5 Latest Psychology Issues Due To Social Networking
It is no secret that social networking has negative psychological effects on people. It is fun and a great way to connect to different people. However, getting addicted to it is so easy that before you know it, it takes over your entire life. It can be extremely difficult to log out of social networking sites and even if you do, chances are that you log in more than a couple of times a day. It is due to this that many people across the world suffer from psychological problems.
5 New Psychology Problems Caused by Social Networking
Here are 5 psychology issues that are caused by social networking:
1. Narcissistic tendencies: A large majority of social network users are teenagers and young adults. They are constantly online on their, busying themselves with updating statuses, messaging their friends, uploading photos and other activities leading to Smart Phone Addiction. Research has found that users of this age group can have narcissistic tendencies when they overuse social media. According to studies, people can become more prone to anxiety, depression and other psychological problems because of daily use of certain social networking sites.
2. Social Media Anxiety Disorder (SMAD): This is a syndrome that is acquired when social media participation has an effect on an individual’s physical and mental well-being. Those who engage in discussions on social media are afraid that their interactions will bring on feelings of evaluation, judgment, self-consciousness and inferiority which in turn lead to feelings of embarrassment, inadequacy and depression. The symptoms of SMAD all involve an obsession to create an online persona or reputation.
3. Mood changes: According to research, the posts that users see on social networking sites can affect their moods. For instance, when they see positive posts, their own will be positive too; when negative is seen, their positive will be too. Hence, it was found that moods could be contagious and they depended on what users were exposed to during their time on such sites.
4. Social media dependence: Social networking has been praised for changing the world’s social landscape as it allows millions of people to connect. However, it has a dark side. One of the most dangerous psychological effects of social networking is addiction to it. It is a plague that is taking over many parts of the world. Social media dependence is a real problem with people, young and old, unable to disconnect from the virtual world.
5. Social anhedonia: According to a recent study, people who shared fewer photos and pictures on social networking sites had fewer friends, profiles that are longer and did not communicate as often as others. They also had a higher likelihood of experiencing social anhedonia. This is the inability to gain happiness from activities that other people normally find enjoyable, for example, talking to friends.
Social networking has a lot of wonderful advantages. However, it does bring with it quite a few negative psychological effects as well. The exact effects it has on mental well-being and health still remain to be seen but it is certain that the use of social networking sites is not going to diminish anytime soon.