International School
Vietnam National University Hanoi
FINAL EXAMINATION
The Impact of Social Media on Youth Mental Health
Course: Introduction to Sociology
Lecturer: TS Nguyễn Thị Lan
Class: SOC105003
Group members
STT Full Name Student’s number
1 Bùi Mạnh Hoạt 22070970
2 Hoàng Hồng Ánh 22070852
3 Giáp Hồng Phượng 22070822
4 Đặng Lê Kim Chi 22070612
5 Nguyễn Thanh Tùng 22070824
6 Nguyễn Khánh Ly 22070918
Submission date: 11/5/2024
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Table of content
I. Introduction 3
1. Reason for Choosing the Topic 3
2. Literature Review 3
3. Research Purposes 3
II. The research 4
1. Subjects 4
2. Objects 4
3. Research questions 5
4. Hypotheses 5
5. Research concepts 6
III. Data Analysis 7
IV . Conclusion 13
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I. Introduction
1. Reason for Choosing the Topic
Social networks have become an integral part of young people's lives,
with many spending a significant amount of time on them. Although social
networks bring many benefits such as connecting and sharing information,
they also bring potential risks such as affecting mental health and the risk of
increased rates of depression and anxiety. Therefore, this is an issue of
concern and concern for researchers and for everyone.
2. Literature Review
From scrolling through Facebook and Instagram to filming videos on
TikTok, social media gives teens a platform to connect with friends, express
themselves, and showcase their lives to the world. It can also provide a
platform for teens to unleash their creativity and have fun with self-
expression.
However, recent studies have shown that excessive use of social media
can have serious consequences for young people's mental health.
Unfortunately, social media can have a negative impact on young people if
not used in moderation. For example, researchers attribute sleep deprivation
caused by heavy smartphone use and media multitasking to poor academic
performance and other negative effects on mental health. god, especially in
girls.
Social media can have both positive and negative effects on teens'
mental health, especially if not used in moderation. By understanding the
potential pitfalls, teens can take steps to protect their mental health and use
social media in a healthy and responsible way.
3. Research Purposes
The purpose of research on social media on adolescent health is
multidimensional and plays an important role in better understanding the
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impact of living in social environments and online interactions on health and
well-being. adolescent development. Social media research helps better
understand how social media platforms, as well as other forms of online
interaction, influence the mental health, emotions, and behavior of
adolescents. This includes both positive and negative elements of social
media use.
Besides, it also helps identify risk and protective factors in adolescents'
social network environment, including the influence of friends, family, and
community. These factors can increase or decrease the risk of mental health
problems such as depression, anxiety, and stress.
II. The research
1. Subjects:
Young People: This means teenagers and young adults who use social
media.
Social Media Platforms: These are sites like Instagram, Facebook,
TikTok, and others where people share stuff online.
Mental Health: This is about how someone feels in their head, like if
they're happy, sad, or stressed.
How People Use social media: This is about how much time they spend
on it, what they do there, and who they talk to.
Influence from Friends: This means how what friends do on social
media affects each other.
Knowing How to Use Social Media Well: This is about how good young
people are at using social media without it making them feel bad.
2. Objects:
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Surveys and Questions: Asking young people questions about how they
use social media and how they feel.
Watching Over Time: Following how young people's feelings change
over a long time because of social media.
Trying Things Out: Testing to see if using social media in different ways
makes people feel different.
Talking to People: Asking young people about their experiences with
social media and how it makes them feel.
Looking at Different Places: Seeing how where someone lives and how
much money they have affects how social media makes them feel.
Being Fair: Making sure that when we study this, we're being fair and
not making anyone feel bad.
3. Research questions
1) How does using social media a lot affect how young people feel?
2) Does feeling left out on social media make young people feel lonely or
sad?
3) Does using social media before bed make it hard for young people to
sleep and feel good the next day?
4) Does using social media a lot over time make young people feel worse
about themselves?
5) Can we help young people feel better by teaching them how to use
social media in a good way?
6) What kind of support do you seek when feeling overwhelmed by social
media?
7) What impact, if any, did taking a break from social media have on your
health?
4. Hypotheses:
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The more time young people spend on social media, the more likely they
are to feel sad or worried.
Young people who are bullied online will feel worse about themselves
than those who aren't.
Feeling left out on social media makes young people feel lonely or sad.
Using social media before bed messes up young people's sleep and
makes them feel tired and sad.
Teaching young people how to use social media in a good way might
help them feel better overall.
When overwhelmed by social media, people might seek different types
of help, like talking to friends, managing time better, or getting
professional advice, depending on their personality and support network.
Taking a break from social media could either improve or worsen your
health, affecting factors like stress levels, sleep quality, and overall well-
being.
5. Research concepts:
What We're Looking At: We're studying how much young people use
social media and how it affects their feelings.
What We're Trying to Understand: We're trying to figure out if using
social media a lot makes young people feel different.
Watching Over Time: Some studies look at how young people's feelings
change over a long time because of social media.
Comparing at One Point: Other studies look at different groups of young
people at one time to see if those who use social media feel different
from those who don't.
The Group That Doesn't Change: In some studies, there's a group of
young people who don't use social media much. We compare them to the
ones who do to see if there's a difference in how they feel.
