How does social media affect mental health?

Social media connects us to positive messages

Question: How does social media affect mental health?
Position1 of 2›: Social media has a positive impact on your mental health
Argument‹2 of 2: Social media connects us to positive messages

Social media facilitates the spread of positive messages that people would not otherwise be privy to.

The argument

Social media has the power to connect us to uplifting and positive stories that we might not find otherwise. By selecting the content we consume, we have the power to see positive messages on our feed, or connect with people who inspire us. By selecting the accounts we follow, we can curate our feed to only bring us positive stories and uplifting messages.

Premises

[P1]Social media can connect users to uplifting stories and inspiring people they might not otherwise encounter. [P2] By choosing which accounts to follow and which content to consume, users can curate a feed of only positive, uplifting messages. [C] Therefore, because social media connects us to positive messages, it can have a positive impact on mental health.

Counter-arguments

We do not have the power to eliminate everything but positive messages from our social media. For instance, following friends can lead to FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and feelings of isolation.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P3] Not all uplifting messages and quotes effect us in the same way. What might make one feel better will make another feel worse.