Excessive Social Media Usage and Mental Health Problems Among Adolescents: A Critical Review

Abstract

Social media platforms grew alongside in adolescent mental health which has sparked broad academic and public interest. The evaluation assesses multiple existing studies which‌ investigate the various connections between social media use and adolescent mental health issues. The research evaluation uses a combination of thematic analysis to evaluate different sources of academic research which consist of systematic reviews, meta-analyses and longitudinal studies as well as cross-sectional surveys and qualitative research and market data. The research examines international adolescent populations (10-19 years of age). Researchers used thematic analysis to extract vital findings together with dominant themes as well as potential reasons from research materials. Research synthesis shows that greater SMU amounts directly relate to multiple teenage mental health problems which include depression and anxiety together with psychological stress and self-esteem reduction and body imag‌e ‌concerns and sleep problems. Research shows that SMU forms a complex connection with adolescent mental health through specific factors which function as both modifiers and mediators‌. Research shows that excessive social media use leads to negative mental health outcomes by promoting upward social comparison and cyberbullying behaviours along with sleep deprivation and ruminative thinking. Different personality traits and pre-existing conditions together with age differences and gender characteristics and self-control levels affect this relationship. Research about neurodevelopment suggests adolescents are more vulnerable to social media effects because their brains show heightened sensitivity to social feedback during this developmental stage. The research shows how social media offers helpful functions for young people to build social connections and develop their identities as well as provide support networks for vulnerable youth. The connection between social media usage and adolescent mental health forms an intricate and complex dynamic which extends beyond simple cause-and-effect relationships. The research shows that individual social and contextual factors affect how much risk excessive social media use poses to mental health. The available evidence demands a shift from excessive panic towards implementing responsible social media practices combined with literacy education and intervention development. Future research needs to establish cause-effect relationships through longitudinal studies and study underlying neuroscientific and psychological elements while developing and testing interventions to protect youth mental‌health during the digital era.