinion, these examples will help guide you on your journey. 

Whether you’re a seasoned pro at writing persuasive essays or just a starter, look at these examples to be inspired.

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Brief Overview of Persuasive Essay

A persuasive essay persuades the reader or audience to take a particular stance on an issue. It is used to present an opinion on any subject, and it typically takes the form of an academic essay. It includes evidence and facts supporting its arguments.

The writer must use facts and reliable sources to back up his or her claims.

It is also important that the essay should be well-structured. It should have clear arguments and a logical flow from one point to another.

Learn more about crafting perfect persuasive essays with the help of our detailed guide.

Persuasive Essay Examples About Social Media

Are you a student unsure how to write persuasive essays successfully? Well, never fear! 

We've got examples of some amazing persuasive essays about social media that will surely give you inspiration. Let’s take a look at a short persuasive essay example: 

Check these FREE downloadable samples of persuasive essays! 

Persuasive essay about social media on students

Persuasive essay about social media addiction

Persuasive Essay about Social Media Platforms are Danger to Our Privacy

Persuasive essay about social media beneficial or harmful

Persuasive essay about social media privacy

Persuasive essay on social media is bad for students

Examples of Argumentative Essay about Social Media

To help get your creative juices flowing, look at these example argumentative essays about social media below!

Argumentative essay about social media advantages and disadvantages

Argumentative essay about social media addiction

For more examples of persuasive essays, check out our blog on persuasive essay examples .

How Can You Write a Persuasive Essay About Social Media?      

A persuasive essay about social media can be an interesting and challenging task.

Understanding what makes a persuasive essay unique and how to craft arguments that effectively communicate your point of view is important. 

These are a few steps you should follow before writing an effective persuasive essay on social media.

Step 1: Decide Your Stance

First, you must decide on your stance regarding the issue at hand. Are you for or against the use of social media? Are you in support of social media?

After you decide your stance, move on to the research process.

Step 2: Conduct Due Research

Once you have established your position, you must research the topic and develop an argument that supports your stance. 

Make sure to include facts, statistics, and examples to back up your points.

Step 3: Outline Your Essay

Create a structured persuasive essay outline before delving into detailed writing. This roadmap will help organize your thoughts, ensuring a logical flow of arguments. Outline your introduction, key points, counterarguments, and conclusion.

Step 4: Craft Your Introduction 

The introduction should provide context, state the thesis statement , and grab the reader's attention. It precedes deciding your stance and initiates the overall writing process.

Read this free PDF to learn more about crafting essays on social media!

Persuasive essay about social media introduction

Step 5: Write the Body

Organize your arguments logically in the body of the essay. Each paragraph should focus on a specific point, supported by research and addressing counterarguments. This follows the introduction and precedes maintaining a persuasive tone.

Step 6: Address All Counterarguments

It is important to anticipate potential counterarguments from those who oppose your stance. 

Take time to address these points directly and provide evidence for why your opinion is more valid.

Step 7: Maintain a Persuasive Tone

To maintain your audience's attention, it is important to write in a confident and persuasive tone throughout the essay. 

Use strong language that will make readers take notice of your words. 

Check out this video on persuasive writing tones and styles.

Step 8: Conclude Your Essay

Finally, end your essay with a memorable conclusion that will leave your audience with something to think about. 

With these important steps taken into account, you can create an effective persuasive essay about social media!

Step 9: Revise and Edit

After completing your initial draft, take time to revise and edit your essay. Ensure clarity, coherence, and the effective flow of arguments. This step follows the conclusion of your essay and precedes the final check for overall effectiveness.

Persuasive Essay About Social Media Writing Tips

Here are some additional writing tips to refine your persuasive essay on social media.

• Highlight Numbers: Use facts and numbers to show how important social media is.
• Tell Stories: Share real stories to help people connect with the impact of social media.
• Use Pictures: Add charts or pictures to make your essay more interesting and easy to understand.
• Answer Questions: Think about what people might disagree with and explain why your ideas are better.
• Talk About What's Right: Explain why it's important to use social media in a good and fair way.

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Social Media Persuasive Essay Topics

Take a look at these creative and enticing persuasive essay topics. Choose from one of them or get inspiration from these topics.

• Should social media platforms be held accountable for cyberbullying?
• Should age restrictions be stricter for social media access to protect younger users from its negative effects?
• Should social media companies be mandated to prioritize user privacy over targeted advertising?
• Should schools integrate mandatory education on the pitfalls of social media for students?
• Should governments regulate the amount of time users spend on social media to prevent addiction?
• Should social media influencers face stricter guidelines for promoting unrealistic body standards?
• Should there be more transparency about how algorithms on social media platforms amplify divisive content?
• Should employers be allowed to consider an applicant's social media profiles during the hiring process?
• Should there be penalties for social networking sites that propagate false information?
• Should there be a limit on the amount of personal data social media platforms can collect from users?

Check out some more interesting persuasive essay topics to get inspiration for your next essay.

Wrapping up, 

Learning how to write persuasive essays about social media matters in today's digital world is crucial whether you are a high school student or a college student. These examples guide us in exploring both the good and bad sides of social media's impact. 

We hope this persuasive blog on social media has given you a few new ideas to consider when persuading your audience.

But if you are struggling with your essay assignment do not hesitate to seek professional help. At CollegeEssay.org , our writing experts can help you get started on any type of essay. 

With our professional persuasive essay writing service , you can be confident that your paper will be written in utmost detail.

So don't wait any longer! Just ask us ' write my essay ' today and let us help you make the most of your writing experience!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some good persuasive essay topics.

Good persuasive essay topics can include topics related to social media, such as 

• whether or not it should be regulated more heavily,
• the impact of social media on society, 
• how social media has changed our daily lives.

How do you write an introduction for social media essay?

You should start by briefly explaining what the essay will cover and why it is important. 

You should also provide brief background information about the topic and what caused you to choose it for your essay.

What is a good title for a social media essay?

A good title for a social media essay could be "The Impact of Social Media on Society" or "Social Media: Regulation and Responsibility." 

These titles indicate the content that will be discussed in the essay while still being interesting and thought-provoking.

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Student Opinion

310 Prompts for Argumentative Writing

Questions on everything from mental health and sports to video games and dating. Which ones inspire you to take a stand?

By Natalie Proulx

Does social media harm young people’s mental health? Do video games deserve the bad rap they often get? Should parents track their children? Who is the greatest athlete of all time?

Every school day, we publish new questions for students based on the news of the day, including prompts, like these, that inspire persuasive writing.

Below, we’ve rounded up over 300 of those argumentative prompts, organized by topic, all in one place. They cover everything from parenting and schools to music and social media. Each one, drawn from our Student Opinion column , links to a free New York Times article as well as additional subquestions that can help you think more deeply about it.

You can use these prompts however you like, whether to inspire an entry for our new Open Letter Contest , to hone your persuasive writing skills or simply to share your opinions on the issues of today. So scroll through the list below and see which ones inspire you to take a stand.

If you enjoy these questions, know that you can find all of our argumentative writing prompts, as they publish, here . Students 13 and up from anywhere in the world are invited to comment.

Argumentative Prompt Topics

Technology and social media, college, work and money, health and relationships, gender and race, arts and entertainment, parenting and childhood, government and politics, animals, science and time.

Social Media

1. Does Social Media Harm Young People’s Mental Health? 2. How Much Should Speech Be Moderated on Social Media? 3. Should the United States Ban TikTok? 4. How Young Is Too Young to Use Social Media? 5. Should Kids Be Social Media Influencers? 6. What Should Be Done to Protect Children Online? 7. Should There Be Separate Social Media Apps for Children? 8. Are You a Fan of ‘School Accounts’ on Social Media? 9. Will Social Media Help or Hurt Your College and Career Goals? 10. Is It Ever OK to Use Strangers as Content for Social Media?

