Review article
https://doi.org/10.32914/mcpr.14.1.4
MEDIA AND MENTAL HEALTH
Tihana Đumić
; General hospital Varaždin, Varaždin, Hrvatska
Abstract
Except for the classic evolutionary path, human curiosity and innovativeness have significantly contributed to the development of the human species to the level it is today. One of the achievements in human development is undoubtedly the media, which enables users to fill their leisure time, access information, entertainment, connect with distant friends and family, and more. However, as the influence of the media on people's lives continues to grow daily, both positive and negative impacts of their use are increasingly highlighted. Therefore, it is reasonable to explore and understand the effects media have on people's mental health in order to timely prevent or at least reduce undesirable consequences. The aim of the research was to review recent scientific studies related to the impact of media on people's mental health, with an expectation of significantly more negative consequences of using media on individuals' mental status than positive ones. For this purpose, a descriptive method of analysis and synthesis was used according to the PRISMA guidelines for works from the Web of Science database in the period from 2021 to 2023. The review and analysis of current studies support previous findings about the predominantly negative impact of media on the mental well-being of individuals, with a significant emphasis on the positive effects of media on psychological and mental well-being. This leaves enough room for strengthening protective factors in the inevitable digital era of humanity.
Keywords
media; mental health; protective factors; risk factors
Hrčak ID:
313607
URI
Publication date:
30.9.2023.
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