Scientists have pointed out the possible stress of using social media

Social media has become an integral part of the lives of more than half of the world's population, and their influence is growing every year. However, despite all the advantages, the time spent on these platforms has a serious impact on perception and emotions, causing anxiety and stress. This was reported on November 4 by Science X magazine.

Research has shown that there is a way to measure the stress that arises from social media and track it in real time using a new tool, the social stress indicator. It allows you to monitor the public's reaction to what is happening on the Internet and warn of possible crises. Dr. Herkulas Kombrink, a specialist in the field of computing information systems, explained how the social stress indicator works.

Social stress is the tension that a person experiences when their social environment becomes uncertain, conflictual, or requires change. This is not a personal concern, but the result of society's reaction to issues such as inequality, misinformation, or rapid change. In the context of infodemia (the flow of information during a disease outbreak), misinformation and uncertainty become the main factors causing social stress.

The Social Stress indicator is one of the few algorithmic stress trackers that are focused on the digital age. It analyzes text information and search query indexes in order to track changes in mood and stress levels in real time. This tool allows you to track how specific topics (vaccination, elections, etc.) are causing unrest and concern in society.

It is noted that social networks are no longer just communication. It is a battlefield of emotions, fears and social pressure. Combrink's research has revealed that phenomena such as "unreliable opinion leaders" can increase public stress by spreading false health information.

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The social stress indicator works as a "digital thermometer" for a specific topic on the web, using people's opinions and then analyzing three main components — sentiment analysis to identify emotional negativity, subjectivity to measure the intensity of personal expressions, and information retrieval behavior to track public concern.

Based on these data, the final social stress index is calculated. This is a kind of composite indicator of stress, where a negative mood signals anxiety, a subjective opinion adds weight, and spikes in search queries indicate public urgency.

The indicator can serve as an early warning system, allowing you to identify "digital tremors" before they turn into "social earthquakes." It can also help predict crises such as vaccine refusal, increased misinformation, or panic due to political changes. Among other things, the tool is necessary for managing digital platforms, monitoring crises, mental health, and can be used to develop solutions to prevent social unrest.

The model needs to improve sensitivity. When social stress increases dramatically, the tool can remain calm. This is because he was attuned to general trends rather than emotional outbursts. The indicator also assumes equal weight for sentiment analysis, subjectivity, and curiosity, which may underestimate the level of public concern.

In addition, the tool does not cope well with sarcasm, trolling and hidden hatred, while a person can easily identify it. The model also depends on synthetic validation, which can reduce its real usefulness in a chaotic environment. It is emphasized that additional research in the relevant field is needed to improve the reliability of the indicator.

Earlier, on October 31, the Sohu media portal reported on the health risks of using a phone before bedtime. According to the publication, this habit can cause a number of diseases. Experts say that not using the phone an hour and a half before bedtime can help the body regulate hormones, ensure normal melatonin production and promote sound sleep.

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