Phones and Devices

11. Should More Teenagers Ditch Their Smartphones? 12. Should the Adults in Your Life Be Worried by How Much You Use Your Phone? 13. Should Phones Ever Be a Part of Family or Holiday Gatherings? 14. What Are Your Texting Dos and Don’ts? 15. Does Grammar Still Matter in the Age of Twitter? 16. Is Your Phone Love Hurting Your Relationships? 17. Should Texting While Driving Be Treated Like Drunken Driving? 18. How Young Is Too Young for an Apple Watch?

The Internet

19. Do Memes Make the Internet a Better Place? 20. How Excited Are You About the Metaverse? 21. Should Websites Force Users to Prove How Old They Are? 22. What Is the Best Way to Stop Abusive Language Online? 23. How Do You Feel About Cancel Culture? 24. Does Online Public Shaming Prevent Us From Being Able to Grow and Change? 25. Do You Think Online Conspiracy Theories Can Be Dangerous? 26. Does Technology Make Us More Alone?

School Discipline and Attendance

27. Should Schools Ban Cellphones? 28. How Should Schools Hold Students Accountable for Hurting Others? 29. What Are Your Thoughts on Uniforms and Strict Dress Codes? 30. Should Schools Test Their Students for Nicotine and Drug Use? 31. How Can Schools Engage Students Who Are at Risk of Dropping Out? 32. Should Students Be Allowed to Miss School for Mental Health Reasons? 33. Should Your School Day Start Later? 34. Should There Still Be Snow Days? 35. Do Kids Need Recess? 36. Should Students Be Punished for Not Having Lunch Money?

School Quality and Effectiveness

37. How Do You Think American Education Could Be Improved? 38. Do Schools Need to Do More to Hold Students Accountable? 39. Are Straight A’s Always a Good Thing? 40. Should Students Have the Same Teachers Year After Year? 41. Do Teachers Assign Too Much Homework? 42. Should We Get Rid of Homework? 43. Should We Eliminate Gifted and Talented Programs? 44. Is It Time to Get Rid of Timed Tests? 45. What Role Should Textbooks Play in Education? 46. How Should Senior Year in High School Be Spent? 47. Does Your School Need More Money? 48. Do School Employees Deserve More Respect — and Pay? 49. Should Public Preschool Be a Right for All Children?

Teaching and Learning

50. Do You Think We Need to Change the Way Math Is Taught? 51. Should Financial Literacy Be a Required Course in School? 52. Should Schools Teach Students Kitchen and Household Skills? 53. Do We Need Better Music Education? 54. What Are the Most Important Things Students Should Learn in School? 55. What Is the Purpose of Teaching U.S. History? 56. Do Schools Need to Do More to Support Visual Thinkers? 57. Is School a Place for Self-Expression? 58. Should Media Literacy Be a Required Course in School? 59. Can Empathy Be Taught? Should Schools Try to Help Us Feel One Another’s Pain? 60. Should Schools Teach You How to Be Happy? 61. Should All Schools Teach Cursive? 62. Should Kids Still Learn to Tell Time? 63. How Important Is Knowing a Foreign Language

Technology in School

64. How Should Schools Respond to ChatGPT? 65. Does Learning to Be a Good Writer Still Matter in the Age of A.I.? 66. Is Online Learning Effective? 67. Should Students Be Monitored When Taking Online Tests? 68. Should Schools Be Able to Discipline Students for What They Say on Social Media? 69. Can Social Media Be a Tool for Learning and Growth in Schools? 70. Should Facial Recognition Technology Be Used in Schools? 71. Is Live-Streaming Classrooms a Good Idea? 72. Should Teachers and Professors Ban Student Use of Laptops in Class? 73. Are the Web Filters at Your School Too Restrictive?

Education Politics

74. Do You Feel Your School and Teachers Welcome Both Conservative and Liberal Points of View? 75. Should Students Learn About Climate Change in School? 76. Should Teachers Provide Trigger Warnings for ‘Traumatic Content’? 77. Should Teachers Be Allowed to Wear Political Symbols? 78. What Do You Think About Efforts to Ban Books From School Libraries? 79. What Is Your Reaction to the Growing Fight Over What Young People Can Read? 80. What Do You Think About the Controversy Surrounding the New A.P. Course on African American Studies? 81. Should Schools or Employers Be Allowed to Tell People How They Should Wear Their Hair? 82. Does Prayer Have Any Place in Public Schools? 83. Should Schools Be Allowed to Censor Student Newspapers?

College Admissions

84. Should Colleges Consider Standardized Tests in Admissions? 85. Should Students Let ChatGPT Help Them Write Their College Essays? 86. What Is Your Reaction to the End of Race-Based Affirmative Action in College Admissions? 87. Are Early-Decision Programs Unfair? Should Colleges Do Away With Them? 88. Is the College Admissions Process Fair? 89. How Much Do You Think It Matters Where You Go to College? 90. Should Everyone Go to College? 91. Should College Be Free? 92. Is Student Debt Worth It? 93. Should High Schools Post Their Annual College Lists?

Campus Life

94. What Should Free Speech Look Like on Campus? 95. Should Greek Life on College Campuses Come to an End? 96. Should Universities Work to Curtail Student Drinking? 97. How Should the Problem of Sexual Assault on Campuses Be Addressed? 98. Are Lavish Amenities on College Campuses Useful or Frivolous? 99. Should ‘Despised Dissenters’ Be Allowed to Speak on College Campuses? 100. Should Emotional Support Animals Be Allowed on College Campuses?

Jobs and Careers

101. Is High School a Good Time to Train for a Career? 102. Is There Such a Thing as a ‘Useless’ College Major? 103. Should All High School Students Have Part-Time Jobs? 104. Should National Service Be Required for All Young Americans? 105. Is It OK to Use Family Connections to Get a Job?

Money and Business

106. Do You Think the American Dream Is Real? 107. Should All Young People Learn How to Invest in the Stock Market? 108. Should We All Go Cashless? 109. When Should You Tip? 110. Should We End the Practice of Tipping? 111. Are You a Crypto Optimist or Skeptic? 112. Do Celebrities and Influencers Make You Want to Buy What They’re Selling? 113. Is $1 Billion Too Much Money for Any One Person to Have? 114. Are C.E.O.s Paid Too Much? 115. Is It Immoral to Increase the Price of Goods During a Crisis? 116. What Should Stores Do With Unsold Goods? 117. Is There a ‘Right Way’ to Be a Tourist? 118. Who Should We Honor on Our Money?

Mental Health

119. Is Teen Mental Health in a State of Crisis? 120. ‘Love-Bombing.’ ‘Gaslighting.’ ‘Victim.’ Is ‘Trauma Talk’ Overused? 121. Does Achieving Success Always Include Being Happy? 122. Is Struggle Essential to Happiness? 123. Should Schools Teach Mindfulness? 124. How Can We Bring an End to the ‘Epidemic of Loneliness’? 125. Does Every Country Need a ‘Loneliness Minister’? 126. What Ideas Do You Have to Bring Your Community Closer Together? 127. Are Emotional-Support Animals a Scam? 128. Is It OK to Laugh During Dark Times?

Dating and Relationships

129. Who Should Pay for Dates? 130. Do Marriage Proposals Still Have a Place in Today’s Society? 131. Should Your Significant Other Be Your Best Friend? 132. How Do You Think Technology Affects Dating?

Physical Health

133. Should Governments Do More to Discourage People From Smoking and Vaping? 134. How Should Adults Talk to Kids About Drugs? 135. Can Laziness Be a Good Thing? 136. Should There Be Requirements for Teens Who Want to Ride E-Bikes? 137. What Advice Should Parents and Counselors Give Teenagers About Sexting? 138. Should All Children Be Vaccinated? 139. Do We Worry Too Much About Germs?

