Bacchus 1

Rachel Bacchus

Dr. Kristen Clayton

Intro to Sociology

8 May 2019

Is Social Media Harming Teenagers?

THE PROBLEM

Teenagers are at the greatest risk for developing mental health disorders. The most

common disorders developed among youth can include anxiety, depression, eating disorders,

and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In recent years, it has been observed that

mental health among teenagers is at its worst, and studies continue to produce statistics showing

evidence of considerable and noteworthy inflation of mental disorders among adolescents

(Collishaw et al. 2008). With an increase of technology, social media is more popular now.

Teenagers are the targeted audience for social media platforms as well as the most common

users. While correlation between increased mental health concerns and increased time spent on

social media among teens does not equal causation, it does warrant more extensive investigation.

RESEARCH QUESTION AND PURPOSE

Thus, I will be asking the question: Does social media worsen mental health among

teenagers? This question needs to be both feasible and relevant (Haney 2016). It is feasible due

to the easy accessibility to teenagers engaging in habits of social media usage. Given our time

and resources, nearly all adolescents have access to a social media platform whether by

smartphone or computer. It is relevant because if my research question is found to be true, there

will be a way to decrease mental disorder development in youth by decreasing their time spent

on social media. If my research question is found to be false, greater research could go into other
 Bacchus 2
possibilities for mental health deterioration. With either conclusion, this research could further

the future of positive mental health in generations to come.

EXISTING RESEARCH

My research proposal was inspired by several studies already done on the effects of social

media on different areas of society. First, I looked at Harvey Molotch’s findings about how

social media habits of adults affect ability to socialize and interact properly (Molotch 2016). He

discovered that the increase of technology in general produced issues in communication and

interaction among adults. E-mail communication forbids tone from getting across to another

individual and can cause miscommunication and hostility where hostility was never intended.

Facebook profiles also produce an increased need for approval and an alteration of one’s identity

to fit what a potential partner or employer might be looking for.

While Molotch’s research dealt primarily with adults and socialization, I wanted to know

more about what investigations already existed about mental health among teenagers. Ramin

Mojtabai, Mark Olfson, and Beth Han published research in 2016 to examine the trends of major

depressive episodes among youth from 2005 to 2014 (Mojtabai, Olfson, and Han 2016). While

their research included extensive and longitudinal surveys that showed a significant increase in

major depressive episodes, especially in young girls, it was unable to produce any proof of

causation for these trends. However, Mojtabai, Olfson, and Han included their suspicions that

factors such as cyberbullying, mobile phone usage, and texting frequencies could be a potential

cause.

Lastly, I looked at research done by David D. Luxton, Jennifer D. June, and Jonathan M.

Fairall. As part of the American Journal of Public Health, they studied the effects of social media

on suicide. Not only did they find some negative effects, which was expected, they found
 Bacchus 3
positive effects as well. While most people are aware of online cyberbullying that can lead to

depression and suicide, social media can also provide a community to those who feel alone or

might be contemplating suicide (Luxton, June, and Fairall 2012). Luxton, June, and Fairall

excellently showed that social media produces complex results among different individuals when

it comes to suicide prevention.

METHODS

In my research I will be conducting an experiment in attempts to determine the causation

of decreased mental health. I have chosen to do a quantitative experiment dealing with the

percentage of selected teenagers that say their mental health is worsened by the use of social

media. As I am not asking an open-ended question (such as “How does social media affect

mental health?” or “In what ways does avoiding social media or decreasing time spent on social

apps effect your confidence and self-esteem?”) I do not need to conduct interviews or

ethnographies. Since I am not as concerned with population statistics of social media, I do not

need to produce a survey or census (Haney 2016). Therefore, I believe a quantitative experiment

will most accurately and efficiently aid me in conducting my research.

PROCEDURE AND HYPOTHESIS

In my experiment I will take a random sample of one hundred and fifty consenting, social

media-using teenagers aging thirteen years old to nineteen years old. Each adolescent will be

randomly assigned into Group A, Group B (control), or Group C until N=50 for all groups.

Those in Group A will be asked to increase their time spent browsing social media (Twitter,

Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, etc.) for one month. Group B, as the control group, will be asked

not to alter their time spent engaging with social media for one month. Lastly, Group C will be
 Bacchus 4
asked to cut out all social media for one month. At the end of the experiment period, each

teenager will be called back and asked to report their mental changes on a five-point scale:

1 My mental health improved dramatically.

2 My mental health improved somewhat.

3 My mental health neither improved nor

worsened.

4 My mental health worsened somewhat.

5 My mental health worsened dramatically.

With their reports I will create a percentage and compare the groups for any significant

changes depending on the changes of social media habits. In my experiment, the independent

variable is whether or not the teenagers increased, sustained, or decreased their time spent

browsing social media platforms. The dependent variable is their report on their mental health

based on the five-point scale. Based on previous research and knowledge of both teenage

tendencies and the nature of social media, I predict that those who increase their levels of social

media consumption will report worsened mental health, and those who cut out social media will

report an improvement in mental health.

While this is a short-term experiment, I would like to include the disclaimer that

everyone involved in this experiment will have consented to what is being asked of them. If at

any point a person feels overwhelmed or like they cannot take part in the experiment any longer
 Bacchus 5
(dramatic decrease of mental health, etc.), they will be excused. Though, with permission, their

dismissal will become part of the results (an automatic 5 on the five-point scale).

CONCLUSION

To conclude, mental health in teenagers needs to improve. We cannot continue to see

skyrocketing statistics of worsening depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and ADHD. We need

to protect our youth in order to produce a better future for adults and adolescents alike. This

experiment will serve to identify whether or not social media factors into deteriorating mental

health. If found true, measures can be taken to decrease social media consumption, or further

research can be performed in order to identify why social media negatively affects the brain. I

anticipate teenagers will not all be willing to reduce time spent engaging with social media and

other measures will need to be taken. Either way, this research will help to strengthen mental

stability and support teenagers as their brains are developing.

 Bacchus 6

REFERENCES

Collishaw, Stephan, Barbara Maughan, Robert Goodman, and Andrew Pickles. 2008. “Time

Trends in Adolescent Mental Health.” Journal of Child Psychology and

Psychiatry 45(8):1350–62.

Haney, Lynne. 2016. “Studying the Social World” Pp. 52-77 in The Sociology Project 2.0, edited

by S. Geary. New York: Pearson Education, Inc.

Luxton, David D., Jennifer D. June, and Jonathan M. Fairall. 2012. “Social Media and Suicide:

A Public Health Perspective.” American Journal of Public Health 102(S2).

Mojtabai, R., M. Olfson, and B. Han. 2016. “National Trends in the Prevalence and Treatment of

Depression in Adolescents and Young Adults.” National Trends in the Prevalence and

Treatment of Depression in Adolescents and Young Adults 138(6).

Molotch, Harvey. 2016. “Social Interaction” Pp. 78-95 in The Sociology Project 2.0, edited by S.

Geary. New York: Pearson Education, Inc.