how does social media cause depression essay

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Social Media Use and Depression in Adolescents: A Scoping Review

Associated data.

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

This scoping review aimed to investigate the association between depression and social media use among adolescents. The study analyzed 43 papers using five databases to identify articles published from 2012 to August 2022. The results revealed a connection between social media use and depression, as well as other negative outcomes such as anxiety, poor sleep, low self-esteem, and social and appearance anxiety. Surveys were the most used study strategy, with multiple common scales applied to assess depression, social media use, and other factors such as self-esteem and sleep quality. Among the studies, eight reported that females who use social media showed higher depression symptoms than males. This scoping review provides an overview of the current literature on the relationship between social media use and depression among adolescents. The findings emphasize the importance of monitoring social media use and providing support for individuals struggling with depression. However, more research is needed to better understand the factors contributing to this relationship and to develop more standardized assessment methods.

1. Introduction

1.1. background.

The term “social media” refers to websites and applications that emphasize communication, community-based input, interaction, content sharing, and collaboration [ 1 ]. There has been an increase in depressed adolescents in the US since 2012 [ 2 ]. Simultaneously, social media became more engaging which led to an increase in social media users [ 2 ]. According to the American Psychiatric Association [ 3 ], depression is a serious medical condition that can have a negative impact on how you feel, think, and act. Sadness and/or a loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities are symptoms of depression [ 3 ]. It can hinder your ability to function at work and home and cause various emotional and physical issues [ 3 ]. The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that depression affects 3.8% of the global population which corresponds to 280 million people [ 4 ]. The WHO defines adolescents as people between the ages of 10 and 19 [ 5 ]. Adolescence is the stage of life between childhood and adulthood. It is a distinct period in human development and crucial for setting the groundwork for long-term health. Teenagers grow quickly regarding their physical, cognitive, and emotional development. This impacts their emotions, thoughts, decisions, and interactions with others and their environment [ 5 ]. There has been an increase in the number of depressed adolescents over the past decade [ 6 ]. It is estimated that depression affects 1 in 7 adolescents [ 6 ]. Adolescents with depressive symptoms are susceptible to social stigma, discrimination, and cognitive problems. Some studies have shown that the increased use of social media has led to an increase in depressive symptoms [ 2 ].

A previous scoping review investigated the association between social media use and depression, examining four factors: quantity of social media use, quality of social networking site use, social aspects of social media use, and disclosure of mental health symptoms on social media [ 7 ]. However, this current review extends beyond these factors and includes articles until 2022, while the previous review only included articles until 2020. This review also focuses on the scales used to measure depression and social media use among adolescents and explores new areas of investigation such as gender differences, the impact of social media on sleep quality, and its relationship with depression. It provides an overview of current work and outlines future research questions in the area of social media use and depression among adolescents.

This scoping review will explore the association between social media and depression among adolescents. The review will consider sources focusing on depression in the specified age group.

This scoping review was performed by a team of 6 reviewers using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping review method [ 8 ]. The scoping review process was carried out using PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) [ 9 ]. The review was conducted through five steps: identifying research question, checking relevant studies, study selection, data extraction, and data synthesis.

2.1. Search Strategy

2.1.1. search source.

The following bibliographical databases were searched for the current review: PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest Psychology Database, IEEE Xplore, and Google Scholar. The first ten pages of Google Scholar were scanned as hundreds of citations are usually found there and organized according to relevance. Additionally, other papers were retrieved from the reference lists of the selected papers, and further research pertinent to the evaluation could be identified (backward referencing). Furthermore, forward referencing was conducted to make sure relevant studies were looked at. The search period covered all papers relevant to this study from 2011 until August 2022.

2.1.2. Search Terms

Three criteria were taken into consideration while choosing the search terms for the current review: population (adolescents), intervention (social media, social networks, and media platforms), and results (depression, melancholy, and major depressive disorder). The search terms used to access each electronic database are listed in Supplementary File S1 .

2.2. Study Eligibility Criteria

Articles met the inclusion criteria if they achieved the main objective, namely studying social media use among adolescents and its possible association with depression and were published between 2011 to 2022. The inclusion and exclusion criteria are listed in Figure 1 below. This review includes peer-reviewed publications, reports, conference proceedings, theses, and dissertations, but it did not include conference abstracts, reviews, or proposals. In studies that included participants of ages more than 19, the determining factor for inclusion was the mean age. Additionally, there were no limitations on the study’s location, gender, research design, stated results, or country of publication.

Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria.

2.3. Study Selection

A two-stage procedure was used to screen every article that was retrieved. First, duplicates were removed. Then, two reviewers read the titles and abstracts of all papers. A review tool, Rayyan [ 10 ], was used to speed up the procedure. The Cohen kappa score was used to quantify the interrater reliability between the two reviewers. Reviewer 1 included 139 articles and excluded 456 articles. Reviewer 2 included 143 articles and excluded 451 articles. Reviewer 1 and Reviewer 2 had 6 disagreements. Reviewer 1 wanted to include one paper that reviewer 2 excluded. Reviewer 2 included five articles that reviewer 1 excluded. With this information, we were able to compute the Cohen Kappa score. The Cohen Kappa score was computed to be 0.972. Both reviewers had similar views on most of the papers that needed to be included or excluded. The reviewers solved the issue of disagreement by talking to each other and arriving at a consensus. In the end, the two reviewers agreed to include 138 articles and exclude 457 articles. The inclusion of possibly pertinent items was then assessed by reading the full text of the primarily included papers.

2.4. Data Extraction

To identify and analyze results, the reviewers considered 15 categories of data to be extracted from the included papers. The reviewers built the data extraction sheet to manage the obtained information. The categories included author names, country where the study was conducted, publication year, study objective, population size, gender, age range and mean age, data scales used, and published findings. Six impartial reviewers examined the characteristics of the study based on the predetermined classification. Excel was utilized for both synthesis and analysis.

Out of the 43 included papers, reviewers were able to extract data and fill 15 categories which resulted in 645 points of extraction (43 × 15). Reviewers agreed on 610 of the extracted data with no conflict. For the remaining 35 extracted data, reviewers set up a meeting to discuss the outcomes, and were able to consensually agree on the results. Accuracy score for data extraction was 94.6%.

2.5. Data Synthesis

The gathered data were analyzed and presented using narrative synthesis. The included studies and results finding that were addressed in the literatures were compiled in a table in Supplementary File S1 .

3.1. Characteristics of the Studies Included

In this scoping review, 748 articles were obtained from five databases (Scopus = 256 articles, PubMed = 296 articles, IEEE Xplore = 61 articles, ProQuest Psychology Database = 76 articles, and Google Scholar = 56 articles,) as shown in Figure 2 . Initially, 153 duplicates were removed which resulted in 595 unique articles. The studies were retrieved from various sources, which increased the chance of duplicates. Rayyan was used to screen the articles and remove duplicates in the process. All the selected articles were published between 2012 and 2022. They were written in English and focused on social media use by adolescents and depression. In the first phase of study selection, 457 articles were removed based on the exclusion criteria (irrelevant intervention = 73, irrelevant study = 209, irrelevant outcome = 56, irrelevant population = 44, review papers = 54, AI-related = 18 articles, and non-English articles = 3). In the second phase of the study selection, full texts of the remaining 138 articles were reviewed. Finally, 40 articles were included. Two additional studies were added through forward referencing and one article was added by backward reference checking. In total, 43 articles were selected.

PRISMA Flowchart.

3.2. Setting and Research Phase

We included 43 articles for this scoping review. These articles were published in 18 different countries; Romania (1, 2.33%) [ 11 ], Australia (3, 6.98%) [ 12 , 13 , 14 ], Belgium (1, 2.33%) [ 15 ], Canada (2, 4.66%) [ 16 , 17 ], China (5, 12.96%) [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ], Finland (1, 2.33%) [ 23 ], India (1, 2.33%) [ 24 ], Iran (1, 2.33%) [ 25 ], Nigeria (2, 4.66%) [ 26 , 27 ], Norway (3, 6.98%) [ 28 , 29 , 30 ], Serbia (1, 2.33%) [ 31 ], Spain (1, 2.33%) [ 32 ], Taiwan (1, 2.33%) [ 33 ], Thailand (1, 2.33%) [ 34 ], Tunisia (1, 2.33%) [ 35 ], Turkey (3, 6.98%) [ 36 , 37 , 38 ], United Kingdom (4, 9.30%) [ 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 ], and United States (11, 25.56%) [ 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 ].

