Is Social Media Bringing Young People Down?

May. 26, 2016 / By

Audio slideshow and reporting by Colette Killworth.

Social media was the catalyst for CSULB student Alyse Pichly suffering a severe panic attack and ending up in a Long Beach psychiatric ward.

Above, Pichly shares her experience and we hear from experts on the potential harmful effects that social media can have on young people.

Martin Fiebert, a Cal State Long Beach Psychology professor and social media scholar, says social media users often compare themselves to one another and may come to feel jealous or vindictive when seeing posts about other people’s romances, travel, or success. “The more they look at it,” explains Fiebert, “the worse they feel.”

 

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