Question

Explain the Social network and social support theory. Why is this theory useful in finding out the relationship between social media use and depression?

What is the significance of the impact social media has on individulas self esteem. Why is it important that social media usage is related to depression.

Answer 1

The influence of the social environment on one’s health related behaviours have been a focus of Health Psychology for a long time now. Psychologists have identified multitude of situations of social interactions and relationships which constitute the everyday life of an individual. Contemporary research has shifted its focus from analysing the direct social support groups available to a person such as family, peers, religious community, etc. to theorising about the Infinitiscimle networks of social interactions on the virtual media of the Internet and telecommunication. There is an increasing acceptance of perspectives such as the social network and social support theories in understanding the larger domain of health.

According to the social network and social support theory, an individual’s feeling of belonging to a social network where she or he receives mutual support from others leads to better health outcomes. Social relationships may influence health outcomes by influencing the practice of health-related behaviors, including preventive and lifestyle behaviors, commitment to a treatment in case of any malfunctioning , and illness-management behaviors. Studies using this theory explore how social relationships appear to play a key role in facilitating good health behaviors, ranging from mental health awareness, avoiding overuse of addictive substances such as alcohol, nicotine, tobacco, etc. to developing effective coping strategies in stressful situations ( Goldsmith, 2004). Another area of interest in this theory is of the effect of media on affective health conditions such as depression. For instance, the social network theory indicates that the feedback and views received from others in ones social network on media such a study Facebook, Twitter, etc has direct implications for an individual’s sense of self-esteem. For instances, Goffman’s ‘looking glass self’ is used a strong a theoretical concept by researchers to understand the role of virtual social network such s Facebook on an individual’s self-concept such that a negative feedback received from others creates anxiety about self presentation and tends to have negative repercussions on an individual already vulnerable experience of selfhood.Many of these communities consist of peers who are experiencing common health concerns, while other online health-related support communities include opportunities to interact physicians or other health-care providers (e.g., such as WebMD).

Moreover the more rigid and lesser the social support one has in terms of size, then more is the likelihood of an individual falling prey to depression and feelings of worthlessness about one’s own ability to deal with difficulties in the everyday life. Thus, the social network theory provides an effective way to analyse the relationship between media and depression.

References:

Goldsmith, D. J., and Albrecht, T. L. (2011). “Social support, social networks, and health,” in The Routledge Handbook of Health Communication, eds T. L. Thompson, R. Parrott, and J. F. Nussbaum (New York: Routledge), 335–348