The highest number of articles was from the United States as shown in Table 1 . Most articles were published in 2021 (12, 27.27%) as shown in Figure 3 . We identified four social media platforms that were mentioned in the articles. These included Facebook (4, 9.30%) [ 35 , 41 , 45 , 53 ] Instagram (1, 2.33%) [ 15 ], multi-platform (37, 86.05%) and Qzone (1, 2.33%) [ 22 ].

Publication by Year.

Characteristics of Studies N = 43.

The articles included various study design types as shown in Figure 4 . Around 58% of the included studies involved surveys, while 21% were cross-sectional in nature. Longitudinal studies represented 11% of the studies included, 7% relied on interviews, and 2% were descriptive design studies.

Type of Study.

3.3. Findings

Some papers concluded an association between social media use and depressive symptoms, in addition to other symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia, lack of self-esteem, social and appearance anxiety, reassurance seeking, and even internet addiction [ 3 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 26 , 28 , 29 , 32 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 43 , 46 , 47 , 50 , 51 , 52 ]. These papers reported that the number of hours spent on social media is associated with an increase in depressive symptoms and other mental health problems among adolescents. Additional factors were taken into consideration such as gender, demographics, cyberbullying, eating disorders, and other addiction problems. However, four of the reviewed articles showed no to minimal or moderate association between social media use and depression in adolescents [ 27 , 30 , 31 , 53 ] Below is Figure 5 which shows the number of reviewed papers associated with depression and self-esteem [ 14 , 22 , 25 , 39 , 40 , 47 ], cyberbullying [ 34 , 51 ], eating disorders [ 11 , 12 ], internet addiction [ 18 , 24 , 33 , 35 , 36 , 38 ], social media anxiety [ 2 , 11 , 13 , 39 , 46 , 52 ], and insomnia [ 25 , 39 , 51 ]. The percentage of the male population in the samples was less than that of the female population in 23 papers [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 20 , 21 , 23 , 27 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 35 , 37 , 38 , 41 , 43 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 51 , 52 ]. In other papers [ 11 , 12 , 19 , 25 , 40 , 50 ], the sample of participants was almost equal in number between males and females. The size of population samples in all the reviewed papers ranged between 18 and 74,472.

Number of reviewed papers per area.

Eight articles reported that females who use social media showed higher depression symptoms than males who did [ 16 , 18 , 28 , 29 , 40 , 43 , 50 , 52 ]. Maheux et al. [ 43 ] explained in their paper that females have reported a higher overall score on the Appearance-Related Social Media Consciousness scale (ASMC), which explains why females might be more affected by social media use which, therefore, increases their depressive symptoms. It was reported that females spent 7.5 + 4.4 h on average using social media a day. However, males used social media for longer hours, yet they did not show significant depressive symptoms compared to females [ 43 ].

Demographic characteristics, family environment, and psychosocial factors, as Zhang et al. [ 18 ] showed, were associated with internet gaming addiction, social media addiction, and smartphone addiction. In addition, negative psychological factors such as anxiety and depression play a vital role in different behavioral addictions. According to this study, males have a higher tendency to gaming addiction than females, and internet addiction among adolescents is affected by family environment and demographic factors.

S. Charoenwanit [ 34 ] revealed in his paper that 39% of the interviewees, which is more than 1/3 of the sample size, were bullied on social media. Additionally, cyberbullying was associated with academic achievement, general health, and depression among adolescents with a statistical significance of 0.01 for p -value. T.D. Ray [ 47 ] reported that adolescents experiencing social comparison and cyberbullying during a developmental stage in their life resulted in depression, a lack of self-esteem, and a significant impact on their emotional wellbeing. Shafi et al. [ 49 ] highlighted in their paper that social media usage increase to be considered a consequence of depression, and potentially increases the cyberbullying score as well. Many assume that increased social media usage causes depression, but such papers suggest that it is a two-way relationship. Additionally, Ghergu et al. [ 11 ] showed that social media use might increase the chances of developing unhealthy eating attitudes, yet it can also play a protective role for those who already developed eating disorders [ 11 ].

Pirdehghan et al. [ 25 ] showed in their paper that sleep quality had a significant negative correlation with social media use statistically ( p -value = 0.02), and that males use social media more than females. Thus, males sleeping quality would be lower. Previously in some papers [ 16 , 18 , 28 , 29 , 40 , 43 , 50 , 52 ], it was shown that social media use affected females as they reported higher depressive symptoms; however, Pirdehghan et al. [ 25 ] showed that gender does not play a significant role and that the more social media use, the more depressive symptoms are expressed regardless of the gender.

The included papers used different scales and metrics to measure different aspects of mental health that were directly or indirectly associated with depression, anxiety, or both. Only a few papers used similar scales and metrics to measure mental health values. For social media use, there were two main factors to be measured: the number of hours spent on social media, and how social media was used by adolescents. Most papers used questionnaires or self-assessment tools in addition to some pre-identified.

Some papers opted for self-reporting of depression symptoms, anxiety, or other mental health problems through surveys and questioners, in addition to reporting the number of hours spent on social media [ 12 , 15 , 29 , 30 , 35 , 38 , 44 , 45 , 47 ].

The included papers used different scales to measure depression levels. Only three depression measuring scales appeared to be used in multiple papers. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used in two papers to assess the level of depression in adolescents [ 25 , 27 ]. M. Culpepper [ 46 ], Wang et al. [ 20 ], and M. Kwon et al. [ 51 ] used the Centre for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale to test depression levels in adolescents. Furthermore, two studies conducted by Li et al. [ 21 ] and G. Niu et al. [ 22 ] used an altered version of the Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale to test adolescents for depression. Moreover, the Children’s Depression Inventory scale was used to measure depression among adolescents in the studies conducted by K. Kırcaburun [ 36 ] and S. R. Liu et al. [ 50 ].

Other scales were used to measure factors that could be associated with depression such as self-esteem, loneliness, sleep quality, and anxiety. Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale is one of the scales that were used by multiple studies to measure self-esteem [ 17 , 20 , 36 , 39 , 42 , 49 ], in addition to the shortened version of the scale used by D. A. Barthorpe et al. [ 40 ] and the Chinese version of the scale that was used by G. Niu et al. [ 22 ]. Two studies by S. YAŞAR CAN et al. [ 37 ] and S. R. Liu et al. [ 50 ] used UCLA Loneliness Scale to measure how disconnected adolescents were feeling and if it was associated with social media user or not. Pirdehghan et al. [ 25 ], F. F. Ibimiluyi [ 27 ], and M. Kwon et al. [ 51 ] included studies about sleep quality and social media use and that could be a possible reason for depression among adolescents. The scale used for the assessment of sleep quality was Pittsburgh Sleep Questionnaire Index (PSQI) [ 25 , 27 , 51 ]. The Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment scale (GAD-7) is a scale used to measure anxiety in the studies by M. Culpepper [ 46 ] and W. Zhang et al. [ 18 ]. Two studies by Shafi et al. [ 14 , 49 ] measured Salivary cortisol levels to measure anxiety and if it could possibly be associated with social media use.

For measuring social media addiction, Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BS-MAS) was used in two studies by W. Zhang et al. [ 18 ] and R. M. A. Shafi et al. [ 49 ]. Social Function use Intensity (SFUI) scale and Entertainment Function use Intensity (EFUI) scale were two scales that occurred to be used in two papers by A. Ghergut et al. [ 11 ] and J.-B. Li et al. [ 19 ] to measure social media use and entertainment intensity. Finally, Facebook Intensity Scale (FBI) was used to measure Facebook usage and emotional connectivity to the website alongside other aspects. The FBI scale was used in two papers by T. Hawes et al. [ 13 ] and G. Niu et al. [ 22 ].

All other scales used to measure social media use, depression, and factors that are possibly associated with depression occurred once as displayed in Table 2 . The table concludes that there were many depression evaluation scales used, but only a few scales were used by a multiple of the studies included. Self-esteem, loneliness, sleep quality, and anxiety were factors that appeared to be a concern in multiple studies.

Scales and Metrics Used.

4. Discussion

This scoping review aimed to provide an insight on increasing social media use and depression, and to see if these two variables affect each other. Depression was taken into consideration as it is evident how much its rate is increasing. According to K. Kircaburun [ 36 ], depression is one of the major health problems in modern society. In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) conducted research that revealed that depression is affecting around 350 million worldwide [ 4 ]. It is recognized that technology is becoming more of a need than a want day by day, and that it has become the source of income for different influencers and content creators. However, the impact of this needs to be considered and managed as well. It is important to understand that there can be direct impact and indirect impact of social media usage on depression. When there is an indirect impact, it can be due to factors such as decreased physical activity because of spending many hours on social media, emotional eating due to self-esteem and body image issues resulted from social media content, lack of sleep because of prioritizing using social media over sleep quality, internet addiction, or even cyberbullying. The commonality in the scales used to measure those aspects as shown in the previous section indicated that researchers predicted a possible association between social media use, loneliness, self-esteem, sleep quality, anxiety, and depression.

In this scoping review, 43 articles were reviewed, and around 75% of these papers concluded an association between depression and increased social media use. The articles reviewed had different methodologies for testing this association; some were dependent on analyzing interview and questionnaire responses, while others measured increased cortisol levels by taking saliva samples. Two examples that tested the salivary cortisol level in the papers by Shafi et al. [ 14 , 49 ], which was measured, in addition to α -amylase levels, in adolescents after using social media to check if social media use caused anxiety. It was found that salivary cortisol and α -amylase levels were significantly higher in adolescents with depression but not in healthy control adolescents. This shows us that people with existing depression may face worse symptoms after using social media. On the contrary, social media use can have a positive effect on those who suffer from eating disorders. Ghergut et al. [ 11 ] suggested that social networking use might increase the chances of developing unhealthy eating attitudes in adolescents who are not at risk to develop an eating disorder, but, at the same time, it might play a protective role, instead of a harmful one, for adolescents who already developed such symptoms.

One factor to consider is the average age of the samples. Some papers showed a moderate to low association between social media use and depressive symptoms. [ 27 , 31 , 53 ] The mean age of the samples in those papers was 18, 18.9, and 15.22, respectively. Those mean ages are higher than the mean ages of samples from other papers that showed a higher association between social media use and depression. This indicates that older adolescents are more aware and resistant to the negative aspects of social media than younger adolescents. Older adolescents seem to deal better with social media’s negative side effects than younger adolescents considering the results shown in the three papers mentioned.

It is important to note that the countries with most studies reviewed where China, five papers [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ], the United States, eleven papers [ 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 ], and Norway, three papers [ 28 , 29 , 30 ], and Australia, three papers [ 12 , 13 , 14 ], which are four developed countries. The fact that they are developed countries means that the users have mobiles that are connected to Wi-Fi potentially majority of the time, thus social media use is high as discussed by Poushter et al. [ 54 ]. This is where identifying such patterns of social media effect is needed to alleviate any potential negative outcomes.

4.1. Strengths and Limitations

This review paper presents a comprehensive examination of the latest research on the association between social media use and depression. The scoping review focuses on peer-reviewed articles from databases such as PubMed, IEEE Xplore, Scopus, Google Scholar, and ProQuest Psychology. The paper aims to gain a deeper understanding of the various factors that contribute to depression in relation to social media use, including gender, sleep quality, and self-esteem. The review also summarizes the scales used in the included articles, highlighting similarities and differences, and providing an overview of the most recent findings in the field. By synthesizing the latest research, this review paper aims to provide a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners in the field of mental health.

This scoping review included five databases which could have limited the number of articles. We focused on articles that were published in English. This could potentially mean that we missed relevant studies in other languages. Moreover, our results show that the articles came from 19 countries. The study missed other populations.

4.2. Practical and Research Implications

Practical Implications: In this paper, we looked at the possible association between social media use and depression. As such, this review can potentially aid psychologists and mental health experts in gaining insights into the depressive symptoms of adolescent patients. Psychologists and Mental health experts should monitor the relationship between social media use and depressive symptoms as technology continues to rise rapidly. Understanding the link between social media use and depressive symptoms can also lead to better recommendations from mental health experts to aid adolescents. Moreover, this review paper can also help parents assess the effects of social media use on their children.

Research Implications: The review paper looked at several metrics to quantify the amount of depression among social media users. Moreover, the review looked at the factor of gender. Future studies should consider standardizing metrics to quantify depressive symptoms associated with social media use. In our findings, most of the paper used a different scale or metric which made the analysis more tedious. Future studies can also delve deeper into the depressive effect of social media use based on gender. Several studies have demonstrated a possible correlation between social media usage, depression, and gender difference. Some paper demonstrates, for instance, that social media usage affects females more than males. However, we would recommend conducting a systematic review to determine the validity of this relationship.

5. Conclusions

This review paper was conducted to explore the link between depression and social media use among adolescents. A total of 43 articles were reviewed, and the highest number of papers came from the US. Furthermore, our analysis looked at several metrics used by researchers to measure depression and other factors that can have an association with it such as self-esteem, eating disorders, sleep, social media anxiety, internet addiction, and cyberbullying. This review suggests that there is an association between social media use and depression among adolescents. It also suggests that social media usage affects females more than males. However, a systematic review needs to be conducted to understand these associations further.

Supplementary Materials

The following supporting information can be downloaded at: https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/bs13060475/s1 , File S1: Search terms and details of included studies.

Funding Statement

Open Access funding provided by the Qatar National Library.

Author Contributions

L.A. developed the protocol and conducted the search with guidance from and under the supervision of M.H. Study selection and data extraction were carried out G.N. and A.L., R.A.A. and B.A. conducted data synthesis and wrote results and methods sections. B.B. wrote the introduction section. L.A., A.L. and G.N. wrote the discussion section. M.A. reviewed the article. The article was revise critically for important intellectual content by all authors. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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January 16, 2020

Does Social Media Cause Depression?

The answer’s not black-and-white

By Jade Wu Savvy Psychologist

Getty Images

Is there a link between social media and depression? Do Facebook and Instagram have a negative impact on your mental health? It’s complicated.

Sometimes, scrolling through Instagram just makes you feel bad. You try not to envy your friends, but they always seem to be traveling somewhere cool, eating something fancy, or looking cute in perfect just-rolled-out-of-bed hair.

On the other hand, there are times when you laugh at funny memes, catch up with old friends, and feel happy to belong to fun social media communities. Clearly, social media isn’t all bad.

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Does social media cause depression? Is it bad for your mental health?

People are increasingly opinionated about the potential problems of social media. Things like cyberbullying, screen addiction, and being exposed to endless filtered images that make it impossible not to make comparisons between yourself and others often make the news.

In July, a big study came out in the uber-prestigious journal JAMA. It was titled “ Association of Screen Time and Depression in Adolescence .” This big headline seemed to confirm what a lot of people have been saying—that screen time is horrible for young people.

The study followed over 3800 adolescents over four years as part of a drug and alcohol prevention program. Part of what the investigators measured was the teens’ amount of screen time, including time spent on social media, as well as their levels of depression symptoms. One of their main findings was that higher amounts of social media use were associated with higher levels of depression. That was true both when the researches compared between people and compared each person against their own mental health over time.

Case closed? Not so fast. Before we end the debate once and for all, let’s take a closer look at this and other studies. Let’s ask ourselves: What exactly is the relationship between social media use and depression? It turns out there are several caveats.

»Continue reading “Does Social Media Cause Depression? It’s Complicated” on QuickAndDirtyTips.com

Social Media and Depression Symptoms: a Meta-Analysis

• Published: 06 January 2021
• Volume 49 , pages 241–253, ( 2021 )

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• Simone Cunningham   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-4179-2812 1 ,
• Chloe C. Hudson 1 &
• Kate Harkness 1  

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Social Networking Sites (SNS) have close to 3 billion users worldwide. Recently, however, SNS have come under media scrutiny for their potential association with depression. Two previous meta-analyses failed to find evidence for a robust concurrent association between SNS use and depression symptoms. However, these analyses focused primarily on the time spent using SNS. The current meta-analysis is the first to consider the multi-dimensional nature of SNS use, and examines separately the quantitative associations of depression symptoms to SNS use in three types of SNS studies examining three distinct constructs of SNS use: time spent using SNS, intensity of SNS use, and problematic SNS use. Sixty-two studies ( N  = 451, 229) met inclusion criteria. Depression symptoms were significantly, but weakly, associated with time spent using SNS ( r  = 0.11) and intensity of SNS use ( r  = 0.09). However, the association of depression symptoms to problematic SNS use was moderate ( r  = 0.29), was significantly higher than for time spent using SNS ( Q between  = 35.85, p  < 0.001) or intensity of SNS use ( Q between  = 13.95, p  < 0.001), and was not significantly moderated by age, gender, year of study publication, or mode of recruitment. These results suggest that future research examining causal models of the relation of SNS use and depression, as well as research on intervention and prevention, should focus in more detail on individuals who are engaging in a pattern of problematic SNS use.

