Influences of Social Media on Adolescent Mental Health in Ghana

Seminar paper from the year 2019 in the subject Communications - Public Relations, Advertising, Marketing, Social Media, University of Ghana, Legon, language: English, abstract: In Ghana, information about social media influences on adolescent users' behaviour is dearth. Any empirical assessment of social media influences on adolescent mental health is largely lacking. Furthermore, there is limited or no policy or legal framework regarding access and use of social media platforms in Ghana. More so, most of the few empirical studies on social media usage in Ghana have focused on access, purpose, benefits and risks and impacts on academic performance of tertiary, secondary and basic school students. It is against this backdrop that the current study comes to examine the actual influences of social media on adolescent mental health and overall policy implications in Ghana.The researcher examines the trend in social media use, the main impacts of social media use on adolescents and major influences of social media use on mental health of adolescents in Ghana. The study will contribute immensely to existing knowledge on social media use among Ghanaian youth. The results may also inform national policy on effective and responsible use of social media in order to mitigate associated risks of social media use on Ghanaian adolescents.Social media has become a common avenue for social networking in a virtual public, which allows people to create and consume their own information on any e-medium that sanctions social interfacing. It includes online platforms such as social networking, internet fora, blogs and microblogs, photo or video sharing media, crowdsourcing and virtual games. These media present both opportunities and challenges to users. The use of social media by especially adolescents may enhance communication and socialization, learning opportunities, and access to important health information. But it may also promote dissemination of inaccurate and misleading i