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Doing the Right Thing: Researchers need to be careful to ask young
people if they want to be part of the study, to keep their information
private, and to not make them feel bad.
Making Sure We're Right: We want to make sure that what we're
studying is what we say it is and that we get similar results if we do the
study again.
Talking About Experiences: Some studies ask young people about their
experiences with social media to understand how it makes them feel.
III. Data Analysis
It can be observed that due to the benefits social networks bring, their
use is becoming more and more popular. For students, social networks have
even become a need and that is why 85.7% of people aged 18-24 use social
networks.
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Most young people will use social networks to relax, chat and update
information. They mainly use it for entertainment. However, there are still
people who use technology to study and work, the majority of young people
use entertainment platforms such as Facebook (92.1%), Instagram (84, 1%),
TikTok (82.5%),…
Young people spend 1-6 hours on social networks a day (32.1%), in
addition, a large portion spends more than 6 hours (28.6%). Regular use of
social networks has certain negative effects on one's health, spirit, and sense
of balance in life. For example, children are addicted to games, which harms
their health and psychology, and children have early access to social
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networks at the age of 13-17 (7.1%). Achieving a balance between social
media use and time management in life depends on how it is used and how
long it is used.
According to research, 55.6% answered yes to the question that
spending more than 3 hours on social networks will affect sleep. Spending
too much time on social media, especially before bed, can negatively impact
your sleep. Blue light emitted from electronic devices will make it difficult to
fall asleep and reduce the quality of sleep. It can disrupt the body's first
circadian rhythm, making it difficult to achieve deep and sufficient sleep.
This is also one of the causes of mental health problems in young people.
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We can see that people's moods are mostly affected when looking at
other people's posts (39.7%), for example, they may feel happy when
someone shares a funny post, or negatively, can feel jealous when someone
posts too much of their success online,... There are also many other reasons
but in short, most people's mood will be affected. When using social
networks, there are both negative and positive aspects.
When using social networks, most people have occasionally compared
themselves with others (42.9%), according to a survey on why they compare
themselves with others online In society, people often say they want to know
why others can do it but they can't, that can motivate and motivate them.
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As mentioned above, up to 44.4% of people feel more motivated in
comparison, they will push themselves to try harder so that one day they will
be posted on social networks. celebrate your success and motivate others,
which makes them happy. In addition, many people feel insecure or jealous
when compared. This is understandable because when compared, we often
feel inferior to others, thereby giving rise to jealousy.
Figure 8: People often take breaks from social networks to improve their
mental health (74.8%). After a long time of using social networks, they
sometimes become stressed and frustrated. They often stop using social
networks and go do something like: go out, play sports, or meditate,... this
makes them more relaxed, However, nearly ⅓ of people continue Using
social media can cause them more stress, but they don't know what else to do.
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When overloaded by social networks, most people often hang out with
friends or family (60.3%), they feel happy when chatting directly with others,
and they can let go of stress by confiding in friends and relatives instead of
keeping it in their head. People are also encouraged to communicate more
with those around them instead of chatting on social networks.
In the survey, more than half of social media users (55.8%) felt there
was no need to use an app to limit their social media usage. They could
control it themselves. their usage time, but many people also say that they
cannot stop using social networks even though they try to control their usage
time. Besides, up to 44.4% of people also have to use applications or tools to
limit time spent using social networks, they have to rely heavily on
applications to prevent spending too much time on social networks, some say
that using The application makes it easier for them to control, but some
people also feel uncomfortable when they are not allowed to use it further.
In addition, the survey mentioned how people feel if they don't use
social networks for a day. They answered that they feel very bored if they
don't use it because they can't do anything else to kill. time, in addition, some
people feel comfortable because they have time to do the things they want.
When it comes to how stopping using social networks affects mental health,
they say they feel extremely bored and more negative when they think, and
some people also say they feel less stressed and sleep better.
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IV. Conclusion
Social media has become an undeniable force in shaping the lives of
young people. While offering opportunities for connection, self-expression,
and information access, its impact on mental health remains a complex issue.
This report has explored both the potential benefits and risks associated with
social media use, highlighting the importance of responsible engagement.
The research underscores the need for a multifaceted approach.
Promoting media literacy empowers young people to critically evaluate
online content and avoid harmful comparisons. Encouraging healthy online
habits, such as setting time limits and prioritizing real-world interactions, is
crucial. Collaboration among parents, educators, and social media platforms
is vital to creating a safe and supportive online environment.
Moving forward, further research is needed to understand the long-term
effects of social media on adolescent development. Developing evidence-
based interventions to promote responsible social media use and address
potential negative impacts is essential. By acknowledging both the positive
and negative aspects of social media, we can empower young people to
navigate this "double-edged sword" and foster positive mental health in the
digital age.
Individual contribution
STT Full Name Student’s number Contribution
1 Bùi Mạnh Hoạt 22070970 Part 3
2 Hoàng Hồng Ánh 22070852 Part 3, Report
3 Giáp Hồng Phượng 22070822 Part 2
4 Đặng Lê Kim Chi 22070612 Part 2
5 Nguyễn Thanh Tùng 22070824 Part 1
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6 Nguyễn Khánh Ly 22070918 Part 1
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