Social Media: Depression Addiction

There was a moment in a person's life when he didn't feel good enough. Everyone is faced with a lack of a perfect body image, great ratings, or popularity. Based on the Healthline newsletter, they found that more than 350 million people in the United States suffer from depression. One thing that doesn't help is social media. Social media provides the “ideal” standard that people think they should adhere to. For example, the Instagram and Snapchat apps allow anyone to hide a person's flaws with filters. Instagram provides anyone with an account to create their profile, post their photos, follow people they admire and get reciprocal followers. However, Snapchat provides several frivolous filters. These filters allow users to change the shape of their faces, the look of their eyes and turn into silly animals. According to Sherri Turkle, professor of social studies science and technology, "we not only let our phones determine what we do, but we also allow them to change who we are." Social media creates life inside a person's phone, and people also become addicted and believe that this is the way to live, look and act. Social media is used too often, whether people like it or not.

According to Sophia Smith, who is the author of a BBC article, states that the overuse of social media is debated whether it is a mental health disorder or not. As of January 2018, the WHO (World Health Organization) identified video gaming as an addiction. Before being discussed even further, there are different types of social media that need to be explained.

The first social media that is the most popular is Facebook. Facebook, allows a user to post their own posts defining their day or thoughts. Facebook also allows pictures to be uploaded where their friends can like and comment on them. The number of friends a person has defines their popularity.

The next most popular social media app in the United States is Instagram. Although Instagram is very similar to Facebook, it is used in a different way. Like Facebook, pictures are posted where likes and comments are received, posts on Instagram are not allowed. However, a “Story” can be uploaded where a picture or video can be seen for up to 24 hours with writing that announces one’s feelings. Once again, the number of followers a user has identified how popular that person is, it is just more obsessed with, to where people feel the need to purchase the followers they have. On Instagram, it allows people to create their own theme on their account, meaning that they can only post pictures that relate to the theme they picked.

The last social media to be discussed is Snapchat. Although it is not the most popular, it has its impacts. Snapchat creates filters that enhance the user's face. Some of them can be “cute” animals such as the dog filter that changes a person's nose with a dog nose and adds dog ears on top of the human head, and others are simple, such as, eyelash extensions and has the effect of a light self-tan.

Depression is a mental disorder that makes a person feel unnecessary, insecure, and very sad. Depression makes a person lazy and wants to be in a dark room all day. In the United States, 350 million people are depressed. There are several ways to help with depression, even if it has obstacles. There is a website called The Suicide Forum that helps manage anxiety, depression, and suicide. On the website, under each tab, there are several different articles from different authors explaining their advice and their thoughts on what each disorder is. Suicide Forum provides an online chat room where people who are afraid to meet in person can talk and chat all over the world. Chat allows people from all over the world to exchange advice and personal problems. Although they open up to complete strangers.

Depression in teens is very common, 3.1 million teens have been depressed and experienced what it felt like. Teenagers in this generation tend to interact with their phones and social media. A very common thing in high school is cyberbullying. Teenagers feel the need to bully their peers through social media. Not only will this cause depression, but in most cases even suicide.

Katie Hurley created a short article based on how parents can help their teens with depression. Teenagers feel like they can not go to their parents and they feel alone but reading Hurley’s article showed wonderful advice on how to make teenagers feel comfortable talking to their parents. Social media can not only affect teenagers, it can affect anyone in different age groups. Based on the people seen on Instagram posts or They feel the need to post such messages.

Sherri Turkle's TED Talk video, explains how people allow phones to control what we do. At the beginning of his video, Turkle describes how simple text can change a simple mood. Her example is her daughter sending a message of good luck. This doesn't just mean a positive test result, it could be negative texts or negative messages they feel the need to post such messages.

In conclusion, social media should not interfere with our daily life. People should limit the amount of time they use for social media.

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