140. Is It Becoming More Acceptable for Men and Boys to Cry? 141. Is It Harder for Men and Boys to Make and Keep Friends? 142. Should Award Shows Eliminate Gendered Categories? 143. Should There Be More Gender Options on Identification Documents? 144. Justice Ginsburg Fought for Gender Equality. How Close Are We to Achieving That Goal? 145. What Should #MeToo Mean for Teenage Boys? 146. What Is Hard About Being a Boy? 147. Should There Be More Boy Dolls? 148. Is Single-Sex Education Still Useful? 149. Are Beauty Pageants Still Relevant? 150. Should Period Products Be Free? 151. What Are Your Thoughts on Last Names? 152. What Rules Should Apply to Transgender Athletes When They Compete? 153. What Is Your Reaction to the Recent Wave of Legislation That Seeks to Regulate the Lives of Transgender Youths? 154. What Do You Wish Lawmakers Knew About How Anti-L.G.B.T.Q. Legislation Affects Teenagers?

Identity, Race and Ethnicity

155. How Should Schools Respond to Racist Jokes? 156. How Should Parents Teach Their Children About Race and Racism? 157. What Is Your Reaction to Efforts to Limit Teaching on Race in Schools? 158. How Should Racial Slurs in Literature Be Handled in the Classroom? 159. Should Confederate Statues Be Removed or Remain in Place? 160. Should We Rename Schools Named for Historical Figures With Ties to Racism, Sexism or Slavery? 161. How Should We Remember the Problematic Actions of the Nation’s Founders? 162. Does the United States Owe Reparations to the Descendants of Enslaved People? 163. What Can History Teach Us About Resilience? 164. Should All Americans Receive Anti-Bias Education? 165. Is Fear of ‘The Other’ Poisoning Public Life? 166. What Stereotypical Characters Make You Cringe? 167. When Talking About Identity, How Much Do Words Matter? 168. How Useful Is It to Be Multilingual?

TV and Movies

169. Is True Crime As a Form of Entertainment Ethical? 170. Should Old TV Shows Be Brought Back? 171. Does Reality TV Deserve Its Bad Rap? 172. How Closely Should Actors’ Identities Reflect the Roles They Play? 173. In the Age of Digital Streaming, Are Movie Theaters Still Relevant? 174. Do We Need More Female Superheroes? 175. Is Hollywood Becoming More Diverse? 176. When Does Lying in Comedy Cross a Line? 177. How Do You Feel About ‘Nepotism Babies’?

Music and Video Games

178. Will A.I. Replace Pop Stars? 179. If Two Songs Sound Alike, Is It Stealing? 180. Should Musicians Be Allowed to Copy or Borrow From Other Artists? 181. How Do You Feel About Censored Music? 182. What Are the Greatest Songs of All Time? 183. Do Video Games Deserve the Bad Rap They Often Get? 184. Should There Be Limits on How Much Time Young People Spend Playing Video Games? 185. Should More Parents Play Video Games With Their Kids?

186. Are A.I.-Generated Pictures Art? 187. What Work of Art Should Your Friends Fall in Love With? 188. If Artwork Offends People, Should It Be Removed? 189. Should Museums Return Looted Artifacts to Their Countries of Origin? 190. Should Art Come With Trigger Warnings? 191. Is the Digital Era Improving or Ruining the Experience of Art? 192. Are Museums Still Important in the Digital Age? 193. Can You Separate Art From the Artist? 194. Are There Subjects That Should Be Off-Limits to Artists, or to Certain Artists in Particular? 195. Should Graffiti Be Protected?

Books and Literature

196. Is Listening to a Book Just as Good as Reading It? 197. Should Classic Children’s Books Be Updated for Today’s Young Readers? 198. Should White Writers Translate a Black Author’s Work? 199. Is There Any Benefit to Reading Books You Hate? 200. Should Libraries Get Rid of Late Fees?

201. What’s the Best — and Worst — Part of Being a Sports Fan? 202. Who Is the GOAT? 203. Do Women’s Sports Deserve More Attention? 204. What Should Be Done About the Gender Pay Gap in Sports? 205. Should Girls and Boys Sports Teams Compete in the Same League? 206. Should More Sports Be Coed? 207. College Athletes Can Now Be Paid. But Not All of Them Are Seeing Money. Is That Fair? 208. Should High School-Age Basketball Players Be Able to Get Paid? 209. Are Some Youth Sports Too Intense? 210. Are Youth Sports Too Competitive? 211. Is It Bad Sportsmanship to Run Up the Score in Youth Sports? 212. Is It Ethical to Be a Football Fan? 213. Does the N.F.L. Have a Race Problem? 214. What New Rules Would Improve Your Favorite Sport? 215. What Sports Deserve More Hype? 216. How Should We Punish Sports Cheaters? 217. Should Technology in Sports Be Limited? 218. Does Better Sports Equipment Unfairly Improve Athletic Ability? 219. Is It Offensive for Sports Teams and Their Fans to Use Native American Names, Imagery and Gestures? 220. Is It Selfish to Pursue Risky Sports Like Extreme Mountain Climbing? 221. Should Cheerleading Be an Olympic Sport?

Related Writing Prompt

222. Should Parents Ever Be Held Responsible for the Harmful Actions of Their Children? 223. Where Is the Line Between Helping a Child Become More Resilient and Pushing Them Too Hard? 224. Should Parents Give Children More Responsibility at Younger Ages? 225. Should Parents Tell Children the Truth About Santa? 226. Should Parents Weigh in on Their Kids’ Dating Lives? 227. Should Parents Track Their Children? 228. How Should Parents Support a Student Who Has Fallen Behind in School? 229. Do Parents Ever Cross a Line by Helping Too Much With Schoolwork? 230. What’s the Best Way to Discipline Children? 231. What Are Your Thoughts on ‘Snowplow Parents’? 232. Should Stay-at-Home Parents Be Paid? 233. Should Parents Bribe Their Children?

Childhood and Growing Up

234. Is It Harder to Grow Up in the 21st Century Than It Was in the Past? 235. Is Childhood Today Over-Supervised? 236. When Do You Become an Adult? 237. Who Should Decide Whether a Teenager Can Get a Tattoo or Piercing? 238. Do We Give Children Too Many Trophies? 239. What Can Older Generations Learn From Gen Z? 240. What Is the Worst Toy Ever?

Legislation and Policy

241. Should the Death Penalty Be Abolished? 242. Should Marijuana Be Legal? 243. Should the United States Decriminalize the Possession of Drugs? 244. What Is Your Reaction to the State of Abortion Rights? 245. Should the Government Cancel Student Debt? 246. Should Public Transit Be Free? 247. Should There Be More Public Restrooms? 248. Should the U.S. Be Doing More to Prevent Child Poverty? 249. Should the Government Provide a Guaranteed Income for Families With Children? 250. Should Law Enforcement Be Able to Use DNA Data From Genealogy Websites for Criminal Investigations?

Gun Violence

251. Are You Concerned About Violence in America? 252. How Should Americans Deal With the Problem of Gun Violence? 253. What Should Lawmakers Do About Guns and Gun Violence? 254. Should the U.S. Ban Military-Style Semiautomatic Weapons? 255. Should Teachers Be Armed With Guns?

Voting and Elections

256. How Much Faith Do You Have in the U.S. Political System? 257. Is the Electoral College a Problem? Does It Need to Be Fixed? 258. Does Everyone Have a Responsibility to Vote? 259. Should We All Be Able to Vote by Mail? 260. Should There Be a Minimum Voting Age? 261. Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? 262. Should Ex-Felons Have the Right to Vote? 263. Are Presidential Debates Helpful to Voters? Or Should They Be Scrapped?

Freedoms and Rights

264. How Important Is Freedom of the Press? 265. Why Does the Right to Protest Matter? 266. Does the U.S. Constitution Need an Equal Rights Amendment? 267. Do You Care Who Sits on the Supreme Court? Should We Care? 268. Should You Have a Right to Be Rude? 269. Should Prisons Offer Incarcerated People Education Opportunities?

Civic Participation

270. Are You Optimistic About the State of the World? 271. If You Could Take On One Problem Facing Our World, What Would It Be? 272. If You Were Mayor, What Problems Facing Your Community Would You Tackle? 273. Do You Think Teenagers Can Make a Difference in the World? 274. Do You Think It Is Important for Teenagers to Participate in Political Activism? 275. Is Your Generation Doing Its Part to Strengthen Our Democracy? 276. How Is Your Generation Changing Politics? 277. Why Is It Important for People With Different Political Beliefs to Talk to Each Other? 278. Are We Being Bad Citizens If We Don’t Keep Up With the News? 279. Why Do Bystanders Sometimes Fail to Help When They See Someone in Danger? 280. When Is It OK to Be a Snitch? 281. Should Reporters Ever Help the People They Are Covering? 282. Should Celebrities Weigh In on Politics? 283. Should Athletes Speak Out On Social and Political Issues? 284. Should Corporations Take Political Stands? 285. What Do You Think the Role of the First Lady — or First Spouse — Should Be Today?

286. Is Animal Testing Ever Justified? 287. What Is Our Responsibility to Lab Animals? 288. What Are Your Thoughts About Hunting Animals? 289. Should We Be Concerned With Where We Get Our Pets? 290. What Do You Think of Pet Weddings? 291. Is It Wrong to Focus on Animal Welfare When Humans Are Suffering? 292. Should We Bring Back Animals From Extinction? 293. Are Zoos Immoral? 294. Do Bugs Deserve More Respect?

Environment and Science

295. What Role Should Young People Play in the Fight Against Climate Change? 296. Should We Be More Optimistic About Efforts to Combat Climate Change? 297. How Far Is Too Far in the Fight Against Climate Change? 298. Should Plastic Bags Be Banned Everywhere? 299. Is It Ethical to Create Genetically Edited Humans? 300. Should We Still Be Sending Astronauts to Space? 301. Do You Think Pluto Should Be a Planet? 302. Should We Treat Robots Like People?

Time and Seasons

303. What Is the Best Month of the Year? What Is the Worst? 304. Would Life Be Better Without Time Zones? 305. Do You Think It Is Time to Get Rid of Daylight Saving Time? 306. When Do Holiday Decorations Go From Festive to Excessive? 307. Should We Rethink Thanksgiving? 308. When Does a Halloween Costume Cross the Line? 309. Should School Be a Place to Celebrate Halloween? 310. Should the Week Be Four Days Instead of Five?

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.

Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.

Natalie Proulx joined The Learning Network as a staff editor in 2017 after working as an English language arts teacher and curriculum writer. More about Natalie Proulx

Daily Sundial

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Q&A: How social media affects mental health

Social media is a big part of our everyday lives which can affect our mental health both positively and negatively. Social media can cause a number of mental health concerns , which include anxiety, depression, isolation and more. It is easy to lose track of time on our devices, and that can be due to social media. I am guilty of this and sometimes find myself scrolling for hours because it is addicting.

Some positive effects of social media include staying in touch with friends and family, spreading news, inspiration, entertainment and more. I like to use social media mostly for entertainment because it keeps me distracted when I’m stressed. TikTok is my favorite app because there is an endless amount of content that doesn’t get boring. I also like to use social media to stay up to date on what is happening in the world.

Some people may use social media more than others. Social media can affect our mental health in different ways and it is important we understand how it makes us feel. We should all be more aware of the time we consume on social media and how it impacts us. I interviewed two students at CSUN to get their take on social media and how it affects them.

I conducted an interview with Veronica Rocha, a junior majoring in communications.

Q: How often do you use social media? What is your screen time? Does it affect your sleeping schedule? A: Every week my screen time typically consists of three to four hours; it does affect my sleeping schedule, but not by too much.

Q: Why do you post online? Does it feel good to get likes? Or comments? A: I like to post things that I find nice or aesthetic for my profile, but also for other people to see these things as well. Since the world in my eyes is completely different from what the media and culture describe pretty to be, I like to share what I consider beautiful and interesting, like nature, different areas and cultures too. It doesn’t affect me if I don’t get any likes at all. I don’t care much for comments since it’s only available for others to add their opinion, which I don’t really take too deep into consideration.

Q: What is your most used app? A: My most used app is Instagram.

Q: Does it cause you anxiety to be on social media? A: When my life gets stressful I use social media apps to make me forget about my life. Personally, it does give me anxiety.

Q: Do you ever get bored of being online? A: I get super bored of being online since the content feels very repetitive and gossip is always spreading around that feels irrelevant to me. If I’m on my phone for an hour I’ll start to get bored super quick.

I also interviewed Zoe Kono, a junior majoring in communications. Q: How often do you use social media? What is your screen time? Does it affect your sleeping schedule? A : I use social media every day. My screen time averages seven hours a day. It absolutely affects my sleeping schedule. Before I go to bed, I feel a need to scroll on my phone to decompress and empty my mind.

Q: Why do you post online? Does it feel good to get likes? Or comments? A: I don’t post often. When I do post on Instagram, it’s usually a story post. I like sharing my friends doing funny things, pictures I think look cool, and I also promote creative projects I’m involved in.

It feels good when people like and comment on my stories and posts. I’m seeking positive feedback and approval when I post, so when I get that, it’s a quick form of fun.

Q: What is your most used app? A: Instagram.

Q: Does it cause you anxiety to be on social media? A: Yes, I do get anxious; even though I don’t post often, I get feelings of inadequacy. I must prove I am funny, I must prove I am pretty, I must prove I am smart.

Q: Do you ever get bored of being online? A: I don’t get bored when I am actively online, but I get bored afterwards when I have the frequent reminder that there is more I desire in my life than social media. I feel a back and forth between the good and bad aspects of social media.

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• v.24(5); 2022 May

The Use of Social Media as a Persuasive Platform to Facilitate Nutrition and Health Behavior Change in Young Adults: Web-Based Conversation Study

Vanessa j friedman.

1 Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia

2 Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

Cassandra J C Wright

3 Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Australia

Annika Molenaar

Tracy mccaffrey, linda brennan.

4 Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Australia

Megan S C Lim

5 University of Melbourne, Carlton, Australia

Globally, suboptimal dietary choices are a leading cause of noncommunicable diseases. Evidence for effective interventions to address these behaviors, particularly in young adults, is limited. Given the substantial time young adults spend in using social media, there is interest in understanding the current and potential role of these platforms in shaping dietary behavior.

This study aims to explore the influence of social media on young adults’ dietary behaviors.

We recruited 234 young adults aged 18-24 years and living in Australia, using market and social research panels. We applied a digital ethnography approach to collect data from web-based conversations in a series of forums, where participants responded to different health-themed questions related to health behavior change and persuasion on social media. We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis.

Participants described how social media influenced their decisions to change their health behaviors. Access to social support and health information through web-based communities was juxtaposed with exposure to highly persuasive fast-food advertisements. Some participants expressed that exposure to web-based health-focused content induced feelings of guilt about their behavior, which was more prominent among women. Fast-food advertisements were discussed as a contributor to poor health behaviors and indicated as a major barrier to change.

Conclusions

Young adults reported that social media is highly persuasive toward dietary behavior through different pathways of social influence. This suggests that social norms on the web are an important aspect of changing young adults’ health behaviors. The commercialization of social media also encourages poor health behaviors, largely through fast-food advertisements. Future social media–delivered dietary interventions should acknowledge the social and environmental factors that challenge the ability of young adults to make individual health behavior improvements. Care should also be taken to ensure that future interventions do not further elicit guilt in a way that contributes to poor mental health within this community.

Introduction

Young adults’ health and nutrition.