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Cunningham, S., Hudson, C.C. & Harkness, K. Social Media and Depression Symptoms: a Meta-Analysis. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 49 , 241–253 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-020-00715-7

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The Social Media and Mental Health Connection

Verywell / Catherine Song

Why Social Media Is Growing in Popularity

Social media and mental health concerns, signs social media is impacting your mental health.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in social media use. According to the Pew Research Center, 72% of Americans in the U.S. use social media.

People use social networking tools to stay in touch with family and friends, get their news, and share their political views . This has some researchers wondering about the long-term effects of social media use.

Because social media use is still relatively new, there are no long-term studies documenting its effects. But several studies indicate that social media impacts mental health in a number of ways. The increasing reliance on and use of social media puts a large number of Americans at an increased risk for feeling anxious, depressed, lonely, envious, and even ill over social media use.

Aside from the fact that social media allows people to reconnect with family and friends that live far away or that they have lost touch with, it became a vital communication tool during the pandemic.

Social Media Supports Connections

People used social media to share information and connect with others when stay-at-home orders kept them from meeting in person. It became a vehicle for social support and connectedness that they would not otherwise have had.

Social Media Makes People Feel Good

Social media has a tendency to reinforce use. People quickly become hooked on checking their statuses for comments and likes, as well as perusing other people's posts.

Using social media sometimes activates the brain's reward center by releasing dopamine , also known as the feel-good chemical. This dopamine release, in turn, keeps people coming back because they want to repeat those feel-good experiences.

Social Media Boosts Self-Esteem

Social media also can boost self-esteem , especially if a person is viewed favorably online or gets a number of likes or interactions on their content. And social media allows some people to share parts of their identity that may be challenging to communicate in person.

Social media can be particularly helpful for people with social anxiety who struggle to interact with people in person.

Despite the above benefits, researchers are discovering that there are some downsides to social media, particularly with regard to mental health.

Social Media Use May Contribute to Depression

For a technology that's supposed to bring people closer together, it can have the opposite effect—especially when disagreements erupt online. Social media has been linked to depression , anxiety, and loneliness. It can make people feel isolated and alone.

One 2017 study found that young people who use social media more than two hours per day are much more likely to categorize their mental health as fair or poor compared to occasional social media users.

A large-scale study of young adults in the U.S. found that occasional users of social media are three times less likely to experience symptoms of depression than heavy users.

Social Media May Hurt Your Self-Esteem

While social media can sometimes be a self-esteem booster, it can also cause you to experience feelings of inadequacy about your life and your appearance. Even if you know that the images you see online are manipulated or represent someone else's highlight reel, they can still cause feelings of insecurity, envy, and dissatisfaction.

Fear of Missing Out

Another mental health phenomenon associated with social media is what is known as FOMO , or the "fear of missing out." Social media sites like Facebook and Instagram exacerbate the fear that you're missing something or that other people are living a better life than you are.

In extreme cases, FOMO can cause you to become tethered to your phone where you are constantly checking for updates or responding to every single alert.

Social Media Can Lead to Self-Absorption

Sharing endless selfies as well as your innermost thoughts on social media can create an unhealthy self-centeredness that causes you to focus on crafting your online image rather than making memories with your friends and family members in real life.

In fact, strenuous efforts to engage in impression management or get external validation can have psychological costs, especially if the approval you're seeking is never received. Ultimately, the lack of positive feedback online can lead to self-doubt and self-hatred .

Impulse Control Issues

Excessive social media use can lead to impulse control issues , especially if you access your social networks using a smartphone. This means that you have round-the-clock access to your accounts, which not only makes it easy for you always to be connected, but can affect your concentration and focus. It can even disturb your sleep and compromise your in-person relationships.

Social Media May Be Used As an Unhealthy Coping Mechanism

Social media can become an unhealthy way of coping with uncomfortable feelings or emotions . For instance, if you turn to social media when you're feeling down, lonely, or bored, you're potentially using it as a way to distract you from unpleasant feelings.

Ultimately, social media is a poor way to self-soothe, especially because perusing social media can often make you feel worse instead of better.

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Because everyone is different, there is no set amount of time spent on social media that is recommended. Instead, you need to evaluate how your social media use is impacting your life, including how you feel when you don't use social media as well as how you feel after using it.

A 2018 University of Pennsylvania study suggests that self-monitoring can change one's perception of social media. According to the lead researcher, psychologist Melissa G. Hunt, PhD, using social media less than you normally do, can lead to significant decreases in loneliness and depression. By using self-monitoring and making adjustments, people can significantly improve their overall well-being.

Social Media Distracts You

If you find that your social media use is impacting your relationships or is distracting you from work or school, it may be problematic. Additionally, if scrolling through social media leaves you feeling envious, depressed, anxious, or angry, then you need to re-evaluate your use.

It could be that you need to detox from social media and spend some time offline in order to safeguard your mental health.

You Use Social Media to Avoid Negative Emotions

Social media also could be an issue if you tend to use it to fight boredom or to deal with loneliness. Although these feelings are uncomfortable and it's only natural to want to alleviate them, turning to social media for comfort or as a distraction is not a healthy way to cope with difficult feelings and emotions.

As a result, it may be time for you to reassess your social media habits. Here are some additional signs that social media may be having a negative impact on your life and your mental health:

• Your symptoms of anxiety, depression, and loneliness are increasing.
• You are spending more time on social media than with your real-world friends and family members.
• You tend to compare yourself unfavorably with others on social media or you find that are your frequently jealous of others.
• You are being trolled or cyberbullied by others online.
• You are engaging in risky behaviors or taking outrageous photos in order to gain likes.
• Your work obligations, family life, or school work is suffering because of the time you spend on social media.
• You have little time for self-care activities like mindfulness , self-reflection, exercise, and sleep.

If you're spending a significant amount of time on social media and you're beginning to notice feelings of sadness, dissatisfaction, frustration, and loneliness that are impacting your life and your relationships, it may be time to re-evaluate your online habits.

If you find that even after adjusting your social media use, you're still experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, it's important to talk with your healthcare provider so that you can be evaluated. With proper treatment, you will soon be feeling better.

If you or a loved one are struggling with [condition name], contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database .

Pew Research Center. Social media fact sheet .

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Social media use and mental health among students in Ontario . CAMH Population Studies eBulletin . 2018;19(2).

Lin LY, Sidani JE, Shensa A, et al. Association between social media use and depression among U.S. young adults . Depress Anxiety . 2016;33(4):323-31. doi:10.1002/da.22466.

Chou H-TG, Edge N. “They are happier and having better lives than i am”: The impact of using Facebook on perceptions of others’ lives .  Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw . 2012;15(2):117-121. doi:10.1089/cyber.2011.0324

Hunt MG, Marx R, Lipson C, Young J. No more FOMO: limiting social media decreases loneliness and depression . J Soc Clin Psychol . 2018;37(10):751-768. doi:10.1521/jscp.2018.37.10.751

Karim F, Oyewande AA, Abdalla LF, Chaudhry Ehsanullah R, Khan S. Social media use and its connection to mental health: a systematic review .  Cureus . 2020;12(6):e8627. doi:10.7759/cureus.8627

Pantic I. Online social networking and mental health .  Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw . 2014;17(10):652-657. doi:10.1089/cyber.2014.0070

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The Impact of Social Media on Teens' Mental Health

Social media has some good intentions: connecting you with people all around the world, showing you content you are interested in, and providing endless entertainment. But there are also negative consequences to endless scrolling. Research has shown that young adults who use social media are three times as likely to suffer from depression , putting a large portion of the population at risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. 

In the U.S., suicide rates have declined slightly since 2019, but it continues to be a serious concern among our younger generation. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of suicides in females aged 15-24 increased 87 percent over the past 20 years. And among males aged 15-24, the number of suicides rose by 30 percent over that same time period. 

Almost every teen now has an account on at least one social media platform. They use social media to reach out to friends, share experiences, and tell the world about themselves. However, without realizing it, they are managing an addiction. 

