Introduction
From Facebook to Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and everything in between, the latest social media systems have changed the way humans communicate, educate and live. Never before have humans been able to connect with loved ones across the world within seconds, document their days in a minute video or have access to the world’s information at the touch of a fingertip. Yet while such opportunities seem overwhelmingly positive, they simultaneously pose major concerns and inquiries. What is social media? How does it function in the human mind? What are social media’s benefits and drawbacks? And ultimately, in the modern age, is social media a facilitator of happiness – or depression? Is social media even a digital drug? This paper will explore what social media is, how it impacts people, its pros and cons and whether it’s a digital drug.
What Social Media Is & How It Influences People
Social media functions as an online platform which enables users to exchange content through posts and photos and videos and comments across various platforms. Research defines social media as platforms which enable social interaction through online networks that unite people who share common interests or maintain relationships [5]. Social media platforms enable users to access fast and convenient communication methods. People can maintain continuous contact with their family members and friends regardless of their physical distance. People sometimes discover new friends through these platforms [2]. Social media platforms enable users to discover support networks and find communities which help them during difficult times. The Harvard Chan School of Public Health conducted research which demonstrated that using social media regularly leads to better social connections and improved mental health outcomes [1]. Social media platforms serve as excellent resources for acquiring new knowledge. Users of social media platforms engage in activities beyond sharing photos and updates because they learn new skills and discover fresh ideas and business prospects [2]. The worldwide survey revealed that 9% of users primarily use social media for learning purposes while 17% of users access helpful content through these platforms [7]. Social media platforms serve as essential tools for businesses to operate. Through social media businesses can perform affordable advertising while maintaining direct communication with their customers [2]. When customers witness others endorsing brands through social media platforms they develop increased trust which leads to better business relationships and higher sales performance [3]. Social media platforms have introduced new communication methods to young users who now express themselves through digital language. Social media platforms unite different cultures yet they create additional social challenges [4]. Social media platforms made “LOL” (laugh out loud) into a universal term which spread across the entire world. People who spend time with their online friends instead of their real-life connections might experience social isolation and develop addiction problems [4], [5].
Social media platforms determine which information users will encounter. The Pew Research Center reveals that social media platforms have become the primary news source for most Americans. The platforms create “echo chambers” by showing users repetitive content which leads to the exclusion of opposing viewpoints [4]. The practice of showing only agreed-upon content through these platforms leads to mental closure and the spread of incorrect information [4]. Social media platforms serve dual purposes for business operations and social transformation initiatives. The three major platforms LinkedIn Facebook and Twitter enable users to find employment opportunities and conduct marketing activities and support social movements [2]. The Black Lives Matter movement achieved global recognition through its use of social media hashtags [2]. The application WhatsApp serves as a valuable tool for South African businesses to enhance their operations through better communication [3]. Research indicates that users dedicate 44% of their total online activities to entertainment content while spending 29% of their social media time on leisure activities [7]. Social media platforms influence our mental processes and emotional responses to information. The platform operates through a mechanism which drives users to continuously scroll and respond to content. Users develop the habit of comparing their lives to others while they work to create flawless digital personas [5], [7]. People dedicate less time to face-to-face conversations because of this behavior. Research conducted by MDPI revealed that social media creates dual effects which enable connection and learning but simultaneously generate problems with body image and misinformation and addiction [4]. Social media platforms create significant impacts on our daily existence. Social media enables people to connect while providing learning opportunities yet it transforms their self-perception. The effectiveness of social media depends on how users choose to interact with these platforms [8].
Benefits, Negatives & the Addiction Question
It is better to begin with the advantages. Social media has been known to keep individuals connected, make them feel like they belong to a group, express themselves, and be creative and provide the voice of otherwise unheard individuals [1], [2]. It also allows contact between the whole world [2].
