Assessment 1: Social Media Use and Mental Health in Young Adults (1,200–1,500-word Essay)

Course Information

Course: PSY 2XX – Social Psychology of Everyday Life (Undergraduate)

Institutional context: Mid-level social psychology course in a US, UK, Canadian, or Australian psychology program

Assessment type: Individual written essay / assessment task

Length: 1,200–1,500 words (excluding reference list)

Weighting: 25% of the final course grade

Assessment Description

Students examine how social media use relates to mental health outcomes in adolescents and young adults, with a particular focus on anxiety, depression, and self-esteem. The assignment evaluates students’ ability to connect core social psychological concepts to current empirical research on digital behaviour and psychological well-being. The task encourages clear written communication that links theory, evidence, and practical implications in a structured and transparent way.[web:19][web:21][web:24]

Learning Outcomes Assessed

• Explain major social psychological mechanisms that can connect social media use to mental health in young people (for example, social comparison, reinforcement, belongingness, and cyberbullying).
• Summarise and critically discuss empirical research on social media use and mental health among adolescents and young adults.
• Evaluate the strengths and limitations of current evidence, including issues of research design and measurement.
• Communicate an integrated argument in clear, grammatical academic prose with accurate referencing of peer-reviewed sources.

Task Instructions

Write a 1,200–1,500-word essay that analyses one or two specific mental health outcomes in relation to social media use among adolescents or young adults (for example, anxiety, depressive symptoms, self-esteem, or loneliness). Focus on a clearly defined age range (for example, 16–24 years) and develop an argument that is grounded in social psychological theory and supported by current empirical findings.[web:21][web:24]

1. Focus and Scope (approximately 150–250 words)

1. Identify the mental health outcome(s) you will focus on (such as depressive symptoms and body image concerns).
2. Specify the age group and context (for instance, college students in North America or late adolescents in a particular cultural setting, if relevant to your sources).
3. State a clear guiding question or position (for example, to what extent certain patterns of social media use are associated with poorer or better mental health).

2. Theoretical Framework (approximately 300–400 words)

1. Outline at least two social psychological concepts that help explain why social media use might influence mental health in young people. Common concepts include upward social comparison, self-presentation, social support, fear of missing out (FoMO), and perceived belonging.
2. Define each concept in your own words using academic sources and indicate how it might operate on social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, or X.

3. Review and Discussion of Evidence (approximately 500–600 words)

1. Discuss a minimum of four recent peer-reviewed empirical studies (published 2018–2026) that investigate associations between social media use and mental health in adolescents or young adults.
2. Summarise the key aspects of each study that are relevant for your argument: sample, design, measures, and main findings.
3. Highlight patterns and inconsistencies across the studies (for example, differences between passive and active use, or between general screen time and specific behaviours like cyberbullying or appearance-focused use).[web:21][web:24]

4. Critical Evaluation (approximately 200–300 words)

1. Evaluate the quality and limitations of the evidence you have presented, considering issues such as cross-sectional designs, self-report data, sampling biases, and the challenges of inferring causality.
2. Reflect briefly on how broader social contexts and individual differences (for example, offline support, pre-existing vulnerabilities, or cultural norms) may shape the impact of social media on mental health.[web:21]

5. Implications and Conclusion (approximately 150–200 words)

1. Identify one or two implications for practice or policy (for example, digital literacy interventions, platform design changes, campus support services, or parental guidance).
2. Summarise the main point of your essay in one or two sentences, making clear how your analysis answers the guiding question set out in the introduction.

Assignment Requirements

• Word count of 1,200–1,500 words. Add the word count at the end of the essay.
• Use 12-point font, double or 1.5 line spacing, and standard margins.
• Include at least four peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2018 and 2026, in addition to any policy reports or introductory texts.[web:21][web:24]
• Use APA 7th edition (or the referencing style specified for your course) consistently throughout the essay and in the reference list.
• Submit the assignment electronically through the learning management system in Word or PDF format before the deadline. Late submission policies follow the university regulations.
• Maintain academic integrity. Paraphrase appropriately, cite all ideas drawn from sources, and avoid contract cheating or unauthorised collaboration.