Jessica Holzbauer , a licensed clinical social worker at Huntsman Mental Health Institute , explains how our smartphones are, by design, addictive. “We get a dopamine release in our brain when we pick up our phone or log into social media,” she says. Using social apps is essentially priming your brain into thinking you are rewarding yourself every time you pick up your device. 

Negative Impacts of Social Media

Is it true that using social apps could negatively affect your mental health? 

“In short, yes, social media can have negative consequences for our mental health,” Holzbauer says. “The younger generation grew up with social media and the ability to see anything, anytime, anywhere. Our ability to tolerate the distress of waiting has been eroded because we can Google the answer to almost any question. We no longer have to wait to know who was the actor that played Ron Burgundy in Anchorman or where to find the nearest library.” 

In many ways, social media has removed the barriers between the user and the audience—with far-reaching implications. “We can act on impulse and post something to social media that may reflect a feeling or thought in the moment but may not be true to us a day later,” Holzbauer says. “When our more level-headed self is back in charge, we can feel embarrassment, shame, or regret for posting something impulsively.” 

We also know that content can be filtered, edited, and manipulated before it’s posted, which can lead to unattainable standards being broadcast to the entire world for anyone to see. Users are obsessed with instant gratification and in some instances base their worth or image off the images they see and the amount of likes they receive on their post. 

“The information teens are putting out is one factor—another is the information they are taking in,” Holzbauer says. “Social media is giving them access to images, people, and ideas they otherwise would not be able to access. This can be a very positive thing, but we know it can also have negative consequences.” 

A recent study from Facebook found Instagram to have harmful effects among a portion of its millions of young users, particularly teenage girls. Findings indicated that Instagram makes body image issues worse for one in three teenage girls. And among teenagers who reported suicidal thoughts, 6 percent in the U.S. traced them back to Instagram. 

Warning Signs Your Teen Is Struggling

This is not to say that keeping teens from social media will keep teens from having suicidal thoughts. Instead, it is a call for parents to be aware of what their kids are doing online—and to look for any changes in their child’s behavior. 

“If your child is starting to focus too much of their attention on social media at the expense of real-life interactions, parents should be concerned,” Holzbauer says. “At the very least, this should spark a conversation about the behaviors to ensure there aren’t more serious issues going on like bullying, anxiety , or other issues.”  

Parents should also look for behaviors not necessarily related to social media that may signal a problem. If a teen is acting differently, seems disinterested in life, or is talking about not wanting to live, actions should be taken. It can be a hard conversation to have —but it might save their life. 

Parents aren’t the only ones who should be on alert. Friends should also be aware when it appears someone is in trouble. They may even have more insight into the situation because they are sharing social media experiences and seeing similar content. One thing all teens should know is that if a friend appears to be considering suicide, they should not write it off as someone being “dramatic” or seeking attention. Be sure to tell someone if you see concerning behavior online and know the resources available. 

Tips for Healthy Social Media Use

We all know how the algorithm works—the more you look at your phone, the more it will send compelling content to keep your eyes from looking away. It’s hard to break habits of checking TikTok or Instagram and constantly refreshing to see more, but it’s important to take time away for our mental and physical health. Parents can set a good example through their own virtual behavior. Here are some tips for parents and their teens .

988 , the national suicide and crisis lifeline, is available anytime, anywhere. Simply call, chat, or text 9-8-8 for an immediate response from a licensed mental health professional. In Utah, students also have access to the  SafeUT app  where they can chat confidentially or submit a tip about themselves or a friend. 

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Social media harms teens’ mental health, mounting evidence shows. what now.

Understanding what is going on in teens’ minds is necessary for targeted policy suggestions

Most teens use social media, often for hours on end. Some social scientists are confident that such use is harming their mental health. Now they want to pinpoint what explains the link.

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By Sujata Gupta

February 20, 2024 at 7:30 am

In January, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook’s parent company Meta, appeared at a congressional hearing to answer questions about how social media potentially harms children. Zuckerberg opened by saying: “The existing body of scientific work has not shown a causal link between using social media and young people having worse mental health.”

But many social scientists would disagree with that statement. In recent years, studies have started to show a causal link between teen social media use and reduced well-being or mood disorders, chiefly depression and anxiety.

Ironically, one of the most cited studies into this link focused on Facebook.

Researchers delved into whether the platform’s introduction across college campuses in the mid 2000s increased symptoms associated with depression and anxiety. The answer was a clear yes , says MIT economist Alexey Makarin, a coauthor of the study, which appeared in the November 2022 American Economic Review . “There is still a lot to be explored,” Makarin says, but “[to say] there is no causal evidence that social media causes mental health issues, to that I definitely object.”

The concern, and the studies, come from statistics showing that social media use in teens ages 13 to 17 is now almost ubiquitous. Two-thirds of teens report using TikTok, and some 60 percent of teens report using Instagram or Snapchat, a 2022 survey found. (Only 30 percent said they used Facebook.) Another survey showed that girls, on average, allot roughly 3.4 hours per day to TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, compared with roughly 2.1 hours among boys. At the same time, more teens are showing signs of depression than ever, especially girls ( SN: 6/30/23 ).

As more studies show a strong link between these phenomena, some researchers are starting to shift their attention to possible mechanisms. Why does social media use seem to trigger mental health problems? Why are those effects unevenly distributed among different groups, such as girls or young adults? And can the positives of social media be teased out from the negatives to provide more targeted guidance to teens, their caregivers and policymakers?

“You can’t design good public policy if you don’t know why things are happening,” says Scott Cunningham, an economist at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

Increasing rigor

Concerns over the effects of social media use in children have been circulating for years, resulting in a massive body of scientific literature. But those mostly correlational studies could not show if teen social media use was harming mental health or if teens with mental health problems were using more social media.

Moreover, the findings from such studies were often inconclusive, or the effects on mental health so small as to be inconsequential. In one study that received considerable media attention, psychologists Amy Orben and Andrew Przybylski combined data from three surveys to see if they could find a link between technology use, including social media, and reduced well-being. The duo gauged the well-being of over 355,000 teenagers by focusing on questions around depression, suicidal thinking and self-esteem.

Digital technology use was associated with a slight decrease in adolescent well-being , Orben, now of the University of Cambridge, and Przybylski, of the University of Oxford, reported in 2019 in Nature Human Behaviour . But the duo downplayed that finding, noting that researchers have observed similar drops in adolescent well-being associated with drinking milk, going to the movies or eating potatoes.

Holes have begun to appear in that narrative thanks to newer, more rigorous studies.

In one longitudinal study, researchers — including Orben and Przybylski — used survey data on social media use and well-being from over 17,400 teens and young adults to look at how individuals’ responses to a question gauging life satisfaction changed between 2011 and 2018. And they dug into how the responses varied by gender, age and time spent on social media.

Social media use was associated with a drop in well-being among teens during certain developmental periods, chiefly puberty and young adulthood, the team reported in 2022 in Nature Communications . That translated to lower well-being scores around ages 11 to 13 for girls and ages 14 to 15 for boys. Both groups also reported a drop in well-being around age 19. Moreover, among the older teens, the team found evidence for the Goldilocks Hypothesis: the idea that both too much and too little time spent on social media can harm mental health.

“There’s hardly any effect if you look over everybody. But if you look at specific age groups, at particularly what [Orben] calls ‘windows of sensitivity’ … you see these clear effects,” says L.J. Shrum, a consumer psychologist at HEC Paris who was not involved with this research. His review of studies related to teen social media use and mental health is forthcoming in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research.

Cause and effect

That longitudinal study hints at causation, researchers say. But one of the clearest ways to pin down cause and effect is through natural or quasi-experiments. For these in-the-wild experiments, researchers must identify situations where the rollout of a societal “treatment” is staggered across space and time. They can then compare outcomes among members of the group who received the treatment to those still in the queue — the control group.

That was the approach Makarin and his team used in their study of Facebook. The researchers homed in on the staggered rollout of Facebook across 775 college campuses from 2004 to 2006. They combined that rollout data with student responses to the National College Health Assessment, a widely used survey of college students’ mental and physical health.

The team then sought to understand if those survey questions captured diagnosable mental health problems. Specifically, they had roughly 500 undergraduate students respond to questions both in the National College Health Assessment and in validated screening tools for depression and anxiety. They found that mental health scores on the assessment predicted scores on the screenings. That suggested that a drop in well-being on the college survey was a good proxy for a corresponding increase in diagnosable mental health disorders. 

