Anxiety is the leading mental illness in the US, affecting 40 million people but only 37% of people receive treatment. Anxiety is defined as "an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure." the nervous feeling that comes with anxiety is from our flight-or-flight instinct from our ancestors when they dealt with life-threatening situations. Now, anxiety revolves around work, money, family, and other life factors requiring a person's attention.

Symptoms of GAD or generalized anxiety disorder includes restlessness, uncontrollable feelings of worry, increased irritability, concentration difficulties, and sleep difficulties.

Causes could possibly include but are not limited to

• Environmental problems such as work, family, or natural disasters

• Genetics, if a family member has it, it is likely for the offspring to have it

• Withdrawal from drugs could also intensify other causes

Ways to Help include stress management, relaxation techniques, exercise, support networks such as family members, and more. For more serious GADs, behavioral therapy and medication would be the way to go.

Prevention includes

• reduced consumption of caffeine and chocolate such as coffee

• healthy diet

• regular sleep schedules

• avoiding alcohol, weed, and other drugs

Depression is defined as a mood disorder that involves a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It is a long term disease which is triggered from life changing events such as a loss of a family member. Depression is also the main causes of disability worldwide.

Signs and Symptoms

• depressive mood

• changes in appetite

• changes in sleep pattern

• agitation and anxiety

• fatigue

• suicidal thoughts

• difficult to concentrate and to think

Causes

• genetic features

• environmental factors

• other conditions such as anxiety

Treatment

• peer support

• Psychotherapy

• Drug Treatment

• Medication

• Food and Diet can make a difference as well

• Exercise

Because of the impacts of Covid-19 on society, through school closings, quarantine, job layoffs, and more, people turned to forms of media for entertainment and news. The problem with media is that 90% of all news is negative, on top of an already negative situation and pandemic. On top of the negative information, 52% of Americans said that they encounter fake news daily, fueling the already enormous flame.

Social media accounted for most of the problem as it is a place where people can spread news to others. In the U.S, negative headlines caught 30% more attention than positive ones, displaying the potential for negative news to spread faster than positive ones. These negative headlines added on to the burden of the pandemic, including fear and pessimistic ideas. These negative qualities led to an increased percentage of anxiety and depression throughout the world.

At the same time, Social Media served as a relief from the degrading events happening around the world. It was a place where people learned new hobbies and interests. It was also a place where people interacted with other people in a time of quarantine.

Overall, social media, when used properly, served as an outlet from the pessimistic world. But when used negatively, it served as an instigator for depressive behaviors, leading to diminishing mental wellbeing.