The prevalence of noncommunicable diseases is increasing globally, and they have become a leading health concern. It is known that suboptimal diets with low intake of fruits and vegetables and high intake of processed fatty foods are contributing to this trend [ 1 ]. Therefore, it is concerning that the diet quality of young adults typically reduces as they navigate the challenging shift from adolescence to adulthood [ 2 ]. Transitioning away from school and family resources toward workforce or further study has a strong and lasting impact on a young adult’s dietary behaviors [ 3 , 4 ]. Studies show that many young adults prioritize other aspects of their lives over healthy eating, which may be perceived as expensive and time-consuming for an age group that typically has low income [ 5 , 6 ]. The transitional nature of young adulthood can also present challenges in creating targeted and effective dietary interventions to reach this population [ 4 ]. Previous research has shown that young adults conceptualize health more broadly than physical health or the prevention of chronic disease and value mental, social, financial, and spiritual aspects [ 7 ]. As such, to develop engaging, feasible, and acceptable approaches that target dietary behaviors in this age group, the focus needs to extend beyond long-term health and should incorporate holistic views and short-term benefits [ 7 ].

Previous qualitative studies suggest that dietary behaviors during young adulthood are strongly influenced by internal perceptions and social norms [ 5 , 8 , 9 ]. Young adults were found to base their food choices on what they perceived their friends or family were eating, highlighting the power of socially normative messages in this domain [ 9 ]. Social media has become a key component of the social environment of young adults [ 8 , 10 , 11 ]. The ability to share, comment on, and react to other users’ posts increases interactions in this setting [ 12 ]. Social media delivers a constant stream of social input to young adults and has become a place for them to view and compare themselves with idealized versions of both their peers’ and strangers’ lives [ 7 ]. A recent systematic review indicated that image-related comparisons on social media may negatively impact the body image of young adults and drive poor eating behaviors such as restriction or overeating [ 13 ].

Social Media and Nutrition

In 2018, a total of 99% of Australians aged 18-29 years used social media regularly, with 89% of them accessing their accounts at least once daily [ 14 ]. High rates of social media use have led food brands and companies to use social media to enhance their engagement with young adults [ 15 ]. Many fast-food companies use largely unregulated social media advertising regimes to promote energy-dense nutrient-poor foods that are shared throughout young adult peer networks [ 8 , 15 ]. Social media influencers have emerged as key players in these marketing strategies [ 16 , 17 ]. They are recognized as people who hold persuasive power by sharing their lives on various platforms and forming emotional connections with their audiences [ 16 , 17 ]. As such, companies work with influencers who provide paid product reviews to their audiences to boost the company’s sales and consumer engagement rates [ 17 ]. Some influencers exclusively post health and lifestyle content; however, many of these health-focused influencers lack professional accreditation and may post misleading nutrition advice that is not evidence-based [ 18 ]. Currently, experts in nutrition are becoming less trusted [ 19 ], and social media users are more likely to engage with and trust health-focused content from influencers than that from food industry or health promotion [ 20 ]. Hence, commentary from influencers has a relatively large impact on the values, beliefs, and behaviors of consumers regarding nutrition in both positive and negative ways [ 18 ].

The ability of social media to influence young adult audiences has also sparked interest from public health practitioners as a potential platform for health promotion [ 21 ]. Social media has previously been shown to influence health knowledge, with some studies identifying its positive influence on young adults through access to healthy recipes and exercises [ 10 , 11 , 22 ]. A recent systematic review identified that social media–delivered nutrition interventions that target adolescents and young adults lead to significant dietary improvements in 11 of 16 studies [ 11 ]. However, many of the interventions used were complex, with social media often being part of a secondary component, thus making it difficult to distinguish the true impact [ 11 ]. Our systematic review evaluated the efficacy of social media–delivered nutrition interventions in young adults only and identified that engagement with social media content varied greatly between 3% and 69% [ 22 ]. Young adults preferred to use social media passively, in a unilateral interaction, receiving information rather than sharing information [ 22 ]. Young adults were also not comfortable with talking about their weight on the web, highlighting the need to avoid weight-centric narrative in health promotion [ 22 ]. In 2 separate studies, we also found that social media users engage more frequently with food industry and lifestyle brands than with health promotion [ 20 , 23 ]. This highlights the need to develop more effective social media–delivered health promotion tools to encourage healthy behaviors in Australian young adults. Thus, the impact of social media on dietary behaviors must be further explored, and its persuasive abilities must be further understood.

Phase 1a of the Communicating Health project seeks to gain insight into the use and application of social media, as it relates to 12 health-related and eating-related topics. This will allow for the identification of the channels, tones, and content-types that have the greatest potential for health promotion development. To understand how to develop effective social media–delivered health promotion tools, first, it is important to explore whether social media is currently impacting young adult dietary behaviors, and if so, how it is being used as a platform for persuasion. As such, this study aims to investigate what prompts young adults to make positive health and nutrition behavior changes and to understand the influence of social media as a persuasive medium on young adults’ health and nutrition behaviors.

Web-Based Conversations

This study is part of the larger Communicating Health project [ 24 ], which is a multistage mixed methods study that explores the dietary behaviors and social media use of Australian young adults. It aims to develop health promotion strategies using social marketing techniques. The data used in this study form a part of the formative phase of the Communicating Health project, phase 1a, which involved web-based conversations that explored young adults’ health, eating behaviors, and social media use [ 24 ]. An outline of all 4 phases of the Communicating Health project has been published previously [ 24 ]. The qualitative web-based conversations were hosted by an independent market research field house over a 4-week period. The web-based conversations were prompted by questions posed by the market research facilitators in moderated and secure web-based chat rooms. This method is based on digital ethnographic principles to understand how the digital aspects of society interact with the other material, sensory, and social aspects of human existence [ 25 , 26 ]. As a responsive data collection technique commonly used in consumer behavior research, web-based conversations allowed participants to interact with each other for a longer period than that allowed in traditional focus groups or interviews [ 27 ].

Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate

Phase 1a received ethics approval from the RMIT Business College Human Ethics Advisory Network (project number 20489) and the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee (project number 7807). Participants consented to anonymized findings being published when they completed the patient information and consent form before participating in the study. Ethics approval for this project was granted by the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee (project ID 19417).

Recruitment

Guided by previous studies with similar methodologies [ 28 ], the recruitment target was 200 young adults aged 18-24 years, living in Australia, and using social media at least twice a day. The recruitment period was from May 2017 to June 2017. This process was facilitated by an Australian Research Society–certified field house [ 29 ]. Young adults who had previously provided consent to participate in the research by signing up to market research panels were invited to participate in this study. Participants were from 3 research panels that were accredited by the International Organization for Standardization [ 30 - 32 ].

Panel members were sent an email invitation to complete a short screening questionnaire to assess their eligibility. Then, those who were eligible were asked to complete a profiling survey for collecting demographic information, self-reported weight and height (to calculate BMI [kg/m 2 ]), social media use, and interest in health. Health interest (low or moderate and high) was determined by the median value of the following question asked in the profiling survey: “On a scale of 1-7 where 1 means ‘Strongly Disagree’ and 7 means ‘Strongly Agree’, please indicate how strongly you agree with the following statement - I take an active interest in my health.” The profiling survey was completed by 234 participants, who were then provided a link through email to sign up to the web-based conversation website. The participant flow diagram is shown in Figure 1 . Then, the participants were stratified into 4 communities based on their age (18-21 years and 22-24 years) and interest in health (low or moderate and high). Those with low interest in health were grouped separately from those with moderate and high interest in health and, then, further divided by age, leading to 4 groups with 42-60 participants each. Profiling was set to achieve approximately equal number of participants in all groups and an approximately nationally representative distribution of gender and location (both Australian State or Territory and location type; ie, metropolitan and regional locations) [ 33 ]. All 4 communities had access to the same forums but could only interact with the members within their community. The dropout rate was high, which was expected for this age group. Therefore, a referral system was established, in which existing participants could refer a friend, who was then screened and profiled in the same way.

Participant flow diagram.

