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Frequent use of social media like Facebook can trigger depression
The use of so-called social media is widespread nowadays and more and more people have access to these services. People between the ages of 19 and 32 use social media the most. Researchers now find that the more time young adults spend on social networking platforms, the higher the likelihood of developing depression.
More and more people are dealing with digital media and technologies. The use of social networks continues to spread and many people control their profiles every day and share their opinions through social media. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh have now found in an investigation that our risk of depression increases when we deal with social media. The researchers published the results of their study in the journal "Depression and Anxiety".
Frequent use of social media can trigger or increase depression. (Image: Korta / fotolia.com) A quarter of users show depression indicators
Are you one of those people who regularly post latest selfies on Instagram? Or do you report on Facebook about every last detail of your life? If so, then you have an increased risk of developing depression, the doctors say. Their investigation found that over time, young people on social media platforms are increasing the likelihood of developing depression. The researchers' research involved nearly 1,800 subjects who used social media daily for about 61 minutes. Participants visited their accounts about 30 times a week. A quarter of the subjects found high depression indicators, the experts add.
Study examines the eleven most popular social platforms
People who already suffer from depressive symptoms often make more use of social media because they have neither the energy nor the interest to really maintain direct social relationships, physicians suggest. However, there are many different reasons why the increased use of social media can lead to more depressive thoughts. Users could be harassed for example by so-called cyber-bullying, develop an addiction to the Internet or they may suffer from a so-called "Facebook depression", explain the doctors. The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study examined the eleven currently most popular social platforms: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest, Vine, and LinkedIn.
Social media could also provide opportunities to fight depression
There are currently more than a billion people daily on Facebook while around 320 million people use Twitter on a monthly basis. These numbers are worrying when you think about the associated likelihood of developing depression, say the scientists. However, social media itself could provide a way to tackle the problem. Hopefully, future research can help figure out how to use social media to our advantage, the physicians add. The researchers do not recommend that people stop using social media. Social media are obviously an extremely important part of today's society and have many important functions, explain the experts.
Researchers call for more responsible use of social media
Hopefully, knowing that there are emotional risks associated with using social media will help individuals make better decisions about the extent of social media usage, the researchers emphasize. Previous studies have already shown that the use of social media can trigger chronic sleep disorders. However, the results are only general tendencies, not every person will develop depression through the use of social media. There are certainly also people who can find comfort through social media. Such people may even be able to reduce their depression by using social media, said lead author Liu yi Lin of the University of Pittsburgh.
The results show that exposure to highly idealized peer depictions on social platforms can provoke feelings of envy. It may create the distorted belief that other people are happier and lead a successful life, Liu Lin adds. In addition, engaging in activities of lesser importance in social networks could make people feel they were wasting their time. This process can negatively affect human mood, explains Liu Lin. (As)