Social media and suicide

These days, social media has been a large part of our life. 

Does the pervasive use of social media contribute to increased suicide rates?

Social networking has brought ominous changes in mental health. Jean Twenge, professor of psychology at San Diego State University, writes, "Rates of teen depression and suicide have skyrocketed." Most of this is likely due to the rapid increase in anxiety disorders. These changes in mental health "fit right in" with the period when many Americans began owning smartphones. Other potential causes, such as increased academic pressure, existed even before the 2011 spike in anxiety disorders. There was only one factor that coincided with the dramatic increase in anxiety disorders. Smartphone ownership among young adults. The elimination of time alone with thoughts from their lives has dramatically worsened the mental health of this generation, which is unsurprising. This is not surprising. This generation of young people has lost the ability to observe and understand their own emotions. They have also lost the ability to explore their inner lives to find out who they are and what is truly important to them, and to build strong relationships. Moreover, they have powered down the social circuits in their brains that are essential for survival - circuits that were never designed to be used continuously in the first place - and are not even allowed to reallocate their energy to other important cognitive maintenance tasks. 

As I talked in the past low self-esteem is deeply related to suicide and the cause of having low self confidence can be related to social media. Some believe that regular use of social media may exacerbate symptoms of anxiety and depression and deepen feelings of isolation. The study found that excessive use of social media combined with emotional dependence on the platform is an aspect of heightened anxiety and depression. In the University of Pittsburgh study, those who reported using seven to 11 platforms had a three times higher risk of experiencing depression and anxiety than those who used only one or two.

In social media, user interactions, or "likes" on a photo or video posted by a user and comments by others are proof of the value of your post. But what happens when a photo or video does not get the desired response? People whose self-esteem is tied to social media may feel depressed when they don't get the response they expected.　Comparing oneself to others on social media can lead to low self-esteem. People who confuse the doctored photos posted on social media with reality feel overwhelmed by the lives of others and feel they are not good enough. Longing for unrealistic bodies and body types also causes what experts call "body surveillance."

ソーシャルメディアは心の健康をむしばむ？--SNSと上手に付き合うために. (2022, May 30). CNET Japan. https://japan.cnet.com/article/35187840/

10代スマホ所有率｢うつ･自殺｣との不吉な関係. (2019, October 10). 東洋経済オンライン. https://toyokeizai.net/articles/-/307376