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Effects of Social Media on Human Health

The article Effect of Social Media on Human Health describes both the positive and negative impacts of social media on health. It states that social media acts as a platform for sharing valuable information that can expand people's knowledge. Different medical experts in contemporary society engage with people via social media sites. They can develop online groups where they engage both patient and other physicians to tackle major medical issues (Tripathi 2). These social platforms have improved health care by offering opportunities for communication that might have been otherwise impossible.

Furthermore, social media behaviors and posts are essential in recognizing or forecasting depressed people. Notably, early identification of mental issues enables quick diagnosis of the health challenge. Social media also links different nations across the globe with advanced medications and treatments that can help in enhancing medical knowledge and prevention of common illnesses. Similarly, using social media as a teaching tool in medical faculties transforms the behaviors and habits of students who spend most of their time on social sites. Social media can also aid in the surveillance of contagious diseases, which is critical in public health management.

In contrast, the article discusses the adverse effects of social media. The authors state that people who spend a lot of time on social media have a higher exposure to mental disorders. Some of the major issues include eating disorders, low self-esteem, anxiety, feelings of inferiority, and reduced focus at work. Furthermore, online interactions have cut physical communication that promotes healthy relations. According to Tripathi, social media interactions might also support conflicting medical information among people (2). Inadequate physical interactions result in depression, loneliness, and other mental ailments. Social media can also be a source of dangerous information about illness-causing pathogens that people might use to create biological weapons. Therefore, all social media controllers should filter the information shared in such platforms to make sure that only relevant information reaches the users.

Works Cited:

Tripathi Manikant, Shiwangi Singh, Soni Ghimire, Seema Shukla, and Shailendra Kumar. Effect of Social Media on Human Health. Virology & Immunology Journal, vol. 2, no. 2, 2018, pp. 1-3.