Effects of Media Format and Duration on Anxiety

Opening Slide

Social media plays an important role in impacting individuals’ culture, economy and overall view of the world. (Amedie et al.,2015).

Unfortunately, social media has taken over society and has caused individuals to take advantage of it on a daily basis, causing their mental health to decrease overtime and behaviors to become worse (Amedie et al., 2015).

Duration of Exposure

Duration of exposure refers to the length of time participants are exposed to media content.

We included short exposure one-minute, long exposure three-minutes. Extended exposure to short essays may increase anxiety levels compared to shorter exposure periods.

Anxiety

Anxiety levels refer to the intensity of anxiety experienced by participants as result of exposure to media content.

We measured using validated anxiety scale such as a state scale. Measuring anxiety allows for an evaluation of how media content and exposure duration impact participants’ mental well-being.

Hypotheses

		Reading
		Media post	Short Essay
Exposure length	1 min	Less Anxiety	More Anxiety
	3 min	More Anxiety	Less Anxiety

Picture of Figure of actual results

My Figure

Discussion

In support of our hypotheses, participants who read the short essay reported more anxiety than those who read the social media post. As predicted, the analysis showed a strong connection between greater anxiety and participants exposed to media for longer periods of time.

A strength of our study is that it examines clear operationalization concerning anxiety. Researchers need to define anxiety and the methods to measure it, such as implementing specific survey questions, which ensure that the study accurately assesses the intended constructs.

A limitation of our study is that response bias was not used to assess the participants’ answers in the results. Participants may have answered questions based on their thoughts rather than actual feelings.

An important implication of our study is anxiety underscore the urgent need for more interventions and support systems. By identifying key triggers and effective coping mechanisms, clinicians and policymakers can better address the diverse spectrum of anxiety disorders prevalent in society today.

Take home

Social media can negatively impact mental health, especially when used excessively. Our research shows that the use of different social media formats and duration of use is linked to higher levels of anxiety. It’s important to be aware of these effects and find ways to use social media more mindfully to protect our mental well-being.