A single study among older adults (65 and above) revealed that the use of social media enabled them to think better. It enhanced their focus, rapidity and recollection [1]. So the advantages are not merely speaking. However, there are also great problems. Overuse or improper use of social media may reduce well-being among students, affect self-esteem, increase anxiety, instill a sense of comparative worthiness and result in depression [4], [6], [7]. An analysis of college student athletes discovered that their well-being was deteriorated upon using social media when carrying out normal activities [7]. According to some other researchers, the addictive use of social media increases the risk of depression, anxiety, and stress [4], [6]. Is social media like a drug? In a number of respects, many researchers believe that it can be. One of the latest articles states that its intrusive notifications, unending posts, and the need to look at it are the features that can turn out to be reminiscent of addictive behaviours [5]. It may require medicinal or administrative like a computerized treatment [5]. Other researchers discovered that addictive use, rather than the amount of time is associated with poor mental health in youths [6]. Therefore, although social media is not a chemical sublimation it can be addictive in terms of its impact on attention, mood and life patterns [4]-[6]. To the point, social media provides us with connection, learning, creativity and business opportunities, it is also damaging our mental health, attention, sleep, self-esteem and may cause compulsive habits [4], [6], [7], [8].
Consideration
social media is amongst the most significant technological resources in our contemporary lives. Some of the benefits of the good side are that it allows fast communication, learns more, connects globally and it is even able to think better [1], [2]. The negative aspect may damage health, concentration, self-esteem and can cause addictive behaviors that disrupt normal lives [4]-[6]. Social media has the capacity to render people happy or sad depending on how they utilize it not only on the amount of time spent on it [6], [7]. Unless people are careless with it, impose boundaries, and use it as a means of connection and learning, the positives will overcome the dangers [8]. When they use it every minute unconsciously and allow the posts to own them, the social media may become addictive [4]-[6]. It is not only a matter of spending less time on the Internet, but rather the way and the reasons why we do so. We must create awareness, educate, exercise restraint, and develop in our digital era [8]. This way, we get to see the good things and keep the bad things minimal but it is best to keep in mind that social media is not a curse, but it is a tool.
References
[1] Social media use can be positive for mental health and well-being | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health,” Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Jan. 06, 2020. https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/social-media-positive-mental-health/?utm_source
[2] A. Akram, “The Impact of Social Media on Communication and Relationships: A Double-Edged Sword,” Policy Research Journal, vol. 01, p. 1, 2023, Accessed: Nov. 11, 2025. https://ipindexing.com/journal-article-file/45087/the-impact-of-social-media-on-communication-and-relationships-a-double-edged-sword
[3] “View of Benefits of WhatsApp as a Communication Media on Small Business Social Networks,” Unesa.ac.id, 2025. https://journal.unesa.ac.id/index.php/jsm/article/view/12779/7899 (accessed Nov. 11, 2025).
[4] Á. Zsila and M. E. S. Reyes, “Pros & cons: Impacts of social media on mental health,” BMC Psychology, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 1–2, Jul. 2023, doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01243-x.
[5] “E. Perakslis and Y. Quintana, “Social Media are Addictive and Influence Behavior: Should They be Regulated as a Digital Therapeutic? (Preprint),” Journal of Medical Internet Research, vol. 25, no. 1, Oct. 2022, doi: https://doi.org/10.2196/43174.
[6] “Addictive Use of Social Media, Not Total Time, Associated with Youth Mental Health,” Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Jun. 17, 2025. https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/addictive-use-social-media-not-total-time-associated-youth-mental-health?
[7] C. Zhang, L. Tang, and Z.-F. Liu, “How social media usage affects psychological and subjective well-being: testing a moderated mediation model,” BMC Psychology, vol. 11, no. 1, Sep. 2023, doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01311-2.
[8] B. T. Keum, Y.-W. Wang, J. Callaway, I. Abebe, T. Cruz, and S. O’Connor, “Benefits and harms of social media use: A latent profile analysis of emerging adults,” Current Psychology, vol. 42, no. 27, Jul. 2022, doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03473-5.
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