Marking Rubric (100 marks total)

Criterion	High Distinction / A (85–100)	Distinction / B (70–84)	Credit / C (60–69)	Pass / D (50–59)	Fail / F (<50)	Weight
1. Focus and organisation	Essay maintains a clear and appropriate focus on specified age group and mental health outcome(s) throughout; structure is coherent, with logical progression and effective paragraphing.	Focus is appropriate and mostly sustained; structure is clear with minor lapses in flow or emphasis.	Focus is generally appropriate but occasionally drifts; overall structure is recognisable but some sections feel loosely connected.	Focus is only partially appropriate or frequently inconsistent; structure is weak or unclear and makes the argument difficult to follow.	Focus does not match the task or is very unclear; structure is disorganised or largely absent.	15 marks
2. Explanation of social psychological concepts	Concepts are accurately defined in disciplinary language that is accessible; links between concepts and social media use are specific and clearly explained.	Concepts are mostly accurate and reasonably well explained; links to social media use are evident but sometimes general.	Concepts are broadly correct but simplified; explanations of how they relate to social media are partial or occasionally unclear.	Concepts are vague, contain inaccuracies, or rely heavily on textbook wording without clear application.	Concepts are seriously misrepresented or largely absent.	20 marks
3. Use of empirical evidence	Integrates at least four recent peer-reviewed studies in a way that clearly supports the argument; descriptions of methods and findings are accurate, concise, and linked to the essay focus.[web:24]	Uses at least four relevant studies; summaries are mostly accurate and show a clear connection to the topic, with minor omissions or inaccuracies.	Refers to several relevant studies but with uneven detail or accuracy; links between evidence and claims are sometimes assumed rather than explained.	Evidence is limited, outdated, or not closely related to the focus; descriptions are superficial or partly inaccurate.	Evidence from peer-reviewed sources is largely missing or misused.	25 marks
4. Critical evaluation	Identifies and explains key strengths and limitations of the evidence base, including design and measurement issues; shows an ability to think beyond individual studies to the broader evidence pattern.[web:21][web:24]	Discusses some strengths and limitations with reasonable insight; critical points are accurate though not always fully developed.	Includes limited evaluation, often focused on one or two obvious issues; some points are asserted rather than supported.	Shows minimal critical reflection; relies on description of studies with little evaluation.	Contains no meaningful evaluation of the evidence.	20 marks
5. Application and implications	Draws out clear and well-justified implications for practice or policy that follow logically from the argument and evidence.[web:21]	Identifies relevant implications that connect to the discussion; explanation is generally sound but somewhat brief.	Mentions implications but keeps them at a broad or generic level with limited justification.	Implications are only loosely connected to the evidence or are presented as unsupported opinions.	Implications are missing or irrelevant.	10 marks
6. Academic writing and referencing	Writing is clear, fluent, and coherent, with minimal errors in grammar or expression; referencing follows the required style accurately in text and in the reference list.	Writing is mostly clear and well structured; occasional language errors do not impede understanding; referencing is generally accurate with minor inconsistencies.	Writing is understandable but may include awkward phrasing or recurrent minor errors; referencing shows several small mistakes.	Writing includes frequent language errors or unclear sentences; referencing is inconsistent and sometimes incorrect.	Writing is difficult to follow due to frequent errors; referencing does not meet basic academic standards.	10 marks

Sample Answer Excerpt (Illustrative Only)

Many young adults describe social media as both a lifeline and a source of strain, which matches research showing that online connections can provide support while also intensifying social comparison and pressure to perform.[web:21][web:24] Evidence from recent cross-sectional and longitudinal studies points to small but reliable links between heavy, passive use and higher symptoms of depression and anxiety, especially when use centres on appearance-based platforms and constant checking of feedback.[web:24] Social comparison theory helps to explain why frequent exposure to idealised images and carefully edited posts may lower self-esteem for some users, whereas others appear buffered by strong offline relationships and more active, supportive forms of engagement.[web:19][web:21] A careful reading of this literature suggests that patterns and contexts of use matter more than overall screen time, which has important implications for digital literacy programmes and for how universities, families, and platforms respond to concerns about youth mental health.

1. Primack, B.A., Karim, S.A., Shensa, A., Bowman, N., Knight, J.M., Sidani, J.E. and Barlett, C.P., 2022. Social media use and mental health among U.S. young adults: A longitudinal analysis. <i>Journal of Adolescent Health</i>, 70(4), pp.610–618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.11.004

2. Valkenburg, P.M., Meier, A. and Beyens, I., 2022. Social media use and its impact on adolescent mental health: An umbrella review of the evidence. <i>Current Opinion in Psychology</i>, 44, 101294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.08.017​

3. Berryman, C., Ferguson, C.J. and Negy, C., 2018. Social media use and mental health among young adults. <i>Psychiatric Quarterly</i>, 89(2), pp.307–314. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-017-9535-6​

4. U.S. Surgeon General, 2023. <i>Social Media and Youth Mental Health: Advisory</i>. Office of the U.S. Surgeon General. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf​