Social media has become an integral part of today’s society, with billions of people worldwide using social media platforms to stay connected with their friends, keep up with world news, and more. While social media is a great resource in theory and sometimes has very positive effects, studies have revealed that social media can also seriously impact mental health for the worse. This leads one to question if social media is really such a good thing if it can have such damaging impacts on the mind. Social media has numerous effects, both positive and negative; ultimately, weighing the amount of usage, personal factors, motive for using, and biblical truth helps each person determine whether social media use would be beneficial or detrimental for him.

Social media presents a plethora of potential positive effects. First, social media gives people the opportunity to form new relationships and keep developing existing ones. Social media can provide the opportunity for greater social support that differs from what an individual would receive in person (Cole et al., 2016). For best results, though, social media support should complement in-person relationships, not replace them fully (Rouxel & Chandola, 2023). Second, social media has the potential to help combat negative mental health outcomes. Social media can identify youth at risk for mental illness and help them improve (Hamilton et al., 2024). It can even help reduce loneliness, especially in older adults (Zhang et al., 2021). Perhaps the most important benefit, however, is the opportunity Christians have to share the Good News through these platforms. By doing this, Christians can fulfill their own purpose (growing the Kingdom and bringing glory to God) and simultaneously help improve the mental health of others who are seeking comfort and help from their social media platforms.

Despite all these positive effects, social media also has a number of negative outcomes that often take a toll on mental health. First, social media presents the potential for exposure to harmful content (including inappropriate images/videos and interactions with predators, to name a few). For teenagers especially, this can be dangerous, as they are more susceptible to these kinds of content and less aware of their danger (American Psychological Association, n.d.). Second, the comparison that social media often hosts can negatively impact mental health. Bernstein (2019) explains that people tend to compare themselves to others through the process of social comparison. Social media is an avenue through which people often do this; however, using social media for this purpose can be more harmful than helpful. People often post their personal highlight reels on social media, leaving out the negative parts, which can create a falsely perfect perception of their lives. Then, when another person compares his own life to this distorted image, it can seriously hinder self-esteem and cause negative emotions (Azizan, 2024). For example, one study found that reducing social media usage improved youth’s appearance and weight esteem, suggesting that social media negatively impacts these things (Thai et al., 2023). Third, social media can cause users to get less sleep, especially teenagers who are using social media late at night, unrestricted. This practice can be dangerous, as sleep is especially necessary during the teenage years for proper brain development and mental health (American Psychological Association, n.d.). Fourth, doomscrolling, “to spend excessive time online scrolling through news or other content that makes one feel sad, anxious, angry, etc.” (Merriam- Webster, n.d.) is a serious social media concern. This practice can lead to physical side effects, such as nausea, headaches, and other physical pain, not to mention the anxiety that comes with spending so much time immersed in bad news (Salamon, 2024). The potential consequences of using social media are endless; factors such as the amount of social media usage, the person using it, and the motive for using ultimately determine what kind of results social media will provide an individual.

The amount that a person uses social media greatly impacts what kind of effects that person will get. One might ask, if social media can provide such great relationships and support, would spending a lot of time there be best? Ultimately, the answer to this question is no. Unlimited time on social media is proven to have negative effects. If social media is unlimited, it can serve as a distraction during times when one should be working or doing school, thus reducing productivity (American Psychological Association, n.d.). Additionally, when used at night, social media often contributes to the reduced sleep mentioned before (American Psychological Association, n.d.). While each person must individually determine how much time is best for him, it is best to limit social media use in some way. Personal risk factors and motives may play a part in determining where this limit should be.

A person’s individual qualities and circumstances can also play a role in how social media affects him. Age is a very important factor in how a person will react to social media. Adolescents, who are in a period of extensive brain development, are likely to be more susceptible to social media’s dangers simply because of the way their brains are functioning (American Psychological Association, n.d.). On the other hand, it is more likely that social media will positively impact older adults by helping them feel less lonely (Zhang, 2021). Personal factors can also make certain individuals more inclined to engage in certain behaviors. For example, women and people with traumatic pasts are especially susceptible to doomscrolling (Salamon, 2024). Additionally, the qualities and characteristics of an individual’s in-person relationships are likely to be reflected in their virtual relationships:

Adolescents at risk of being victimized or solicited in their offline lives are also at a heightened risk for being victimized online. . . Similarly, adolescents with high quality relationships in real life are also likely to be strongly connected and to engage in positive interactions online. (George & Odgers, 2016, para. 47)

Therefore, those with stronger in-person relationships are more likely to have a positive experience with social media. Finally, although there are still risks and benefits, those with existing mental health disorders have an entirely different set of variables than those without. For those who already have a mental health disorder or physical disability, social media could cause their condition to worsen, or it could allow them the opportunity to socialize that they might not get otherwise (Lee & Cho, 2019; Naslund et al., 2020).

Furthermore, a person’s motive for spending time on social media can affect the results he gets from its use. If a person uses social media for the purpose of maintaining relationships (in conjunction with healthy in-person relationships), he is quite likely to have a positive experience with social media usage. However, using social media with a strong focus on gaining followers can negatively affect relationship-building abilities (American Psychological Association, n.d.). Additionally, as previously discussed, if a person clicks on social media with the intention of doomscrolling, he is likely to have more negative mental and physical results (Salamon, 2024). Each person should evaluate his own motives and adjust his social media use accordingly if needed.

As with any topic, Christians should use biblical insight to inform their views about social media. First, God created humans for relationships. “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 1996/2015, Genesis 2:18). Social media gives fantastic opportunities to make new relationships and foster existing ones; however, if the negative impacts on a person are so significant that he begins to devalue himself and doubt that he is “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Holy Bible, New International Version, 1973/2011, Psalms 139:14), social media use might do more harm than good. A Christian should use social media in such a way as to minimize its negative effects and use the positive effects to glorify God. Second, with so many people on social media sharing their opinions, a Christian presence is necessary so that someone is representing the light of Jesus amidst all the negative news and ungodliness that tries to reign on these platforms. “Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people” (Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 1996/2015, Philippians 2:15). While it might seem like the better choice for Christians to stay away from social media because of its potential negatives, a Christian presence on social media is crucial to help those who are drowning in unbelief (and the negative emotions that often come with it). With all these factors in mind, each person must evaluate his own risk factors and prayerfully determine if social media is good for him.

In conclusion, social media has a vast array of potential side effects, ranging from positive interactions, social support, and the opportunity to share Christ to exposure to predators, unhealthy comparisons, and even physical pain. The amount of time spent on social media, individual risk factors, and personal motives for using social media tend to affect how social media will influence an individual’s mental health. As a Christian, it is important to recognize that social media and its users desperately need godly influences. Although it may not be feasible for every Christian to be on social media, those who are not at serious risk for mental harm should consider joining for this reason. Ultimately, because social media has such differing effects for everyone, each person should thoroughly evaluate how social media would affect his own mental health and trust the Lord to lead him to the right decision regarding its use.

References

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Azizan, A. (2024). Exploring the role of social media in mental health research: A bibliometric and content analysis. Journal of Scientometric Research, 13(1), 1-8. https://research- ebsco-com.ezproxy.ccu.edu/c/yidujk/viewer/pdf/h4ck22u56f

Bernstein, D. A. (2019). Essentials of psychology (7th ed.). Cengage. [ISBN: 978-1337612395]

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Holy Bible, New International Version. (2011). Zondervan. (Original work published 1973)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation. (2015). Tyndale House Publishers. (Original work published 1996)

Lee, H. E., & Cho, J. (2019). Social media use and well-being in people with physical disabilities: Influence of SNS and online community uses on social support, depression, and psychological disposition. Health Communication, 34(9), 1043–1052. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2018.1455138

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Doomscroll. https://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/doomscrolling

Naslund, J. A., Bondre, A., Torous, J., & Aschbrenner, K. A. (2020). Social media and mental health: Benefits, risks, and opportunities for research and practice. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science, 5(3), 245–257. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41347-020-00134-x

Rouxel, P. & Chandola, T. (2023). No substitute for in-person interaction: Changing modes of social contact during the coronavirus pandemic and effects on the mental health of adults in the UK. Sociology, 58(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/00380385231172123

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Thai, H., Davis, C. G., Mahboob, W., Perry, S., Adams, A., & Goldfield, G. S. (2023). Reducing social media use improves appearance and weight esteem in youth with emotional distress. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/ppm-ppm0000460.pdf

Zhang, K., Kim, K., Silverstein, N. M., Song, Q., & Burr, J. A. (2021). Social media communication and loneliness among older adults: The mediating roles of social support and social contact. The Gerontologist, 61(6), 888–896. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnaa197