Mindfully Social: Designing in Response to Mental Health Issues Linked to Excessive Social Media Use

• Author(s) / Creator(s)

  • Muhammad Ali Butt

• Mental health is a significant and widespread health issue that in many societies is still considered taboo and not taken as seriously as it should be. Mental health is vital for the personal and psychological well-being of individuals, their relationships, and their contribution to their society. Millions of people around the world are affected by mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety, but only a fraction of them receive adequate treatment or resources. Research has indicated that excessive social media use could have a negative impact on the mental health and psychological well-being of young people, and these findings have opened numerous important areas to be researched. Research noted that social media could contribute in developing or exacerbating the negative feelings of stress, anxiety, depression, fear of missing out (FOMO) and social anxiety among its young users. Being aware of the gravity of the issue and the associated facts is the first step towards resolving it. Design can be employed as a powerful and effective tool to communicate and emphasize the importance of this issue, and to build awareness across communities on managing its detrimental effects.

• Date created

  2022-04-01

• Subjects / Keywords

  • animation, visual communication design, social media, mental health issues, social anxiety, depression, disturbed sleep, internet addiction, cyberbullying, fear of missing out

• Type of Item

  Research Material

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-a2ce-js94

• License

  Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International