Social Media Effects on Teenage Mental Health
Assignment 1 Question B
The effect of social media on today’s youth is a subject of much debate. This essay will analyse an article from the CNN website, which presents statistics from a range of surveys, as well as a qualitative case study of a young boy’s road to recovery due to social media, and one from CBS Atlanta which, in contrast, focuses on quantitative statistics and data from the Ottawa Public Health. The comparison of these two articles will highlight the advantages and disadvantages of social media among modern teenagers, and explain why the CNN article on the positive effects of media is, from a reader’s perspective, more effective.
CBS Atlanta’s article, “Study: Frequent Social Media Use May Take Toll On Teen’s Mental Health” presents us, primarily, with statistical information from a PEW Research Centre study, using information from Ottawa Public Health. According to the article, students that spend over two hours on social media were also categorized as “reporting more poor mental health issues, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and suicidal thoughts” (CBS Atlanta). One explanation the article presents for this excessive use of social media is the uses and gratification theory. Blumler and Katz’ uses and gratification theory suggests that “people will choose media according to their expectations and their drive to attain a …show more content…
Hugues Sampasa-Kaying, the lead author of the study, in saying that “teens with mental health problems are seeking out interactions as they are feeling isolated and alone” and are trying to “satisfy unmet
Assignment 1 Question B
The effect of social media on today’s youth is a subject of much debate. This essay will analyse an article from the CNN website, which presents statistics from a range of surveys, as well as a qualitative case study of a young boy’s road to recovery due to social media, and one from CBS Atlanta which, in contrast, focuses on quantitative statistics and data from the Ottawa Public Health. The comparison of these two articles will highlight the advantages and disadvantages of social media among modern teenagers, and explain why the CNN article on the positive effects of media is, from a reader’s perspective, more effective.
CBS Atlanta’s article, “Study: Frequent Social Media Use May Take Toll On Teen’s Mental Health” presents us, primarily, with statistical information from a PEW Research Centre study, using information from Ottawa Public Health. According to the article, students that spend over two hours on social media were also categorized as “reporting more poor mental health issues, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and suicidal thoughts” (CBS Atlanta). One explanation the article presents for this excessive use of social media is the uses and gratification theory. Blumler and Katz’ uses and gratification theory suggests that “people will choose media according to their expectations and their drive to attain a …show more content…
Hugues Sampasa-Kaying, the lead author of the study, in saying that “teens with mental health problems are seeking out interactions as they are feeling isolated and alone” and are trying to “satisfy unmet