Review of Scheinbaum’s The Darker Side of Social Media | Arun Kumar & Jyoti Yadav

BOOK REVIEW

The Darker Side of Social Media: Consumer Psychology and Mental Health

by Scheinbaum, A. C.

Routledge
(Second edition), 2024, 220 p., Rs 3,496
ISBN 9781032530673

In the digital era, social-media has seamlessly integrated to our daily lives. It not only changes the way we communicate, but also has a profound impact on our thoughts, emotions, and behaviour. However, amid this virtual world, there is a darker side that negatively affects mental health, self-image, and privacy. The book uncovers the hidden aspect of social-media and delves into its mental, emotional, and social consequences.

The book is divided into four main sections, each focusing on a different aspect of social-media. The first section addresses mental health issues such as social-media addiction, cyber bullying, depression, self-harm, and social isolation. It helps us to understand how excessive use of social-media impacts mental health and how it can bring about changes in young people’s minds.

Excessive social-media use can lead to anxiety, which is a feeling of tension and worry often accompanied by physical changes like increased blood pressure. Seeing others’ successes, such as perfect lives, wealth, or career achievements, on social-media can make someone feel inferior or inadequate, increasing anxiety; sometimes referred to as “Facebook Depression.” This feeling of inferiority can also contribute to depression, a condition where a person feels persistent sadness and hopelessness, worsened by unrealistic comparisons on social-media. Furthermore, loneliness can arise from feeling isolated even in a crowd, while FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) increases anxiety when seeing others’ exciting experiences online, making people feel left out. Social-media creates a false sense of connection, but instead, it amplifies real-world loneliness, as seeing others’ happy moments can make someone feel disconnected; even if they have many friends. Additionally, stress occurs due to the constant pressure to keep up with social-media, creating mental strain when one compares to others. Social-media also promotes unrealistic beauty standards, leading to negative self-image and body dissatisfaction. This can result in eating disorders and self-esteem issues, with individuals feeling insecure about their appearance. Moreover, social-media can have serious negative consequences like cyberbullying, where people are targeted online, leaving a permanent digital footprint. This bullying, along with the promotion of unattainable beauty standards and success stories, can damage self-esteem and, in severe cases, lead to self-harm and even suicide. While social-media connects people, it can also create a toxic environment that harms emotional well-being, making individuals feel inadequate and negatively affecting their mental health. Additionally, the dark web, a hidden part of the internet, is used for illegal activities; with dark social-media allowing individuals with harmful traits to engage in unethical, secretive actions.

The second section examines the factors that fuel fear and anxiety through social-media, such as sensationalized news and the dark web, while also highlighting unethical activities and personality traits that emerge in the digital world. Within this context, the levels of agenda-setting explain how media shapes public attention and perception, with the first level determining which issues gain focus as media coverage amplifies specific topics. The second level delves deeper into how people perceive these issues, emphasizing certain attributes while overlooking others to shape public opinion. The third level, known as the network agenda-setting model, explores the bidirectional flow of information between media and the public, showing how public discourse influences media narratives. Together, these levels illustrate the intricate relationship between media and society; demonstrating how social-media-driven fear and anxiety intertwine with the agenda-setting process to shape collective perceptions. The dark web, a hidden part of the internet accessible only through special software like TOR (The Onion Router), ensures user anonymity, making it a space for both privacy seekers and illegal activities. In 2012, Alexis C. Madrigal introduced the term “dark social” to describe online content that cannot be tracked, with dark social-media functioning like regular platforms but maintaining complete user anonymity, often for privacy, censorship avoidance, or unlawful purposes. Closely linked to this hidden digital world is the Dark Triad-Machiavellianism, Narcissism, and Psychopathy- characterized by manipulation, self-centeredness, and lack of empathy, where Machiavellian individuals exploit others for personal gain; narcissists seek admiration and consider themselves superior, and psychopaths act impulsively without regard for rules or emotions. Additionally, sadism, which involves deriving pleasure from others’ suffering, manifests in cyberbullying and online harassment, further impacting relationships, work performance, and mental well-being, making the study of these dark traits crucial in understanding their broader psychological and societal effects.

The third section provides an in-depth analysis of how social-media, particularly Instagram, distorts self-perception and promotes unhealthy mentalities by increasing self-discrepancy- the gap between how people see themselves and how they want to be- leading to stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, and poor mental health, as individuals compare themselves to others’ success, luxury, and edited photos, which create feelings of insecurity, inadequacy, and body image issues while also fostering a sense of resource scarcity that negatively impacts spending habits and emotional well-being; additionally, Instagram influences food habits, where excessive use can lead to anxiety, depression, and unrealistic expectations about eating behaviours, especially among women, increasing the risk of eating disorders, though it can also evoke positive emotions like happiness and social connection; as sharing food posts can strengthen relationships and promote gratitude.

The final section highlights crucial issues like privacy, artificial intelligence, and child safety, all closely linked to the growing use of social-media. It explains how social-media companies collect personal data and exposes the security risks associated with it. With the rise of big data, personal data collection has surged, raising serious privacy concerns as companies examine consumer behaviours to create personalized ads, which in turn leads to risks like unauthorized data use, constant surveillance, and misuse of private information. Mobile and wearable devices further enhance digital presence; making targeted advertising more precise, while AI and data analytics build detailed consumer profiles, creating a delicate balance between privacy and convenience. However, users have limited control over their data, and in the U.S., weak privacy policies make it difficult for consumers to manage their information, leading to industry failures in self-regulation and increasing privacy breaches. As a result, consumer groups and policymakers are demanding stricter regulations to ensure data protection. While adults are becoming more aware of data misuse, children’s online safety remains a neglected issue, as they struggle to differentiate between ads and regular content, making them vulnerable to targeted marketing and data tracking. Despite age restrictions, many children bypass them and engage with social-media platforms, exposing themselves to privacy violations. Since they cannot legally consent to data sharing, implementing stricter regulations and stronger policies is essential to safeguard their digital privacy and security in an increasingly connected world.

This book delves deeply into the psychological and ethical aspects of social-media. It highlights issues such as privacy risks, consumer manipulation, social-media addiction, and mental health problems. The book discusses AI-driven advertising, data collection, and the impact of algorithms, but it primarily focuses on Western societies; overlooking the effects of social-media in developing countries. Additionally, it lacks policy solutions and economic perspectives. Nevertheless; it serves as a valuable resource for understanding the complexities of the digital age, encouraging a reassessment of the ethical and social impacts of social-media.

(Authors: Arun Kumar Gond, Research Scholar, Department of Sociology, University of Allahabad; Jyoti Yadav, Research Scholar, Department of Sociology, University of Allahabad)