Jenny Pang
ENG4U
Mr. Dixit
September 2, 2018
Social Media Is Redefining ‘Depression’
Social media is a kind of tool that allows social interaction. Most of us are familiar with social media such as WeChat, QQ, Facebook, and Instagram. It deserves a big thumbs-up for helping people know more friends and keep connected to their family and friends, but long-time use of social media is not always a happy thing. Conversely, people often feel despondent because of jealousy, the feeling of rejection and cyberbullying that social media brings.
Social media has provided a platform that people have access to know others’ academic success, job promotions, and happy vacations, so people always worry that others are having more fun and making more achievements because they often subconsciously compare their real lives to idealized versions of their friends’ lives on the web. Actually, we live for ourselves not for others, so we shouldn’t affect our own mood because of how other people’s lives. Hence, social media can trigger social comparison, so this means social media is not perfect, and it also has several serious problems which will make people depressed.
Social media is like a horrible potion that can give you a sense of rejection and then make you unhappy. For many people, using social media is now their main way of communicating with others. They’re addicted to posting latest status updates or sending a number of messages to others on their WeChat or QQ, and then they wait for others to “like” their posts or to respond their messages. However, other people often ignore their posts or messages. As a result, they are prone to think that others reject them, so they are restless and feel a stub of emotional pain, but in fact others are busy, so they haven’t checked their WeChat or QQ, or they only reply to one or two of their friends. Accordingly, the use of social media can lead to psychological problems, such as feeling rejected and depressed.
Cyberbullying plays a big role in depression of people by social media. Nowadays, the use of social media to record and share life has become extremely popular, but the attendant problems are also an issue that can’t be neglected. For example, people often share their selfies on WeChat or QQ, or share the special things that have happened around them recently, and their friends will “like”, “retweet” or comment their posts. This kind of communication is actually conducive to strengthen mutual understanding between friends, but some people are often bullied by others writing some harassing things. This kind of cyberbullying is seen as a exceedingly cruel thing to do towards another person. At this time, people who are subjected to cyberbullying seem to be drowned in the sea of hateful words, with no way to escape. “According to a recent study published in the American Academy of Pediatrics’ journal Pediatrics, ‘cyberbullying is quite common, can occur to any young person online, and can cause profound psychosocial outcomes including depression, anxiety, severe isolation, and, tragically, suicide'” (MassGeneral Hospital for Children Editors). Thus, social media also has a detrimental effect on people, which is going to hurt people’s hearts.
social media is a choice . . . not a necessity. If logging on prompts you to have recurring feelings of sadness, it may be time to “deactivate” and fill your spare time with activities that bring you more joy.
not others but like for my life
These “surveillance ??users” ?????are the ones who browse through Facebook in order to compare their life to those of their friends’.
time was spent changing profile picture on Facebook.
check profile again to see if anyone had commented on my page
unhappy feelings
social media actually becomes a root of unhealthy emotions.
Works Cited
MassGeneral Hospital for Children Editors. “Cyberbullying: What Parents, Providers Should Know.” MassGeneral Hospital for Children. 2011. Web. 2 Sep. 2018.
