The general topic of my research assignment remains the same, how does social media use affect society. The general conclusion is that it brings us closer but also rips us apart also as people become socially awkward, unable to socialize without being on their phones. Furthermore, we dive into how it affects productivity, mental health, relationships and so on.

For this search, I used the same search terms such as: mental health, impact, social media, time spent etc. using the JSTOR database. In total, this search brought about 26,552 search results which included a mix of journal articles,  book chapters,  and research reports. Of that grand total, 12,617 of those results were journal articles that I would look through for potential sources for my research assignment. I would say that this search was somewhat useful for me as it allowed me to find a potential source or two that would be beneficial to my research topic. Not that I sift through all 505 pages of results but it appeared to be that very few sources were actually relevant to the topic at hand. They all dove into other topics that would not provide any substance to me which let me to believe I had reached saturation with searches.

Cotten, S. R., Goldner, M., Hale, T. M., & Drentea, P. (2011). The Importance of Type, Amount, and Timing of Internet Use for Understanding Psychological Distress. Social Science Quarterly, 92(1), 119–139. http://www.jstor.org/stable/42956477

This sources directly discusses internet usage and how it affects mental health. It takes a look directly at the type and amount of internet activity as well as timing of said usage and its association with psychological distress. Upon looking through, I would say that this source is useful to myself and the research being conducted. It will provide me with the necessary information to draw a conclusion. My stance hasn’t changed when reading through this source. Furthermore, it it dives into how much time spent on social media causes such psychological changes within us. Overall, very helpful source as it concludes the various factors at play.

George, L. K. (2014). Taking Time Seriously: A Call to Action in Mental Health Research. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 55(3), 251–264. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43186897

Takes a look at mental health within itself and the psychological changes that comes with the onset of mental disorders, what happens during the stages of mental health issues and the potential outcomes. There is an argument that researchers have only tapped on the glass surface of this topic and its dynamics. Furthermore, it dives into the topic at an individual level and at a cohort/group level. The source itself is not very useful to my research as it is just a broad journal article on the topic of mental health. It does not discuss the effects of social media or the impacts of media in general. I suppose I can use the source as an opening/introduction and discuss the issue of mental health itself before diving into a subtopic.

Lee, E. B. (2015). Too Much Information: Heavy Smartphone and Facebook Utilization by African American Young Adults. Journal of Black Studies, 46(1), 44–61. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24572928

The article “Too Much Information: Heavy Smartphone and Facebook Utilization by African American Young Adults” focuses on the smartphone and Facebook usage in AA college students. Furthermore, it analyzes some predictors of overuse including demographic and personality. Additionally, it takes a look at correlation between social media overuse and academic performances. Lastly, it examines the psychological impacts that it has on African American college students. This source is entirely useful to me as it covers each aspect of my research topic and it takes a look into a demographic that I belong to myself. The source helps my argument that social media overuse has a negative impact on individuals and society at large.

Oladunni Oluwoye, Guy-Lucien S. Whembolua, & Ashley L. Merianos. (2017). Extending the Reach: The Influence of Social Media and Culture on Substance Use among African and African American Male College Students. Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men, 6(1), 59–75. https://doi.org/10.2979/spectrum.6.1.03

The source goes on to navigate the influence of social media on African and African American college students. As we know, the media plays a big role on where individuals gain their identity from whether it be from social platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and others such as YouTube where they listen to their favorite musical artists. This is further strengthened by watching others on social media and taking in so much information. It also discusses how strategies are needed to curve substance abuse amongst young adults holding cultural differences. This source is useful as it provides a different lane of discussion for my research assignment. Discussing how social media enables certain behaviors whether it be positive or negative (in this case).Once again, it further strengthens my stance on the issue and will prove useful as it provides valuable information.

Silver, R. C., Holman, E. A., Andersen, J. P., Poulin, M., McIntosh, D. N., & Gil-Rivas, V. (2013). Mental- and Physical-Health Effects of Acute Exposure to Media Images of the September 11, 2001, Attacks and the Iraq War. Psychological Science, 24(9), 1623–1634. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23484662

This source conducts a study by examining the psychological and physical impacts of exposure to certain traumas. It discusses how millions of individuals were collectively exposed to the tragic 9/11 attacks in 2001. The study was done by conducting surveys which measured exposure to the media and their associated stress responses. Conclusively, it was shown that exposure to such media did in fact result in physical and psychological distress. This source is (in)directly helpful in that it further shows how the media, social media included, has negative impacts on individuals. Today, we live in the information age where we digest so much on the daily. All the gruesome/graphic news we saw on Television 20 years ago, we see on social media platforms today. The source proved helpful as it provided me with a study that strengthens my stance that social media indeed has a negative impact on us.