How does the development of Social Media and Artificial Intelligence affect people's Mental Health?

  • 21-Aug-2024 22:20

"The human spirit must prevail over technology." - Albert Einstein

We live in a time that is developing day by day. This development is mainly due to the continuous change in technology. Today, almost everyone is closely related to technology. Everyone is interested in this area; how can innovations happen? For example, as social media programs increase, the number of users also increases. It is not correct to look at the impact of this development on people only materially. Because the main thing is the mental health of a person. Should we pay attention to whether the development of technology has a beneficial or negative effect on human mental health?


"Social media is changing the way we communicate and the way we are perceived, both positively and negatively. Every time you post a photo or update your status, you are contributing to your own digital footprint and personal brand." - Amy Jo Martin


Social media apps are also quite numerous for those who use them. It is very good for establishing international relations with foreign people, strengthening relations with people, finding a job, and obtaining useful information. However, users are divided into two groups. On one side, there are positive people who share their knowledge and motivation, and on the other side, there are people who are highly manipulative, speak negatively, show the negative aspects of every topic, and are liars. We can be easily affected by events (Zaman J., Eisingerich AB, 2023) How do people who are very smiling, share their possessions, eat healthy, and look flawless hurt other people? Because none of us are perfect, we are not ideal. Not so rich, not so happy, not flawless. These have a negative impact on other people who suffer financially, who do not like their bodies, and who are depressed psychologically. It creates the concept of perfectionism and anxiety and panic attacks at the same time (Anto A, Asif RO, 2023). Also, it is possible to say that social media reduces the feeling of trust and increases the feeling of doubt and anxiety. The abundance of false information, for example, means that trust is a feeling that is gained late and lost quickly.  

"The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race." - Stephen Hawking

Developing is very important for people and for the country. But what is important is whether this development will have good or bad effects. For example, with the help of artificial intelligence,  almost everything can be obtained more easily. How do you think that people's easy access to information will affect their mental health? Laziness spreads among people, and creativity and thinking abilities decrease. Because everyone wants to take the easy way out. Also, the development of artificial intelligence obtains the personal information of the people who use it, and the dissemination and use of this information by others can lead to very serious consequences.  One of the questions people are interested in with the development of artificial intelligence is: Will I be able to find a job? Will artificial intelligence develop in my field and hinder my work? Thinking about these things, they worry about the future (Chang, M., 2020). Today, there are companies that have started using robots and prefer their labor.

Apple recently introduced a product called Vision Pro. When you read the reviews of people who have bought, used, and shared the product, it seems that people mostly do not welcome it and are afraid of what might happen in the future. While some people are interested in this development, most are concerned. 

In the technology that is created and developed, a person can do things, but he does not have a soul. A person needs a person. Other people wrote programs for those technologies, and we programmed them with our feelings (Fombu, E. 2020).

As long as the world exists, what people discover is constantly changing and forming. Technology is one of them. Social media is a platform that is easily used by people. But much depends on the form of social media use. If people are not able to protect their mental health and are often exposed to negative effects, the most useful thing is to use it more limitedly or stay away as much as possible. On the other hand, although artificial intelligence is not very developed today, it seems to be the cause of many concerns. The most advisable way for people to protect their psychological health and eliminate these concerns is either to get help from a psychologist or to prepare their future in a form that can be suitable for each situation from now on.

References:

  1. 1.      Anto, A., Asif, R. O., Basu, A., Kanapathipillai, D., Salam, H., Selim, R., Zaman, J., & Eisingerich, A. B. (2023). Exploring the Impact of Social Media on Anxiety Among University Students in the United Kingdom: Qualitative Study. JMIR formative research7, e43037. https://doi.org/10.2196/43037

    2.      Chang, M. (2020). Artificial intelligence for drug development, precision medicine, and healthcare (Ser. Chapman and hall/crc biostatistics ser). CRC Press LLC. February 29, 2024,

    3.      Fombu, E. (2020). Predictive medicine : artificial intelligence and its impact on health care business strategy (First, Ser. Health care management collection). Business Expert Press. February 29, 2024,

    4.      Aliyeva, K., & Mehdiyev, N. (2024). Uncertainty-aware multi-criteria decision analysis for evaluation of explainable artificial intelligence methods: a use case from the healthcare domain. Information Sciences657. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ins.2023.119987

  2. Written by Shafa Pashazada