The Impact Of Social Media Uses On Mental Wellbeing: a Systematic Review

Abstract

The aim of this research was to develop a better understanding on the effect of use of social media on human wellbeing as the literature on social media is limited from public health perspective. Therefore, the objectives of the study were: to identify the underlying relationship(s) between social media and mental health; to identify the common disorders resulted from the social media use; and to analyse the needs for interventions to tackle the negative impacts of social media use on general population from the public health perspective. This study has used a systematic literature review as a research methodology and used the thematic framework of Seabrook et al. (2016). This study has found out that there are various positive gains for the users when they use social media, such as enhanced social connectedness, increased social support, enhanced self-esteem, and better life satisfaction. On the other hand, the use of social media can pose a number of risks for the users, such as negative social comparison, exposure to harmful contents, cyberbullying, and other physiological effects like sleep disorders and eating disorders, which have significant negative effects on the users’ mental wellbeing.