Faculty of Art

Integrated Media

Emily Honderich

Use of Social Media Technology and its impact on women

This essay will explore the use of smartphones and the use of technology on women. This includes social media and the use of technology and the impact on their mental health. Women use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat. Evidence from various studies implicates smartphone, and social media use increases mental distress, self-injurious behaviour, and suicidal behaviour among women. There is a dose–response relationship, and the effects are most significant among girls. Social media affects adolescents’ self-view and interpersonal relationships through comparison and hostile interactions, which include cyberbullying. The use of social media content involves normalization and the promotion of self-harm and suicidal behaviour.

“High proportions of women engage in heavy smartphone use and media multitasking, which results in sleep deprivation and adverse effects on cognitive control, academic performance, and emotional functioning. Clinicians work collaboratively with women and their families, using open, non-judgmental, and appropriate approaches to reduce potential harm from social media and smartphone use, including education and practical problem-solving. There is a need for public awareness campaigns and social policy initiatives which promote nurturing home and school environments. This helps foster resilience as women navigate the challenges of today’s world. Social media benefits include the creation of online identities and the use of communication tools with others, and the building of social identities. Women also use social media for entertainment and self-expression. Social media that is funny or provides a healthy distraction offers a meaningful connection to peers and a wide social network which helps them avoid depression. There is a need for increased mental health conditions among women which correlates with a steep rise in the use of social media. As more use of social media is happening, there is an immediate increase in the use of social media platforms and an increase in mental health conditions among women, including self-harm suicide and mental distress, which includes anxiety and depressive episodes. Cyberbullying increases the rate of suicidal ideation, which is significantly higher in women. Aspects of social media that are addictive to women include changes to their mental health. There has been an increase in women posting information about self-harm behaviour on the internet. Video games can be used to escape real life, leading to addiction and other harmful behaviour. Too much gaming can be a problem, but used in moderation can do beautiful things for your mental health and help with anxiety, depression, and stress. This can cause fatigue, financial issues and negative behaviour based on an individual's gender and gaming experience. This includes what limits their abilities and avatar representation which is exaggerated and hypersexualized. This can lead to decreased self-esteem, depression, and other impacts on a women's well-being. Women typically play games for shorter periods than men. They take on their roles as female gamers and have their own gaming experiences and habitats, game motivations and choices, technology preferences, and gamer identities.4.3 billion individuals had a social media account in 2021, accounting for over half the world's population and over 90 percent of internet users. The average user spends around two and a half hours on social media platforms daily. Mental health conditions have severe adverse effects which hamper one's ability to work, study, and be productive. According to the WHO's Global Burden of Disease, mental illness is the most burdensome category in total disability-adjusted years for women younger than 45, and depression is one of the most taxing conditions. Many women rely on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and other social media platforms to connect and form bonds with others. While this can often be an enjoyable and healthy experience, digital connections struggle to replace in-person interactions.Social media is terrible because spending too much time on social platforms creates a repetitive negative cycle. Women use social media more often when they feel depressed, lonely, stressed, and anxious. Individuals might convince themselves that it's helping them and making them happy, which offers entertainment and lets women feel more connected with others. Excessive social media use creates feelings of dissatisfaction, isolation, and inadequacy. These feelings often cause or intensify anxiety, stress, and depression, which are the very feelings the individual was trying to escape in the first place. Symptoms worsen when people feel compelled to use social media more often, perpetuating a spiralling cycle. In conclusion, the importance of engaging women in mitigating harms from the use of social media, a prohibitionist approach would be counterproductive. For women who have not known a world without social media, digital interactions are the norm. The benefits of online access to productive mental health information include media literacy, creativity, expression, and a sense of belonging.”