Data Collection

The web-based conversations were conducted on a private web-based forum portal from May 10, 2017, to June 6, 2017. There were 20 forums in total (each took approximately 5 minutes to complete), 3 short polls, and an ongoing journal entry to which the participants were asked to contribute at least four times. The participants were also asked to complete 2 different challenges. The first challenge invited the participants to come up with a creative way to make more young adults to eat more fruits and vegetables. The second challenge asked the participants to persuade someone to kick-start a healthy lifestyle, using ≤160 characters. Then, the participants were able to see each other’s ideas and comment on their favorites. These different aspects of the web-based conversations explored different areas of health, nutrition, and social media, and participants responded to prompts from the market research moderators. The forums were released at different times but remained open for the 4-week period. Owing to different aspects being released on separate weeks, there were different numbers of participants who completed each forum ( Figure 1 ). As per the standard practice by Australian Market and Social Research Society Limited, the participants were reimbursed for their time with a gift voucher worth Aus $100 (US $74.9) upon completion of all aspects of the web-based conversations, with a further Aus $100 (US $74.9) given to the 5 most descriptive and detailed forum responses from each web-based community (ie, 20 in total). This study reports on 2 of the forums that formed the web-based conversations: catalysts for change (referred to as change ) and persuasion on social media (referred to as persuasion ). These were chosen for analysis because they discussed health behavior change and persuasion on social media, which aligned with the research aim of this study. Table 1 describes the prompt questions used in both forums.

Forum prompt questions.

Data Analysis

Descriptive analyses of the profiling survey data were conducted ( Table 2 ). We undertook a thematic analysis of the forum responses using open coding and inductive techniques in alignment with a constructivist interpretation. As detailed in Table 3 , this was guided by the systematic 6-step approach by Braun and Clarke [ 34 ]: data familiarization, generating initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and, finally, producing the report. This process enabled the large data set to be broken down into small units of comparison (codes) and rebuilt into themes that provided a systematic description of the participants’ experiences of health behavior change and social media use. A constant comparison approach was used to identify themes associated with healthy eating and other health behaviors [ 35 ]. Within this approach, each data point was compared with pre-existing data points to identify commonalities that existed within and between the participants’ responses. These commonalities became codes, and then, similar codes were grouped into broader themes that encapsulated the data set. Investigator triangulation was used to reduce subjectivity and enhance the rigor of the research findings [ 36 ]. As such, double-blind coding was conducted by 2 authors (VF and AM), who both coded each data set independently and, then, met to discuss their findings and reach an agreement. The researcher and primary coder of this study (VF) had a background in biomedical science and belonged to the age group of the participants. Growing up with social media, her empathetic connection to the study allowed her to extract details that may have otherwise been missed. The other coder (AM) had a disciplinary background in nutrition, which may have influenced her perception of the participants’ responses. The different backgrounds of each coder allowed the data to be examined from 2 different perspectives, which decreased subjectivity in the interpretation of the results. Although the forums occurred separately, data from both forums were analyzed together as overlapping themes were identified. Owing to different prompts in each forum ( Table 1 ), some forums contributed more to certain themes than others.

Demographic information of the participants who completed the change forum (n=150 a ).

a Of the 150 participants who completed the change forum, 148 (98.7%) participants completed the persuasion forum.

Approach to thematic analysis [ 34 ].

Participant Characteristics

The characteristics of the participants based on self-reported data are presented in Table 2 . Each forum had a different completion rate; change was completed by 76.9% (150/195), and persuasion was completed by 75.9% (148/195). Of the 150 respondents, most were women (n=87, 58%), reported moderate or high interest in health (n=81, 54%), had a healthy BMI (n=82, 54.7%), and were currently studying (n=103, 68.7%). Most participants lived in New South Wales (45/150, 30%) or Victoria (42/150, 28%) and spoke English at home (108/150, 72%).

Thematic Analysis

Following a manual thematic analysis of both forums, the data sets were collated to develop 4 major themes from key recurring concepts. These included (1) peer support, (2) access to influencers and web-based communities, (3) advertising, and (4) constant exposure to content ( Textbox 1 ).

A brief description of the major themes from the data set.

Theme 1: peer support

• Many participants described that social media provided them with access to support from their real-world peers who helped them to make and maintain a health behavior change. Alternatively, peer influence sometimes led to negative health behaviors such as buying fast food. Overall, participants simply wanted to be involved in what their peers were doing, whether this meant attending an exercise class together or buying fast food.

Theme 2: access to influencers and web-based communities

• Health-focused communities managed by persuasive social media influencers were considered by many participants as sources of support for making positive health behavior changes. Some participants believed that these communities enhanced their willpower, whereas other participants shared that they influenced their health attitudes but not their health behaviors. These communities also tended to promote an image-based perspective of health, which evoked feelings of guilt in some participants.

Theme 3: advertising

• Participants described social media newsfeeds that were flooded with advertisements, which they found persuasive. This included health products; however, fast-food advertisements had a more dominant presence. Promotions based on taste and affordability prompted fast-food purchases, which some participants viewed as lack of willpower.

Theme 4: constant exposure to content

• The design of social media to constantly expose its users to content was described as highly persuasive. Repeated exposure to health-themed content made the participants more conscious of their own health behaviors. Some participants explained that constantly viewing health content alongside fast-food advertisements made them feel conflicted and guilty if they consumed fast food.

Peer Support

The young adults in our study noted that their peers influenced their health behaviors through both direct communication on the web and exposure to the content they posted on social media feeds. A participant shared the following:

One of my friends would always message me to double check I was having breakfast and would always ask me what I had because she could tell when I was lying. change forum; female; aged 18-21 years; low interest in health

Participants reported feeling influenced to make health behavior improvements when their peers posted on social media about their own positive changes. This was exemplified by a participant who wrote the following:

I also sometimes get influenced to be fitter when people share on social media their own health transformations. I then reconsider my lifestyle and see what I can do to be more active and healthy myself. persuasion forum; male; aged 18-21 years; low interest in health

Many participants shared that peer influence on social media drove both positive and negative health behaviors based on the content being shared:

Knowing what my friends eat...can encourage me to eat certain things. When a person shares an exercise [post], I am more inclined myself to exercise...when a friend makes a comment on a [Fast food brand name removed]’s post, I am more inclined to check out their deals. persuasion forum; male; aged 22-24 years; moderate and high interest in health

Some participants, most of whom were men, also shared their health activities with peers on social media to reach out for support and hold themselves accountable. A participant explained the following:

To put myself out there on social media really gave me the confidence and gumption to stick to my routine. persuasion forum; male; aged 22-24 years; low interest in health

Access to Influencers and Web-Based Communities

In addition to receiving peer support from friends or acquaintances, the participants also experienced community support through health-focused pages or communities on social media, which were often managed by health-focused influencers. These communities provided participants with access to useful diet and lifestyle information and motivated them by providing a sense of unity and connection with others. A participant shared the following:

Social media has had an extremely positive influence on me when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle...It’s 24/7 access to help, reassurance and motivation. persuasion forum; female; aged 22-24 years; moderate and high interest in health

Female participants with moderate and high interest in health more commonly discussed social media as a positive influence.

The participants also described willpower as an important moderator of the influence that social media content had on their behavior. A participant believed the following:

If I try hard enough to work on my eating and doing more exercise then I will be able to be like them [models] with their hundreds of likes on their photos. persuasion forum; male; aged 18-21 years; moderate and high interest in health

Web-based health communities could motivate these highly driven participants to remain self-disciplined and self-reliant, which helped them to resist negative external influences such as fast-food advertisements. A participant explained the following:

I find it’s easier to stay motivated if I stay home and in routine (without access to bad food of course), and interact regularly with the online fitness/health community. change forum; female; aged 22-24 years; moderate and high interest in health

This was most often discussed by participants aged 18-21 years, with moderate and high interest in health. In contrast, some participants revealed that health-focused communities influenced their attitudes toward health, but not always their behaviors. A participant shared the following:

I’m following many health and ‘fitspo’ blogs and pages which teach me simple recipes and exercise regimes- now whether I actually follow them or not is another question. persuasion forum; female; aged 18-21 years; low interest in health

This concept was most often described by women aged 18-21 years, with low interest in health.

