- In a study, students found that excessive use of social media was associated with poorer physical and mental health.
- It was found that those who took it more often had higher levels blood proteins, which indicate chronic inflammation.
- David Lee was the first to declare that there is. “an undeniable link between mental health and physical health.”
Students at college who used social networking “excessively”According to a new study, patients who visited the doctor more often and had higher levels of a protein that could indicate a risk for developing cancers or heart disease were more likely to visit the doctor.
Research, Publication in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social NetworkingA study of 251 undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 24 found that those who used social media more had higher levels a blood protein that indicated chronic inflammation.
This protein — the C-reactive protein (CRP) — can be used to predict the development of illnesses such as
Diabetes
According to the study, it found that cardiovascular disease, cancer and heart disease are all related. These results were gathered through blood sampling and questionnaires.
The study found that people who used social media more reported having more headaches, back and chest pains, as well as trips to the doctor.
Dr. David Lee (an assistant professor at Buffalo) is the lead author of the paper. He studies how social interactions and relationships affect well-being. Insider learned that there have been many years of research linking the mind and body. It’s possible that something good or bad for mental well-being will also be true for physical health.
Lee also stated that what people do online is related to building and maintaining relationships. Research has proven that the quality and quantity positive effects of social support can have a significant impact on one’s health over many decades, Lee said.
Lee stated that the researchers expected to find a negative association between social networking and health. Excessive use of social media has been associated with stress and poorer sleep. It can also make it difficult to do healthier things like exercising or spending time together with friends.
He said that what surprised them was the fact that CRP levels were high in their blood.
Lee explained that Lee did not conclude that social media was all bad.
Lee explained to Insider that there is a lot more to this question.
“For instance, people who use social media actively to connect with others tend to benefit from using it; people who use it passively just to browse do not,”Lee stated. “We also find in a separate research that the impact of social media use varies for different individuals.”
People with higher self-esteem, for example, are more likely to use social media. Those with low confidence, on the other hand, have less benefit. Negative effects are most likely dependent on. “how”It is used by people. “who”It is used and “why”Lee said that it is used by many people.
“However, there is an undeniable link between mental health and physical health,”He stated. “So we should start paying attention to the possibility that some of the earlier research on social media use and mental health may give us clues for potential physical health effects.”
Research in this area has largely focused on how poor mental and physical health can lead more to, or worsen, illness.
Use of social media
— people turn to social media for support when they are ill, for instance, Lee told Insider.
Both of these are likely to be true, he stated. This suggests that there may be a negative cycle in which people who use social media excessively or as a way to cope with stress have worse mental and physical health. He added that these same people could return to social media for different reasons.