Compared with campuses that had not yet gained access to Facebook, college campuses with Facebook experienced a 2 percentage point increase in the number of students who met the diagnostic criteria for anxiety or depression, the team found.

When it comes to showing a causal link between social media use in teens and worse mental health, “that study really is the crown jewel right now,” says Cunningham, who was not involved in that research.

A need for nuance

The social media landscape today is vastly different than the landscape of 20 years ago. Facebook is now optimized for maximum addiction, Shrum says, and other newer platforms, such as Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok, have since copied and built on those features. Paired with the ubiquity of social media in general, the negative effects on mental health may well be larger now.

Moreover, social media research tends to focus on young adults — an easier cohort to study than minors. That needs to change, Cunningham says. “Most of us are worried about our high school kids and younger.” 

And so, researchers must pivot accordingly. Crucially, simple comparisons of social media users and nonusers no longer make sense. As Orben and Przybylski’s 2022 work suggested, a teen not on social media might well feel worse than one who briefly logs on. 

Researchers must also dig into why, and under what circumstances, social media use can harm mental health, Cunningham says. Explanations for this link abound. For instance, social media is thought to crowd out other activities or increase people’s likelihood of comparing themselves unfavorably with others. But big data studies, with their reliance on existing surveys and statistical analyses, cannot address those deeper questions. “These kinds of papers, there’s nothing you can really ask … to find these plausible mechanisms,” Cunningham says.

One ongoing effort to understand social media use from this more nuanced vantage point is the SMART Schools project out of the University of Birmingham in England. Pedagogical expert Victoria Goodyear and her team are comparing mental and physical health outcomes among children who attend schools that have restricted cell phone use to those attending schools without such a policy. The researchers described the protocol of that study of 30 schools and over 1,000 students in the July BMJ Open.

Goodyear and colleagues are also combining that natural experiment with qualitative research. They met with 36 five-person focus groups each consisting of all students, all parents or all educators at six of those schools. The team hopes to learn how students use their phones during the day, how usage practices make students feel, and what the various parties think of restrictions on cell phone use during the school day.

Talking to teens and those in their orbit is the best way to get at the mechanisms by which social media influences well-being — for better or worse, Goodyear says. Moving beyond big data to this more personal approach, however, takes considerable time and effort. “Social media has increased in pace and momentum very, very quickly,” she says. “And research takes a long time to catch up with that process.”

Until that catch-up occurs, though, researchers cannot dole out much advice. “What guidance could we provide to young people, parents and schools to help maintain the positives of social media use?” Goodyear asks. “There’s not concrete evidence yet.”

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How Does Social Media Affect Your Mental Health?

Facebook has delayed the development of an Instagram app for children amid questions about its harmful effects on young people’s mental health. Does social media have an impact on your well-being?

By Nicole Daniels

What is your relationship with social media like? Which platforms do you spend the most time on? Which do you stay away from? How often do you log on?

What do you notice about your mental health and well-being when spending time on social networks?

In “ Facebook Delays Instagram App for Users 13 and Younger ,” Adam Satariano and Ryan Mac write about the findings of an internal study conducted by Facebook and what they mean for the Instagram Kids app that the company was developing:

Facebook said on Monday that it had paused development of an Instagram Kids service that would be tailored for children 13 years old or younger, as the social network increasingly faces questions about the app’s effect on young people’s mental health. The pullback preceded a congressional hearing this week about internal research conducted by Facebook , and reported in The Wall Street Journal , that showed the company knew of the harmful mental health effects that Instagram was having on teenage girls. The revelations have set off a public relations crisis for the Silicon Valley company and led to a fresh round of calls for new regulation. Facebook said it still wanted to build an Instagram product intended for children that would have a more “age appropriate experience,” but was postponing the plans in the face of criticism.

The article continues:

With Instagram Kids, Facebook had argued that young people were using the photo-sharing app anyway, despite age-requirement rules, so it would be better to develop a version more suitable for them. Facebook said the “kids” app was intended for ages 10 to 12 and would require parental permission to join, forgo ads and carry more age-appropriate content and features. Parents would be able to control what accounts their child followed. YouTube, which Google owns, has released a children’s version of its app. But since BuzzFeed broke the news this year that Facebook was working on the app, the company has faced scrutiny. Policymakers, regulators, child safety groups and consumer rights groups have argued that it hooks children on the app at a younger age rather than protecting them from problems with the service, including child predatory grooming, bullying and body shaming.

The article goes on to quote Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram:

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Social Networking and Depression Argumentative Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Studies show that social networking has a potential of causing depression and the more individuals use social sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, the more they are filled with anxiety leading to depression. In the University of Michigan, a study was conducted with a sample of eighty-two Facebook users in a period of two weeks.

The findings of the study confirmed that once an individual engages in social networking, his or her feeling of safety goes down and depression mood emerges meaning that a correlation between depression and social networking exists (Harris 81). Unlike other forms of social networking, such as chatting with friends, social sites offer invaluable data that are incapable of fulfilling an individual needs, such as security and safety.

If an individual spends more time on Facebook, he or she might end up depressed the whole day because of anxiety (Myers 17). Apart from causing depression, social networking may cause the fear of missing out because an individual feels rejected and neglected once his or her message or information is not taken positively. Some users may criticize the views of an individual, yet no chance is given to defend the idea.

While on Facebook or Twitter, an individual feels inadequate or insufficient because one person might post a good picture showing magnificent vacation, luxurious purchases, and gorgeous children. In case an individual does not have the means to achieve his or her ambitions, he or she might be jealous and might be resentful since good things are happening in the lives of others while suffering might be the characteristic of his or her life.

In a different study conducted in Sweden at the University of Gothenburg that interviewed 111 Facebook users, it was established that internet networking has an effect on the self-esteem of an individual, as well as his relationships with others (Noor and Hendricks 64). Individuals spending more time on Facebook and other social sites have low sense of worth.

Additionally, social networking causes narcissism because users spend too much time and resources for decoration of their pictures and modifying their profiles in order to gain approval and praise. If an individual posts a status update on Facebook or Twitter and no person is interested in commenting, there would be a high likelihood that an individual will be worried because he will not understand some of the reasons why others are reluctant to respond.

Scholars, artists, politicians, and other professionals might be tempted to post something related to their achievements, such as published works or won award. Such individuals would be affected greatly in case someone decides to post something negative (Noor and Hendricks 67). Many people end up spending sleepless nights because of a negative comment that someone posted on Facebook or Twitter.

Continued usage of the social media contributes to the erosion of true relationships because it is difficult for individuals to interact face-to-face, as the traditional form of interaction is being replaced by shallow and meaningless online connections. Studies show that this is damaging the well-being of society since human need for true relationship is difficult to find (Myers 48).

Since individuals are incapable of finding authentic relationships and love, they tend to turn to the social sites for consolation. Instead of being comforted, the social media only serves one purpose that is related to depression and mental illnesses. In the modern society, it is common to find an idle person on Fcaebook or Twitter since it is believed to keep a person active.

The modern society is characterized by uncertainties and disappointments and people report all these in the social sites. For instance, of all the internet users, one or two people will report losing a job or breaking up a relationship. Again, the death of an individual will always be noticed, particularly when the person is famous.

Through the social sites, an individual realizes that it is so easy to lose a job or break up in a relationship, something that brings about anxiety. If the death of a famous person is reported, sadness mood comes in because there would be a feeling of loss. Some internet users develop a culture of judging others, irrespective of whether their post is accurate or not. In other words, they simply spread propaganda and falsehood once they realize that their ambition cannot be realized (Myers 75).

For instance, one person might fail to convince another to enter into a deal or relationship. Instead of accepting the outcome and moving on, he or she would go a notch higher to comment negatively on the social media, something that might attract a penalty or revenge. In many parts of the world, online wars are widespread whereby individuals are unwilling to concede defeat and continue with lives.

This has brought about many challenges because a negative comment is given to an individual with children and a stable family. Recently, a picture of a famous politician engaging extra marital relationships was posted on the social media, yet the leader has children and a good family (Kaplan and Haenlein 68). This causes depression to many people who feel disappointed and cheated. Even though the information posted might be inaccurate, it would be difficult for other users to change their minds once they have the picture.

