1. Is there an ideal number of “friends” or connections individuals have on Facebook that can improve their mental health? I do not believe that there is an ideal number of “friends” or connections individuals have on social media sites, such as Facebook, that can improve their mental health. This is because everyone has different values and what they feel is a sufficient number of “friends” on social media. Additionally, in my experience, some people like to have many connections while others appreciate just a few connections. Both situations can be meaningful depending on the person's genuineness, so I do not think there is necessarily a correct number of friends to have. I also think there may be a range that could exist and if you fall below or above the range there could be negative effects on mental health. For example, with only a few friends, someone may get fewer comments or likes on their posts which can have negative effects on mental health if they start comparing themselves to others. On the other hand, however, if someone has a really large amount of friends, there may be a factor of alienation. A journal on interpersonal communications states, “Technology is most alienating when it's used as a substitute for face-to-face communication.” (Adler et al., 2004, p. 31). If someone spends so much time on social media to gain that amount of friends, they may be using social media to replace in-person communication. Thus, the ideal number of friends could look different for everyone depending on their personality and how they use social media, but there may be a range of friends within which someone could ideally fall to avoid these potential negative effects. 2. What factors might influence whether Facebook has negative influences, like links with depression, versus positive results, such as boosts in self-esteem? Some of the factors that may influence positive versus negative results could be how someone uses social media, the type of feedback they may receive, and their personality traits. For example, if they are actively using social media to make posts and comments on other people's posts, it can feel good to receive positive feedback and make connections with others. However, if they are just scrolling through posts of everyone else's lives, it is difficult to not make comparisons to their own life. Lastly, I feel that there are many times when people are very supportive through social media and give feedback to others that contribute to boosting self-esteem. However, there are also many times that this is not the case and negative comments towards others circulate through social media freely. Additionally, some people have certain personality traits including varying levels of self-esteem that can greatly be affected in this way. In a journal discussing online communication it states, “One study followed social media users for years and found that for adolescent girls, depression leads to social media use rather than vice versa.” (Adler et al., 2004, p. 36). Though different types of feedback one receives can have a lasting impact on someone’s mental health, it is also important to recognize that people with mental health issues may be using social media as an outlet and may be more susceptible to negative influences.
References
Adler, R. B., Rosenfeld, L. B., Towne, N., & Proctor, R. F. (2004). Interplay : the process of interpersonal communication. Oxford University Press.
Anderson, M., & Jiang, J. (2018, November 28). Teens’ Social Media Habits and Experiences. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/11/28/teens-social-media-habits-and-experiences/
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