A disadvantage of social media health-focused communities described by some participants was their tendency to portray health in an “image-fueled way” ( persuasion forum; female; aged 18-21 years; moderate and high interest in health). For some participants, this led to feelings of self-doubt from upward comparisons with photos of others on the web. This was exemplified by a participant who wrote the following:

Seeing health/fit looking people on social media...can either inspire people to be healthier or they can discourage people as their body/lifestyle/look is unattainable. persuasion forum; female; aged 18-21 years; moderate and high interest in health

Participants aged 18-21 years more readily associated guilt with health content on social media. The female participants were largely discouraged by this guilt, whereas the male participants discussed that upward comparisons motivated them to make a change.

Other participants described an awareness that their repeated exposure to social media health-focused influencers affected their outlook on which health behaviors they adopted:

While I love hiking and outdoors activities i’m not sure whether that’s entirely due to my own interests or because I see social media influencers with the perfect life doing things like that too...maybe I feel like that’s what having a healthy balanced life is like because that’s how it’s portrayed on social media. persuasion forum; female; aged 22-24 years; low interest in health

Some participants also expressed indifference or disinterest toward social media in general. A participant stated the following:

Social media hasn’t really changed anything, because I don’t really like sharing my thoughts and activities through social media. change forum; male; aged 22-24 years; moderate and high interest in health

This viewpoint was more commonly described by male participants. Similarly, most participants did not engage with social media as a means to actively interact with others, but used it as a purely observational platform. This was most commonly observed in those participants who were aged 22-24 years, with moderate or high interest in health.

Advertising

Participants reported that advertisements on social media also had an impact on their drive to make a health behavior change. Many participants described being drawn to health products that advertised benefits such as weight loss, feeling better, or affordability. A participant was allured by a detox tea, as it claimed “to help prevent bloating, slim your tummy and give you extra vitamins ” ( persuasion forum; female; aged 18-21 years; low interest in health). Participants aged 18-21 years, with low interest in health, more often discussed the persuasive effects of social media advertisements. Exposure to advertisements from large corporations that appeared randomly on participants’ newsfeeds were more often discussed than paid influencer content or products.

Fast-food advertisements were described as having a dominant presence on social media newsfeeds, which influenced the participants’ food choices. A participant explained the following:

Most ads on Facebook influence my health negatively...as they are usually for unhealthy food options. persuasion forum; male; aged 22-24 years; low interest in health

This notion was discussed more often by female participants and those aged 18-21 years. Male participants more commonly referred to cost-based advertisements of fast food as persuasive:

These [fast-food] meals are cheap and easy, [and] although they’re[sic] aren’t healthy I know they will taste good. This [fast-food] advertising is very persuasive as it makes me believe that I am hungry and I can not[sic] stop thinking about the new promotion. persuasion forum; male; aged 18-21 years; moderate and high interest in health

Some participants who revealed the difficulties in resisting fast-food advertisements viewed their temptation as a lapse in self-discipline. A participant remarked the following:

I may have been ‘persuaded’ (read ‘reminded of my weak will’) to purchase [fast food brand name removed] on several occasions. persuasion forum; male; aged 18-21 years; low interest in health

Constant Exposure to Content

The participants described that being frequently exposed to health-themed or food-themed content was a highly influential aspect of social media. They believed that the way content was presented on social media was more persuasive than the content itself, explaining that they were more likely to engage with something if it appeared frequently in their newsfeeds. This was exemplified by a participant who shared the following:

While social media can be used as a platform...to persuade, I really thing [sic] social media...does most of the persuading [itself]. persuasion forum; female; aged 18-21 years; moderate and high interest in health

Although this was discussed in reference to fast-food advertisements, it was more often applied to health content, which encouraged some participants to be more health-conscious:

I see a lot about healthy lifestyle and fitness in my social media feeds and I think that constant exposure has made me much more conscious of the choice I make, and a bit more aware of exercising and eating healthy. persuasion forum; female; aged 22-24 years; low interest in health

Although constant exposure to both general and health-themed content increased engagement in healthy behaviors in most participants, a participant described that they “didn’t want to engage in something that was being shoved in my face every time I opened Facebook, Twitter, and even Instagram” (persuasion forum; female; aged 18-21 years; low interest in health).

Some participants described that the cohabitation of health content and food temptation on the web made them feel guilty about their health behaviors. Their repeated exposure to these conflicting health ideals placed side-by-side evoked poor mental health and body image:

In relation to health and lifestyle it [social media] has not at all helped because it always shows videos of tasty unhealthy recipes and ads for [Fast food brand name removed] and [Fast food brand name removed]...It also then shows me photos of tall, tan, skinny models which makes me feel so bad about eating all the fast food. persuasion forum; female; aged 18-21 years; low interest in health

Principal Findings

This study aimed to contribute to a growing body of research that defines the interplay between young adults’ health behaviors and social media. Specifically, this study aimed to address current gaps regarding what prompts young adults to make positive health and nutrition behavior changes and to understand how social media acts as a platform for persuasion in this process. Our study found that peer support was crucial in shaping young adults’ health behaviors and that using social media to both message friends and view their posts prompted change. Web-based health-focused communities were also identified as a source of support, and health-focused influencers at their helm were found to play a prominent role in persuasion. Other persuasive aspects of social media included fast-food advertisements and constant exposure to content through newsfeeds. These aspects influenced participants’ health behaviors, particularly regarding purchasing fast food or being more conscious of dietary choices.

The participants of this study highlighted social influence as a key driver of health behavior change in social media–based peer interactions. The significance of real-world peer influence on young adults’ health behavior change is well established in the literature [ 37 - 39 ]. The results of this study suggest that young adults also find valuable social support in web-based environments. For example, seeing peers posting about their own healthy behaviors inspired some participants to follow their lead. In contrast, participants were also persuaded to purchase fast food if their friends were sharing posts from these brands. As such, this study indicates that young adults are likely to align their health behaviors with the actions of their peers, regardless of whether it is a positive or negative action. These findings are supported by social cognitive theory, which posits that people will mimic their peers to gain social acceptance [ 40 ]. Moving forward, targeting peer networks rather than individuals may enhance social media–delivered health promotion techniques. For this to be done effectively, further research may be needed to gain a greater understanding of how peer networks communicate on social media.

In addition to peers, the participants also identified health-focused influencers and web-based communities as having persuasive power over their dietary behaviors. Past research indicates that lifestyle brands, including influencer pages, on Facebook and Instagram have higher levels of engagement than both food industry and health promotion pages [ 20 , 23 ]. Their engagement is likely increased by their use of relatable content, positive emotional messages, paid promotions, and simple diet and exercise tricks that promise happiness by achieving appearance-related goals [ 20 , 23 , 41 ]. Our results moderately support this narrative, as some participants discussed influencers, particularly health-focused influencers, as a source of motivation to make and maintain positive health behavior change. However, some participants also explained that content from health-focused influencers only altered their attitudes toward health and did not lead to tangible behavior changes. Moreover, advertisements from large companies were discussed more often as a source of persuasion than influencers or influencer-promoted products in this study. These issues have recently been exemplified in the Girls Make Your Move campaign, which received funding from the Australian Department of Health to increase the involvement of girls aged 12-21 years in sport [ 42 ]. Although influencers were involved in the social media promotion of this campaign, other techniques such as viewing advertisements on YouTube or interacting with campaign posts on social media platforms led to more tangible behavior changes [ 42 ]. Moreover, the Australian Federal Health Minister recently launched an investigation into the campaign after learning that some of the influencers involved were also sponsored by alcohol brands and displayed racist or homophobic behavior on the web [ 43 ]. Moving forward, public health organizations need to remain cautious about engaging with influencers on social media for health promotion. Furthermore, our study suggests that additional research may be needed to determine the extent of influence caused by influencers, regarding young adults’ health behavior change, particularly when competing with mainstream brands for attention.