In order to network with a friend, a social media user must send a friend request and wait for a response. An individual will definitely be depressed in case a response is not sent in time. Social networking isolates an individual from the rest of the community because most of the time is spent chatting with online friends who might have nothing to add to an individual’s life. Many young people are simply interested with popularity and they believe that having many friends in Facebook or Twitter makes them more famous.

In reality, this does not add any value to life because friendship has to be of high quality meaning that adequate assistance can be offered when necessary. An individual with many friends on Twitter or Facebook tends to believe that he or she is illustrious, but most likely will be disappointed in a time of need because not all online friends will ever care about what is happening to the life of one member (Harris 101).

They will simply express their sadness, which might not be genuine, yet the individual would be in need of emotional and psychological support. Therefore, social networking is believed to be harmful to the well-being of the individual in society because it does not add value to life (Myers 88). Additionally, it is established that a strong correlation between social networking and depression exists and it is upon the individual to control internet usage.

Works Cited

Harris, Kandace. “Using Social Networking Sites as Student Engagement Tools.” Diverse Issues in Higher Education, 25.18 (2008): 88-112. Print.

Kaplan, Andreas, and Haenlein, Michael. “Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of social media”. Business Horizons, 53.1 (2010): 61-98. Print.

Myers, David. Social Psychology . New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2012. Print.

Noor, Al-Deen, and Hendricks, John. Social Media: Usage and Impact . Lanham: Lexington Books, 2012. Print.

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IvyPanda. (2019, January 17). Social Networking and Depression. https://ivypanda.com/essays/social-networking-and-depression/

"Social Networking and Depression." IvyPanda , 17 Jan. 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/social-networking-and-depression/.

IvyPanda . (2019) 'Social Networking and Depression'. 17 January.

IvyPanda . 2019. "Social Networking and Depression." January 17, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/social-networking-and-depression/.

1. IvyPanda . "Social Networking and Depression." January 17, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/social-networking-and-depression/.

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IvyPanda . "Social Networking and Depression." January 17, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/social-networking-and-depression/.

Does Social Media Cause Depression?

Many users pay a high price for the instant connections social media provides, begging the question, does social media cause depression? Recent research seems to link excessive social network usage to many mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

Social media also is associated with reduced attention span, sleep difficulties, and hyperactivity.

With an estimated four billion people using social media worldwide, social media depression has become a front-burner issue for mental health professionals. It’s also one of the main focuses for graduate students in a Master of Arts in Psychology program with a concentration on media psychology .

The Popularity of Social Media

In just a few decades, social media has gone from a novelty to a necessity for billions of people around the world. It’s hard to believe that something that didn’t exist before the late 20th century now connects 60% of the global population . 

The most popular sites include the following:  Facebook: 3.0 billion  YouTube: 2.5 billion  WhatsApp: 2.2 billion  Instagram: 2.0 billion  WeChat: 1.3 billion  TikTok: 1.1 billion  Facebook Messenger: 1.0 billion 

Most of these top platforms are based in the United States, showcasing the country’s major role in the digital world. But it’s not just the US leading the charge. Platforms like Snapchat, Pinterest, Reddit, Twitter, and Quora also rank among the top 20 social media sites globally.  China also plays a big part with popular platforms like WeChat, QQ, and the video-sharing app Douyin, each with hundreds of millions of users. Europe and Japan aren’t left out either, with VK and LINE drawing millions of active users. 

The Connection Between Social Media and Depression

The above numbers look great from a business perspective. But psychologists and mental health professionals may find them alarming. More than half the world now exposes itself daily to an experience known to cause mental health challenges. All this is happening in a relatively short time.

What Is Depression?

To understand the impact of social media, it’s important first to know the definition of depression. The Mayo Clinic defines depression (major depressive disorder) as a “mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest.” It can impact how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. It can lead to problems with concentration, sleeping, eating well, decision-making, and doing daily routines. At its worst, depression can lead to feelings that life is not worth living.

Depression is not a weakness or something people can “snap out” of, but a condition that requires long-term treatment.

Social Media Depression

Recent research validates the idea of social media depression. Most studies have focused on separating causation from correlation. The former indicates social media increases the risk of mental health issues. The latter indicates that depressed and lonely people are more likely to be on social media. In this case, social media platforms are a symptom of depression, not the cause.

The most recent studies point to causation. A 2015 survey of 736 college students found that Facebook triggers feelings of envy and that envy leads to symptoms of depression. A 2019 study from the United Kingdom found that people who checked Facebook late at night lost sleep and were more likely to feel depressed and unhappy.

The University of Pennsylvania Study

In 2018, the University of Pennsylvania hosted the most impactful research into the nexus between social media and depression.  The study involved splitting a group of 143 students into two groups for three weeks. One group continued normal social network activities. The second limited their access to social media to just 30 minutes a day (10 minutes each on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat).

Everyone involved used iPhones. Researchers tracked phone usage data to ensure each group participated as planned. In just three weeks, the group that used less social media had better mental health outcomes. As such, the research study suggests that less time on social media led to fewer feelings of unhappiness and depression.

Researchers titled the University of Pennsylvania study : “No More FOMO: Limiting Social Media Decreases Loneliness and Depression.” FOMO refers to Fear of Missing Out. FOMO in social media causes people to constantly check and recheck their social network feeds to avoid missing anything.

People also check their feeds because getting a “like” and other experiences on social media releases dopamine into the brain. People get this “feel-good” chemical naturally through exercise and is also released with recreational drugs and gambling.

“Studies have shown that the constant stream of retweets, likes and shares from these sites affect the brain’s reward area to trigger the same chemical reaction as other drugs, such as cocaine,” according to the Addiction Center.

A Master Degree in Media Psychology

An online Master’s Degree in Psychology with a Concentration in Media Psychology trains you to tackle critical issues like social media-induced depression and the spread of “fake news.” This 100% online program opens doors to diverse careers in media industries, including television, radio, and film studios, as well as marketing and advertising. You can also work with schools and organizations to create educational content focused on media psychology.  Does social media cause depression? Research shows a strong link. As social media-related mental health issues rise, the demand for experts in media psychology grows. If you’re passionate about making a positive impact in this field, a master’s degree in media psychology can set you on the path to a rewarding and influential career. 

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Social Media: A cause of Anxiety and Depression – Essay in English

by Meenu Saini | Jun 11, 2022 | General | 0 comments

English Essay Writing Topic – Ill Effects of Social Media: A cause of Anxiety and Depression

  The majority of people in today’s world love to spend their time on social media. Most of them consider their smartphones as their virtual companion. In recent years, the craze of staying updated with the social media world has immensely increased. Research has shown that the excessive use of social media has adversely affected the psychological well-being of children. Additionally, the COVID-19 outbreak in the world, followed by the nationwide lockdowns and the closure of schools, has forced children to stay indoors. This situation has worked as a trigger for young minds. 

Due to limited access to outdoor activities, children became more addicted to social media as it was their only alternative to stay connected with the outside world. According to many studies , social media has some serious consequences such as substance abuse, bullying, low self-esteem, self-harming tendencies, and poor body-image concerns. It can also increase the risk of developing several mental health problems, including anxiety disorder and depression. But before understanding how social media affects children’s psychological health, let’s know first what social media is. 

What is Social Media?

• The common uses of Social Media

Relationship between Social Media and Mental Health

Effects of social media on young minds, what are anxiety and depression, ways to treat childhood depression and anxiety due to excessive social media use.

In simple words, social media is a virtual platform where one can build virtual networks or virtually connect with different types of people by sharing their thoughts, ideas, information, and more. It is a computer-based technology that has gained immense popularity among every age group. It is the only platform that allows people to connect and engage with their respective target audience – even if they belong to another side of the world. 

People usually use different social media platforms to share pictures, significant life events, and their thoughts on various topics. But many people use social media as a professional tool to fulfill their professional requirements. For example, a small business owner can reach his target audience and promote his products via social media platforms. It can help him in extending his business in the future. Additionally, many students use social media for their educational requirements, while others use it only for entertainment purposes. In the last few years, social media has become an integral part of our communication process. While it offers numerous advantages and benefits in this ever-competitive world, it can have a lot of serious consequences when used excessively or for harmful purposes. Here are some of the most common uses of social media:   Top  

The common uses of Social Media 

• Communicating with existing or new people
• Connecting with the target audience and promoting businesses
• Sharing pictures, videos, and life events
• Collaborating with other brands or businesses
• Advertisement purposes
• Sharing thoughts, ideas, and opinions on various personal or public issues
• Staying updated with the latest news, trends, and technologies
• Providing customer service or support
• Watching photos and videos posted by other people (Entertainment purposes)
• Educational purposes

  Top  

  As we all know, human beings are social creatures, and they seek companionship in every possible way they can. The connections or bondings we make during our lifetime play a pivotal role in our psychological well-being and overall happiness. In today’s world, social media has become the only platform that allows us to communicate with different types of people. It provides us with a virtual and versatile platform where we can socially connect with others. And this helps us to relieve stress and anxiety, boosts our self-confidence, prevents us from feeling lonely, and most importantly, offers comfort and happiness. But anything that becomes an addiction because of extreme dependability can be harmful to one’s physical and mental health. This theory goes the same with social media as well. 

