Week 2 - Oversharing Online Discussion

For most people their day-to-day life includes not only going to work or school, but also being on social media apps such as TikTok or Instagram. It is a common sight to see at least one social media app on someone's device. Social media apps can bring people together but they can also tear them apart. We will be discussing social media in this post about its positives, negatives, and its relation with mental health. 

Photo by ROBIN WORRALL on Unsplash

Do different social networking sites offer other benefits and drawbacks?

The different types of social networking sites can offer many benefits, but they can also have its disadvantages. It is not uncommon to see people on social networking sites as we can see most people around us are on these sites. It really is up to the person's personal preferences on whether or not they would prefer a site like Twitter (X, I refuse to call it that), perhaps a site like YouTube, or Tumblr. 

A major common benefit to social networking sites would be cross-cultural relationships. It can provide an opportunity to learn about another culture and have a friend. There are ways you can use to develop a relationship: have a meaningful personal interaction, maintain equal status, find ways to build interdependence, and respect individual differences. (Pearson, et al., (2021) An example of this would be the fact that the app TikTok is on the brink of being banned in the United States, which has led American users move to a Chinese app called Xiaohongshu (also known as little Redbook or Redbook). 

Xiaohongshu's App Icon

A disadvantage to social networking sites would be characters/word limit or limited amount of pictures to upload. Another disadvantage can be advertising as it can cause people to feel annoyed and lead them to never touch the social networking app again. A major one would be cyberbullying or possibly the increase of risk for mental health symptoms such as depression. In this one systematic review, they found a study that reported a large use of social media apps can have a negative impact on mental health. (Naslund et al., 2021)

Do social networking sites have any responsibility in promoting mental health in their users? If so, how might they go about doing so? 

In a way social media networking sites can have responsibility in promoting mental health for their users. They have a big responsibility to protect their users and that can include mental health. The relationship between mental health and social media have a major impact on people. Social media can use this as a way to promote mental health to a wider audience in many parts of the world, provide resources, and provide a community for others that can relate and/or have support. 

A study shows that having an active social media presence that promotes support is linked to one's mental health and well-being. It states that it does have the potential to effectively fulfill one's social needs similarly to offline social needs. (Yue, Zhang, & Xiao, 2023)

As mentioned above, there are negative sides to a social media app. There was a study of young adults and their use of Facebook. It reported that the use of the app can increase depression symptoms when comparing oneself to another. (Feinstein et al., 2013) This is why it is important for social networking sites to promote mental health in a way that can improve one's well-being as it can bring harm. 

References:

Cheung, E., Tayir, H., & Jiang, J. (2025, January 14). What is RedNote, the Chinese social media app that US TikTokers are flocking to? | CNN business. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/14/tech/rednote-china-popularity-us-tiktok-ban-intl-hnk/index.html

Feinstein, B. A., Hershenberg, R., Bhatia, V., Latack, J. A., Meuwly, N., & Davila, J. (2013). Negative social comparison on Facebook and depressive symptoms: Rumination as a mechanism. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 2(3), 161–170. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033111

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

Pearson, J. C., Nelson, P. E. (Paul E., Titsworth, S., & Hosek, A. M. (Eds.). (2021). Human communication (Seventh edition.). McGraw-Hill Education.

Yue, Z., Zhang, R., & Xiao, J. (2023). Social media use, perceived social support, and well-being: Evidence from two waves of surveys peri- and post-covid-19 lockdown. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 41(5), 1279–1297. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075231188185