Social media environments have become heavily commercialized, and many companies pay for greater exposure to maximize their reach among young adults [ 44 , 45 ]. Advertisements delivered on social media is poorly regulated compared with traditional advertisements, making young users increasingly vulnerable to the persuasive tactics used by large corporations [ 46 ]. The participants of this study discussed that viewing fast-food advertisements on social media often led them to purchase fast food. The social media newsfeeds are designed such that the participants were constantly exposed to this content, which they found to be a key aspect of their persuasive abilities. Research has demonstrated that passively receiving advertisements on social media increases brand engagement and product sales, even if consumers did not have interest in the product initially [ 8 , 47 ]. Our study also showed that exposure to health-focused content in this manner led participants to be more aware of their health behaviors. It could be deduced that it was not the content that each individual was viewing that was persuasive, but their repeated exposure to it. The content that an individual views on their social media feeds is curated by an algorithm that predicts their likes, interests, and needs based on their behavior on the web [ 48 ], which leads to the creation of echo chambers [ 49 ]. Consequently, the more often an individual or their peers engage with social media–delivered fast-food advertisements, the more often they will be shown this content. In contrast, if an individual engages with health-focused content more regularly, this content will be displayed for them more often, which can lead to more positive health behaviors. A key issue for future social media–delivered health promotion to overcome will be ensuring that individuals with low interest in health also receive important health information that otherwise may not be selected for them in their echo chambers, owing to their patterns of behavior on the web.

Regardless of the heavily commercialized and persuasive setting of social media, another finding of this study was that the participants still viewed their health behaviors as an individual responsibility. This was encapsulated in the participants’ beliefs that their ability to achieve a healthy lifestyle as shown to them by health-focused influencers was solely dependent on their work ethics and willpower. As described by a participant, “giving in to the temptation” of fast-food advertisements was viewed as an indicator of their own weak will, rather than the persuasive tactics used by the fast-food brand. This outlook is well documented in the literature and indicates an association of moral values with an ability to practice positive health behaviors [ 50 - 53 ]. Instead of approaching healthy lifestyles from this neoliberal meritocratic perspective, creating a more health-promoting environment on social media may garner greater community awareness of and involvement in healthy behaviors [ 37 , 39 , 54 ]. A way to achieve this may be to introduce regulation around social media–delivered advertising campaigns, such as limiting the number of times fast-food advertisements can appear on an individual’s newsfeed or using fact-checking systems for health-related posts. Policy reforms regarding social media may also help health promotion to reach a wider range of consumers.

Another key finding of this study was the association of guilt with content from health-focused communities on social media, which is well established in the literature [ 10 , 18 , 55 , 56 ]. Young adults are increasingly looking toward health-focused communities for diet and lifestyle guidance, which can have serious consequences related to mental health and body image [ 10 , 18 , 55 - 58 ]. They often place greater value on appearance than on health and idealize lean physiques formed through restrictive diet and exercise regimes [ 55 , 58 , 59 ]. Research indicates that visual comparisons with these body ideals can be detrimental to young adults’ self-image and lead to poor mental health [ 13 , 55 , 59 - 61 ]. Other studies, including the systematic literature review by Rounsefell et al [ 13 ], indicate a link between these comparisons and disordered eating behaviors such as dieting or restricting food and overeating [ 18 ]. Participants in this study shared their own feelings of guilt when they were unable to follow the advice of health-focused influencers or achieve their health goals. The coexistence of health-focused content with fast-food advertisements on participants’ newsfeeds only exacerbated this condition. Previous findings from our Communicating Health project indicate a moral association with dietary behaviors [ 53 ]. In combination with this study, these findings suggest that people may perceive health-focused influencers as the angel on one shoulder and fast-food advertisements as the devil on the other shoulder. Those who follow health-focused pages are shown a message that makes them believe that it is more moral to practice healthy behaviors. When they are unable to follow through with these behaviors, for example, owing to the persuasive impact of fast-food advertisements, this may lead to cognitive dissonance and guilt, as seen in some of our participants.

This study also indicated a gendered response to guilt from viewing health content on social media. Female participants more often discussed the detrimental effects of health content and felt discouraged by upward comparisons, whereas male participants found these to be motivational. These findings contribute to an emerging conversation regarding the impact of health-focused social media content on different genders [ 18 , 62 , 63 ]. Women are often perceived to be more vulnerable to the negative impacts of health-focused content on social media, as our own study indicates, and have previously been shown to access diet-related and exercise-related social media posts more commonly than men [ 64 ]. However, a growing body of literature suggests that these notions may be caused by gender norms that reduce the likelihood of men openly sharing their experiences with negative body image [ 18 , 62 , 63 ]. Male participants in the qualitative study by Easton et al [ 18 ] revealed negative impacts similar to those experienced by women, a pattern further indicated by a recent cross-sectional survey by DiBisceglie et al [ 62 ]. Moreover, a recent study identified that men were featured and objectified in health and fitness content on social media almost as often as women [ 65 ]. Further research is needed to clarify whether a meaningful gender-based difference exists in the way that web-based health-focused content is consumed. However, care should be taken to ensure that future social media–delivered health interventions avoid appearance-based health messages to protect young adults’ mental health.

Limitations

This study had some limitations. As our data collection was completed during the examination period of Australian Universities, challenges regarding recruitment and participant dropout emerged. Consequently, our participants may not be generally representative of the Australian population. Our sample also included more women than men and a large proportion of students and young adults who were well educated. Our analysis technique included searching for commonalities among the data, which may mean that the experiences of women and students were captured more strongly than those of others. However, we also spent time in contrasting discrepant cases to ensure that less common but still important themes were captured. The conversational design of the forum also may have introduced groupthink, social comparison bias, and recall bias. The dropout rate and different numbers of participants completing each forum may indicate participant fatigue in completing the web-based conversations over an extended period. Moreover, participants may have defined positive or negative health behaviors differently from each other owing to the subjective nature of the topic. Finally, this study was conducted at a particular time with a particular group of Australian young adults. Social media, among other technologies, evolves rapidly. Hence, further research will be necessary as the platforms grow and change.

This study contributed to a greater understanding of the role of social media in health behavior change among young adults. Social factors play a key role in prompting positive health behavior changes. Future studies should develop a greater understanding of social interactions and peer networks in a web-based environment to guide the development of integrated health promotion techniques. The persuasive effect of social media on participants’ health behaviors was largely attributable to advertisements and constant exposure to content. This study suggests that young adults view health as an individual responsibility and place great value on self-discipline. A shift toward minimizing external pressures through policy changes and regulation of advertisements needs to be encouraged. Policy reform may also assist health promotion in reaching social media users who are disinterested in health. Finally, future social media–delivered health interventions need to be mindfully developed to ensure that they do not further elicit guilt among social media users.

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the contributions of Associate Professor Catherine Lombard (deceased) and Helen Truby for the planning and conceptualizing the Communicating Health project. The authors would like to acknowledge Karen Klassen and Mike Reid for their work on the web-based conversations. Michelle Raggatt assisted in data analysis. The authors would like to thank all the individuals who participated in the web-based conversations and the market research field house and other members of the research team for their work on the web-based conversations. The Communicating Health project was funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Targeted Call for Research Communicating Health: Engaging and retaining young adults in interventions to improve eating behaviours and health outcomes (GNT1115496). CJCW was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council Early Career Fellowship. MSCL was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council Career Development Fellowship.

Authors' Contributions: VF and AM analyzed and interpreted the data for the manuscript drafted by VF. CJCW and MSCL assisted with the interpretation of the findings. TM, LB, and MSCL were involved in the development of the Communicating Health project and design of the web-based conversations. All the authors contributed to the conceptual design and editing of the manuscript.

Conflicts of Interest: None declared.