SACE ID: 398693W Assessment type 2- Outcome
To what extent does social media influence the physical
wellbeing of high school students and adolescents?
Introduction
In today's world, social media has become an integral part of our life. High school students and adolescents
consume more than 90% of all social media (Sparrow, 2023). However, this widespread usage comes with
concerning effects for their physical well-being. Research has shown social media negatively influences high
school students and adolescents physical wellbeing in several ways. It affects their physical health by disturbing
activity levels, sleep patterns, and body satisfaction. Although it encourages belonging and offline interactions,
excessive use may exacerbate stress and anxiety. Furthermore, social media encourages unhealthy comparative
groups, undermining self-love and body positivity. Researching the physical well-being of adolescents and high
school students is crucial as it helps us grasp their specific needs and challenges, ultimately improving their
welfare and making their transition into adulthood smoother.
Correlation between Social Media Use and Physical Activity
The relationship between students' social media usage and their physical activity levels shows complex and
multifaceted correlations. These include negative impacts on physical health, mixed effects on activity levels
depending on baseline activity, detrimental effects on sleep quality, and long-term decreases in body satisfaction
and physical activity, particularly influenced by peer pressure. It is important to note some of these sources may
be prone to bias due to their methodology and sampling.
A video by Geier (2022) found a recent study from the University of Buffalo, involving over 250 students, showed
that heavy social media use might negatively impact physical health. Those who spent more time on social media
reported more headaches and back pain, visited the doctor more frequently and showed higher levels of C-
reactive protein (CRP) in their blood. Moreover, a study by Shimoga et al. (2019) found that frequent social media
use was linked to higher physical activity among already active students but lower activity among sedentary ones,
with moderate use associated with the highest activity levels among moderately active students. Additionally,
daily social media users reporting inadequate sleep were less likely to get enough rest, while those usually getting
enough sleep were less likely to maintain it if they used social media frequently.
A survey I conducted in Australia revealed that about 45% of students reduced exercise motivation due to
excessive social media use, likely due to dopamine release, as emphasised in an interview with Simon Kwon
(2024). Furthermore, Leggett-James et al. (2022) examined social media's impact on body satisfaction and
physical activity among children and adolescents. Their study found that excessive social media use led to
decreased body satisfaction and physical activity over time, particularly among peers highly influenced by each
other. This suggests that peer pressure exacerbates the negative effects of social media.
These authors shared a common interest in understanding how social media impacts student's physical activity
levels, sleep habits, body satisfaction, and exposure to peer influence. However, they failed to mention whether
social media use directly causes changes in physical activity levels or if other underlying factors contribute to this
relationship. With no conclusive statement in this matter, further research is needed to fully understand this
correlation. By researching the impact of different social media platforms individually, as each platform may have
unique features and effects on behaviour we can get a better understanding of how it affects their physical activity
levels. It is also imperative to incorporate qualitative research methods to gain subjective experiences of these
students regarding social media use and physical activity levels.
Relationship between Social Media Use and Stress/Anxiety
The relationship between social media usage and students reported levels of stress or anxiety has become a focal
point of concern in our modern digital era. While social media platforms offer connectivity and information
sharing, excessive usage can potentially exacerbate psychological distress.
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To what extent does social media influence the physical
wellbeing of high school students and adolescents?
Introduction
In today's world, social media has become an integral part of our life. High school students and adolescents
consume more than 90% of all social media (Sparrow, 2023). However, this widespread usage comes with
concerning effects for their physical well-being. Research has shown social media negatively influences high
school students and adolescents physical wellbeing in several ways. It affects their physical health by disturbing
activity levels, sleep patterns, and body satisfaction. Although it encourages belonging and offline interactions,
excessive use may exacerbate stress and anxiety. Furthermore, social media encourages unhealthy comparative
groups, undermining self-love and body positivity. Researching the physical well-being of adolescents and high
school students is crucial as it helps us grasp their specific needs and challenges, ultimately improving their
welfare and making their transition into adulthood smoother.
Correlation between Social Media Use and Physical Activity
The relationship between students' social media usage and their physical activity levels shows complex and
multifaceted correlations. These include negative impacts on physical health, mixed effects on activity levels
depending on baseline activity, detrimental effects on sleep quality, and long-term decreases in body satisfaction
and physical activity, particularly influenced by peer pressure. It is important to note some of these sources may
be prone to bias due to their methodology and sampling.
A video by Geier (2022) found a recent study from the University of Buffalo, involving over 250 students, showed
that heavy social media use might negatively impact physical health. Those who spent more time on social media
reported more headaches and back pain, visited the doctor more frequently and showed higher levels of C-
reactive protein (CRP) in their blood. Moreover, a study by Shimoga et al. (2019) found that frequent social media
use was linked to higher physical activity among already active students but lower activity among sedentary ones,
with moderate use associated with the highest activity levels among moderately active students. Additionally,
daily social media users reporting inadequate sleep were less likely to get enough rest, while those usually getting
enough sleep were less likely to maintain it if they used social media frequently.
A survey I conducted in Australia revealed that about 45% of students reduced exercise motivation due to
excessive social media use, likely due to dopamine release, as emphasised in an interview with Simon Kwon
(2024). Furthermore, Leggett-James et al. (2022) examined social media's impact on body satisfaction and
physical activity among children and adolescents. Their study found that excessive social media use led to
decreased body satisfaction and physical activity over time, particularly among peers highly influenced by each
other. This suggests that peer pressure exacerbates the negative effects of social media.
These authors shared a common interest in understanding how social media impacts student's physical activity
levels, sleep habits, body satisfaction, and exposure to peer influence. However, they failed to mention whether
social media use directly causes changes in physical activity levels or if other underlying factors contribute to this
relationship. With no conclusive statement in this matter, further research is needed to fully understand this
correlation. By researching the impact of different social media platforms individually, as each platform may have
unique features and effects on behaviour we can get a better understanding of how it affects their physical activity
levels. It is also imperative to incorporate qualitative research methods to gain subjective experiences of these
students regarding social media use and physical activity levels.
Relationship between Social Media Use and Stress/Anxiety
The relationship between social media usage and students reported levels of stress or anxiety has become a focal
point of concern in our modern digital era. While social media platforms offer connectivity and information
sharing, excessive usage can potentially exacerbate psychological distress.
1|Page
