Social Interaction and Social Media

location_on Location: Emanuele A

(Links to papers / posters are embargoed until 4/7)

All times in Eastern Time Zone

• assignment_ind Grace, R. “ Improving State of Mind by Escaping the Pitfalls of Social Media ”
  With 4.88 billion social media users, over half of the global population is in danger of the harmful mental effects of extensive social media use. Avid social media users are at higher risk of developing mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). The risk increases proportionately according to the length of daily use. Despite mental health experts recommending no more than 30 minutes a day on social media, the average is 144 minutes. The average daily usage is higher in millennials and Generation Z (the two age groups facing the highest risk of depression) at 228 minutes and 270 minutes, respectively. To better understand the implications of social media use, this project analyzes selected scholarly literature and an original survey. Although the pandemic affected researchers worldwide, the data collected thus far shows alarming mental health risks associated with social media. With social media engagement increasing due to the pandemic, those health risks will only grow. This research paper intends to find ways to mitigate the adverse effects of social media.
• assignment_ind Hogsett, M. “ Negative Social Interactions After Sexual Assault Detrimentally Impacts Victim Response and Recovery ”
  One in four women will experience sexual assault; thus, it is imperative that we explore how different environmental and cultural factors, such as negative perceptions of assault and lack of support after the fact, may affect a survivor’s healing and coping process. This literature review found several studies confirming that negative social interactions can impact a victim’s recovery and method of coping. How the assault is perceived by both survivors and responders can influence the coping process, as well as the labels and language used after it has occurred. There is also a cultural tendency seen in the U.S. and in Asian communities to consider extraneous factors when processing a sexual assault that are often not to the victim’s benefit and can harmfully affect the perceptions of rape. There is a necessity for more focused and specific research to be conducted in regard to how perceptions of assault affect victims’ responses and trauma in order for us to understand how we need to change the language around rape and sexual assault.
• assignment_ind Miller, C. “ Romanticization of Mental Illness in Media ”
  Harmful stereotypes of mental illnesses have long existed in various forms of media, such as TV, cinema, and video games. Within the last several decades, a parallel trend has emerged, with different media types romanticizing these incorrect portrayals of mental disorders, causing similar, or perhaps more intense, harm than negative association stereotypes. By either associating mental illnesses with positive social responses, editing portrayals of mental illnesses to show easy remission and recovery for plot convenience, or by targeting impressionable audiences who may have higher risks for real mental disorders, these media tropes are causing harm to real mental disorder patients. Examples of this romanticization, along with evidence of their real-world impacts, include DC Comics character The Joker (found in films, comic books, TV series, and video games), and serial teen-dramas such as 13 Reasons Why. By using vague, incorrect, or exaggerated portrayals of real-world mental illnesses, these media types create entertainment, revenue, and even characters seen as role-models for impressionable audiences. Not only does this exacerbate the current issue of media misinformation surrounding mental health, but it also romanticizes these issues for younger audiences, further alienating the real community of individuals with mental disorders.