From a total of 34 studies, the overall trend was that users reported an overall decrease in mental health. However, there are some important trends that affect these results.

Social Media and Overall Mental Health

There have been many studies of social media and the effects of prolonged use, but results have been varied. To help make conclusions, a meta-analysis was conducted to put all this information together.

Michigan State University

In recent years, access to media content has dramatically increased. Although this makes information more accessible, some studies indicate that exposure to traumatic images can lead to stress-related symptoms.

Media Exposure and Stress

Meier A, Reinecke L. Computer-Mediated Communication, Social Media, and Mental Health: A Conceptual and Empirical Meta-Review. Communication Research. 2021;48(8):1182-1209. doi:10.1177/0093650220958224
  


Computer-Mediated Communication, Social Media, and Mental Health: A Conceptual and Empirical Meta-Review

After 9/11, there was an increase of stress-related symptoms and diagnosable conditions in the time shortly following the attack. This led some researchers to wonder if traumatic evets could have large-scale mental health impacts.

Terrorism and Societal Trauma

To test if this phenomenon existed in other situations, researchers created an online survey sent to a few thousand participants after the Boston Marathon Bombings. Participants estimated the amount of time they spent watching content related to the attack, gave self-reported mental health scores, and answered if their daily life was impaired in anyway.

Further Investigation into Psychological Effect of Mass Media

Researchers found no direct correlation between media trauma and functional impairment, but they found that excessive exposure to traumatic content increased the likelihood of developing stress-related disorders. However, the effect may vary based on the exact content shown and the length of time spent viewing it.

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