Jaren Dittman

Dean Leonard

English 1201.540

29 April 2020

Literature Review

An analysis of several sources on the topic of how social media affects interaction

focuses between several key topics such as its history, effects on people, their mental health, the

pro and cons of using social media, and its potential harm on users. Each of these articles

convey how social media has grown over the years in various platforms and how it has overtaken

people’s idea of connectedness in terms of face-to-face and online relationships. Additionally,

these interrelated sources highlight the positive and negative impacts that social media has on

human interaction, the human psyche, and communication.

Matthew Jones’ article on the history of social media outlines the beginning of social

media and the creation of numerous platforms as a result of this phenomenon. He provides short

overview of seven platforms such as, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. In his article it is

evident that social media platforms have boomed from the late 1990’s to the present day. Jones

also provides data that correlates to the growth of social networks to the millions, if not billions,

of users around the globe. His article, although short, depicts the unprecedented growth of

interactive services very concisely and to the point. He states that, “…just under 70 percent of

Americans, and more than 2.6 billion active users globally, use social networking sites (Jones).

Jones also provides a definition for what social media is, which assisted in making his article

more understanding. With provided statistics, the article was easy and clear to understand,

resulting in it being a reliable source.

 Brayan Herrera, a year-12 student on a Mental Health Foundation’s research team,

created a blog on the effects social media has on young adult’s mental health. In the blog she

states that media platforms are a powerful tool for young people and that it is a way they can

express themselves (Herrera). Due to her background, her blog is very relatable and accurate as

she herself has experienced the effect social networks has on teenagers. She highlights that

online platforms are beneficial to young adult’s education but can introduce them to negative

behaviors as well. A list of support systems is provided at the end of the article, which grants

teens a safe place for expressing their feelings. Overall, the article was extremely helpful as it

provided both pro and cons of using social media. An understanding to both sides of the debate

helped compel a sense of reliability for a source.

Perri Klass, a M.D., wrote a news article over adolescent suicide rates and how they are

related to online issues. The article goes into the debate over social media and its effects on

adolescent mental health and development. An increase in child suicide has caused controversy

over what is contributing to the increasing rates. Children with underlying problems are

beginning to use online platforms in dangerous ways, and while social media cannot be strictly

blamed, “there is a general acknowledgment that the emotional landscape of the next generation

is increasingly tied to those online connections, for better and for worse” (Klass). He then goes

into how the media is not the primary source for blame, but it is also because of the lack of

moderating and policing done within virtual communities. Social networking does contribute to

depleting a person’s mental state, but here are more underlying issues that bring people to their

breaking point. The article is very concise and credible as numerous studies are provided to

assert the claim.

 The APA focuses primarily on things that affect the psychological state of people. In the

article titled, “Social Media’s Growing Impact on Our Lives” media psychology researchers are

conducting studies on how social media is, and is not, impacting people’s daily lives (Allen).

Researchers are trying to determine whether or not media outlets have a lasting impact on social

interactions. They discovered that these outlets could cause people to socially displace

themselves. People are substituting face-to-face interaction with online social media forums.

There are growing concerns that online platforms are overtaking face-to-face connections and

relationships. It is not only affecting interaction, but the mental well-being of teens as well.

Teens are still developing their identity, so using social media can corrupt their senses of right

and wrong. The source itself is extremely credible as it comes from a reliable association, but it

also cites researched that are well-educated.

Monica Anderson and Jingjing Jiang conducted research on how teens feel about social

media and technology. They provide numerous statistics and charts on how teens view and feel

about social media. They also conducted an interviewed with teens to discover on what their

opinions are on online platforms. The interview uncovered that most teens view social media in a

positive manner. “…40% of these respondents said that social media has had a positive impact

because it helps them keep in touch and interact with others. Many of these responses emphasize

how social media has made it easier to communicate with family and friends and to connect with

new people (Anderson and Jiang). The given research and graphs helped asset their claim and

also assisted in making the article more understandable. They gave accurate statistics and argued

both the negative and positive aspect of using social media.

 Works Cited

Allen, Summer. “Social Media's Growing Impact on Our Lives.” American Psychological

Association, American Psychological Association, 20 Sept. 2019,

www.apa.org/members/content/social-media-research.

Anderson, Monica, and Jingjing Jiang. “Teens, Social Media & Technology 2018.” Pew Research

Center: Internet, Science & Tech, Pew Research Center, 31 Dec. 2019,

www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/..

Herrera, Brayan. “Social Media and Young People's Mental Health.” Mental Health Foundation, 10

May 2016, www.mentalhealth.org.uk/blog/social-media-and-young-peoples-mental-health

Klass, Perri. “When Social Media Is Really Problematic For Adolescents.” The New York Times, 3

June 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/03/well/family/teenagers-social-media.html.

Matthew Jones, "The Complete History of Social Media: The Founding of Online Networking",

History Cooperative, June 16, 2015, https://historycooperative.org/the-history-of-social-media/.

Accessed April 22, 2020