THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON MENTAL HEALTH: ANEXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF INSTAGRAM AND SNAPCHATUSERS

Authors

  • Dr. Shahbaz Aslam PhD Media and Communication Author
  • Babar Sohail PhD Scholar, Media and Communication, University of Gujrat Author
  • Faiz Ullah PhD Media and Communication, University of Lahore Author

Keywords:

Social Media, Mental Health, Instagram, Snapchat, Experimental Design, Between-Subjects Design, Intervention, Quantitative Data, Qualitative Data, Anxiety, Depression, Self-esteem, Social Connectedness

Abstract

This experimental study aims to investigate the causal relationship between social media
usage and mental health, specifically focusing on the platforms Instagram and Snapchat. The
study utilizes a between-subjects design, randomly assigning participants to either an
experimental group or a control group. The experimental group was instructed to limit their
social media usage on Instagram or Snapchat for a period of two weeks, while the control
group continues their normal social media usage. The study collected both quantitative and
qualitative data, including pre- and post-intervention surveys and in-depth interviews with a
subset of participants. The study aims to understand the effects of social media usage on
mental health, including measures of anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and social
connectedness. The findings provided important insights into the causal relationship between
social media usage and mental health and provide future policies and guidelines for healthy
social media habits.

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Published

2021-12-25

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 4 (2021): jahan-e-tahqeeq

Section

Articles