Studies show impact of media consumption on mental health
Photo by Sydney Pressley.
According to several studies, an increase of media consumption could be detrimental on this generation’s mental health.
With streaming services available at the click of a button, experts worry about the influence these platforms have on adolescents. Netflix alone has been the subject of outrage over the past few years, especially with the release and renewal of the controversial series “13 Reasons Why.”
Over the past decade, studies have correlated increased media consumption with rising mental health concerns for teenagers. A recent report by Dr. Elia Abi-Jaoude shows the rate of suicidal ideations and attempts has “almost doubled between 2008 and 2015” for kids and teens.
Not long after these statistics were published, “13 Reasons Why” was released on Netflix. The show centers around Hannah Baker, a girl who leaves behind 13 cassette tapes describing why she decided to take her own life.
Less than a month after the show’s initial release, two California teens committed suicide after watching the series. Following the death of these teens, people on social media called for Netflix to cancel the highly publicized show.
A study by researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital cited that nine months after the release of the Netflix original, there had been a significant rise in the suicide rate in 10 to 17-year-olds. This was “the highest rate of the five-year study period in [that] age group.”
A 2019 analysis by the American Psychological Association saw a similar spike in mental health disorders in teens linked to excessive media use. With the rise of Twitter and Instagram came an increase in reports of social anxiety, social isolation and loneliness.
Professor of Psychology Dr. Trevor Milliron said the impact of media depends on the viewer. He described a “magic box,” which separates fiction from reality.
“We are capable of drawing a magic box around bad experiences and keeping it inside that box. The idea is that the toxic stuff is in there, but it’s safe in the box, and it’s not going to affect us,” Milliron said. “It has been shown that people that were already having struggles have a flawed capability of drawing the magic box. They can’t keep the experience contained. For them, it leaks out into the real world. For those people, it is a life-changing experience.”
Since the early 2000s, media has depicted mental illness in a variety of ways, allowing viewers easy access to sensitive subjects. Assistant Director of Counseling Steven Knapp believes people should be more aware of content that involves graphic depictions of serious topics or glorifies adverse outcomes.
“We don’t want to deny reality, and I think that too often we as Christians can be guilty of wanting to keep our hands clean and not really wanting to engage the reality of suffering,” Knapp said. “But at the same time, we need to be wise about what we meditate on and about what we allow our minds to engage.”
Jarod Noel, a student success coach at the Hub, said the negative representation of community is what ultimately impacts audiences.
“Stats have shown that the most influential group to students is the peer group,” Noel said. “Students need to be the best advocates for other students. That’s why I think shows like ‘13 Reasons Why’ are bad. They depict a negative community.”
To speak with a mental health professional, contact the Lee University Counseling Center at counseling@leeuniversity.edu. Resources are also available through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
