Social Media Impact on Asian Mental Health

By Chloe Phan

Introduction:

As technology advances, so does the widespread use of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc. We currently live in an age where these web-based social networks continue to impact the world like never before. Increased social media usage allows for more connectivity, especially among the citizens of Asia who consume media on a daily. While this connectedness indeed seems like a helpful convenience, it has actually been proven to be linked to poorer mental health, negatively impacting the well-being of the people in Asia.

The effects of social media on mental health:

Though perhaps unexpected, engaging in social media severely impacts mental health—both positively and negatively. While we are looking at its effects in Asia specifically, it may also generate extensive results for anyone worldwide.

Positives

Humans naturally prosper off of social interactions. It’s just so deeply rooted in our nature, which is why digital platforms are so popularized. Since social media makes connectivity all the more available in our ever-expanding world, it enables people to meet new faces or find connections (in both social and professional settings), seek emotional support during difficult times, promote various issues, and discover new information. It’s important to be aware that—with mindful navigation—social media can offer several advantages. 

Negatives

Even though a handful of benefits exist, it’s essential to keep in mind the drawbacks it frequently creates as well. Several challenges continue to negatively impact many people’s mental health. It’s crucial to delve deeper into these negative factors associated with social media use because being knowledgeable is the first step in permitting you to prioritize your own health. 

Anxiety and depression: Prioritizing social media creates an unhealthy imbalance of face-to-face relationships compared to online ones. The more time people spend online instead of focusing on nourishing their relationships with real people, the more they’re at risk for feelings of anxiety and depression. 

Insecurities: Especially due to the strong push of beauty standards, a variety of editing software and filters have surfaced within media. It essentially prompts many into believing that the overly edited “Instagram models” are what the average person looks like. Feelings of insecurity, envy, and dissatisfaction with one’s self begin to form to induce negative thoughts and low self-esteem.

Fear of missing out: This recently developed term, fear of missing out or FOMO, has been further amplified through the ability to see everyone’s life filtered through a screen. FOMO describes the fear/anxiety accompanied by the idea of other people having fun without you. Because social media tends to depict only the highlights of one’s life, it further triggers this feeling of making individuals feel more isolated or discontent with their own lives. 

Cyberbullying: Social media can be a mass platform for violence to spread, creating lasting emotional scars for far too many. Cyberbullying can be defined as when someone intentionally and repeatedly harasses, threatens, or targets someone online through the use of technology. Through a screen, bullying is immensely more frequent because users hide behind a screen to deliver them a sense of security. A recent Microsoft study found that of 25 countries surveyed, the three with the highest rates of online bullying included China (70%), Singapore (58%), and India (53%). Undoubtedly, cyberbullying shatters the mental health of populations across not only Asia, but the whole world. 

A combination of all these factors puts social media usage at risk of bringing severe lasting damage to one’s self-esteem, mental health, and overall well-being. Despite the fact that it does allow for the vital social interactions we as humans need to thrive, it will never fully replace the actual in-person relationships that we truly require. Due to the various negative factors often strung along with its use, it’s clear it poses substantial risks and obstructive consequences. 

Social media usage in Asia:

Asia accounts for the highest number of mobile phone users in the world. In June of 2012, Asia surprisingly made up 49 percent of the 2.9 billion internet users worldwide. It’s no revelation that when surrounded by so much media consumption in Asia, there will also be a significant decline in mental health as well. Especially if the media presented goes unregulated, citizens are constantly surrounded by negative online behaviors. Namely, in China after the 2019 global coronavirus outbreak, mental health has plummeted. As news of the virus became international, social media was one of the main sources of information, yet it was also one of the main sources of misinformation. It spread numerous false rumors, sparking gossip and fear among the public worldwide as well as causing stress and anxiety for the people in China. Many users also posted their negative emotions online, setting off unnecessary drama and further damaging the mental health of people in China. However, after Chinese officials have implemented a series of governance on social media to regulate the misinformation, statistics have demonstrated a direct positive increase in mental health. This one incident just proves how massive of an outcome social media has on the condition of the people in Asia.

Works Cited

Bounds, Dawn. “Social media's impact on our mental health and tips to use it safely.” UC Davis Health, 10 May 2024, https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/social-medias-impact-our-mental-health-and-tips-to-use-it-safely/2024/05. Accessed 15 July 2024.

“Cyberbullying in Asia.” Association for Asian Studies, https://www.asianstudies.org/publications/eaa/archives/cyberbullying-in-asia/. Accessed 15 July 2024.

“Social media use and mental health of urban residents during China's second COVID-19 outbreak.” NCBI, 8 December 2022, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9773205/. Accessed 15 July 2024.

Trueman, Tony. “Social Media and Mental Health: Social Media Addiction.” HelpGuide.org, 18 June 2024, https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-mental-health.htm. Accessed 15 July 2024.