Nowadays, many of us depend on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to find new people and make new connections with them. This practice may have many benefits, but we have to remember one thing that social media can never be the replacement for real-world communications or bondings. In-person communications can trigger happy hormones in us, and we eventually feel stress-free, healthier, and more positive. But social media is a technology, and it can never provide the same benefit in-person communication does. 

Researchers say that spending too much time using social media can negatively affect our emotional health. A recent 2020 NCBI research paper has found a strong link between excessive use of social media and the increased risk of developing mental health problems. It explained that children who excessively use social media tend to develop anxiety and depression symptoms during their teenage. The time spent on social media plays a significant role in developing such psychological issues. Another 2021 study claimed that people who deactivated their Facebook accounts felt less stressed than those who remained active on Facebook. Many studies have found that social media exposure has increased for kids in the last few years, especially after the COVID-19 outbreak in the world. 

The Facebook Whistleblower scandal in 2021 has revealed that social media platforms are unhealthy for children’s psychological well-being. The documents have claimed that image-sharing platforms like Instagram and Snapchat negatively affect kids’ body image and self-esteem. Such platforms often create impractical views about people’s physical looks by promoting unrealistic beauty filters and effects. These documents have also revealed that many children and teens have developed body dysmorphia after using those beauty filters excessively. Body dysmorphia refers to a psychological condition in which a person feels anxious about any perceived flaw or defect in their physical appearance. This situation has led to parents being more concerned about how social media platforms and increased screen time will affect their kids or teens later in life.    Top  

  We may feel great staying up-to-date and keeping in touch with friends, but excessive use of social media can also trigger anxiety, loneliness, depression, and other emotional issues. Children who use social media are more likely to experience peer pressure, followed by many mental health problems. Social media has numerous negative impacts on our life and society. It affects kids’ mental health very easily due to their vulnerability regarding certain developmental aspects of life. Let’s know how it negatively affects kids. 

1. Anxiety 

Research has shown that increased screen time increases the risk of developing anxiety symptoms in children. Kids who spend more than three hours using the internet tend to hesitate while sharing their problems with others. They become more curious about knowing other people’s activities. They often hesitate to spend time with their friends and family. They gradually become moody and feel irritated and isolated more often. And this overall situation leads to them developing anxiety disorders.   

2. Depression

A study conducted by American Psychological Association (APA) has found that kids who spend more time using electronic gadgets and don’t involve themselves in outdoor sports, exercise, or social interactions are more likely to experience depression-related symptoms. The study claimed that kids who spent more time in non-screen activities are more likely to be happier. Similarly, children who spend five hours daily using the internet and social media are two times more likely to be diagnosed with social media depression. Social media depression is a kind of emotional disturbance that a child may experience when they feel inferior in their social media world.   

3. Poor body image

Social media often set unrealistic beauty standards and create unreal views about physical appearance. Due to children’s vulnerability, they easily become victims of social media peer pressure. Using beauty filters and effects while capturing or sharing their photos negatively impacts their body image. 

4. Cyberbullying

In the last few years, cyberbullying has become one of the most common terms for social media users. Studies revealed that young girls are more likely to be targeted than boys while using social media. Researchers have found a significant relationship between the experience of cyberbullying and mental health problems. Children or teens who experience cyberbullying have an increased risk of developing several psychological issues, including depression, anxiety, lower self-esteem, social isolation, and suicidal thoughts.   

5. Lower self-esteem

Social media is a virtual platform where one can know about others without communicating with them. Many people follow their favorite celebrities on social media platforms. They often try to imitate their favorite celebrity’s looks. Unfortunately, this imitation makes them feel insecure about their physical appearance. It affects their self-confidence and self-esteem.   

6. Internet addiction

According to a Digital Wellbeing survey, excessive use of social media can transform into addiction, followed by other psychological disorders. The survey showed that children and teens who excessively use the internet experience negative impacts on their interpersonal relationships, daily activities, and overall well-being. 

7. Sleep deprivation 

Screen time at night can lead to a child developing sleeping disorders. Kids aged between 5-10 years should have a sound sleep of 9-11 hours every night. Using electronic gadgets before bedtime can disrupt their sleep cycle. Many studies have found that social media is one of the leading causes of sleep deprivation in children. Additionally, inadequate sleep can cause other psychological issues in children, including behavioral disorders, depression, poor concentration, lack of energy, and poor academic performance.   

8. Social isolation 

Children who spend most of their time using mobile phones are more likely to suffer from social isolation. Being engaged in screen activities, they often prevent themselves from involving in other social activities. When children or teenagers see pictures or videos of others on social media, they start to compare their lifestyle with others. And this comparison makes them feel more anxious. This feeling is known as ‘fear-of-missing-out’ (FOMO). It can be a leading cause of children feeling socially isolated. 

Apart from the above-mentioned negative effects of social media on young minds, it can have some other serious mental health consequences, including:

• Unrealistic expectations
• Concentration issues
• Less physical activity
• Substance abuse
• Self-harming tendencies/suicidal thoughts

  Anxiety and depression are two of the most common negative effects of social media on children. Moreover, these two mental health problems can be observed in almost every child nowadays. These psychological disorders can have more serious consequences if not treated when needed. Thus, it is important to first know about these two psychological issues. 

1. What is anxiety? 

In simple words, anxiety is our body’s natural response to stress-related events. It is a feeling of fear and worries that we experience while going through stress. But in extreme cases, it can disrupt our emotional well-being. People with anxiety-related issues have excessive and intense worry and fear about simple everyday events. American Psychological Association (APA) has explained that anxiety can be characterized by a feeling of worrying thoughts and intense fear. This feeling often comes with a few physical changes, including shivering, sweating, and increased blood pressure. If a person experiences anxiety regularly, it might become a psychological disorder that may require medical attention. 

2. What is depression?

Depression, medically known as major depressive disorder, is a very common mental health problem that can be observed in people of every age group. It adversely affects a person’s thought process, behavior, emotional well-being, and daily activities. Many mental health specialists consider depression a kind of mood disorder.  A depressed person tends to experience a persistent feeling of sadness without any proper reason and has a loss of interest in daily activities. It is quite normal for a person to feel depressed at times due to any significant life event. But if the psychological condition becomes chronic, it can be a serious medical concern. However, anxiety and depression should be treated with proper medical supervision by mental health professionals.    Top  

  Researchers argue that depression and anxiety are very common among children due to social media exposure. If such mental health conditions become chronic, parents should immediately consult with a child therapist. Talking therapies (Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy) are proved to be one of the most effective methods to treat childhood depression and anxiety. But there are other few ways with the help of which parents can treat their children or teens’ depression and anxiety. Here are some effective ways parents can help their children regarding such matters: 

• Use parental control tools to limit your children’s access to every social media app you use and try to track how much time your child spends on social media every day.
• Educate your children about the potential disadvantages of social media as it can help them reduce their screen time on their own. 
• Create a friendly environment at home so that your child can share their feelings with you without any hesitation. 
• Set a routine for your children regarding how much time they can use an electronic gadget. 
• Never let your children use mobile phones before bedtime. Turn off mobile phones and internet-related devices and keep them in another room. 
• Talking about mental health with your children is extremely important to educate them about the importance of mental health awareness. Frequent discussions about mental health problems, their symptoms, and treatments can help your children in building coping skills. 
• Try to engage your child in non-screen activities. You can plan get-togethers with family and friends, do yoga or exercises with your children, or join them in their outdoor playing activities. 
• Try to prevent yourself from checking your phone every 5 minutes in front of your children. 
• Encourage your children to spend more time with their offline friends and be involved in social activities.
• Keep a check on your children whenever they use mobile phones. It will keep you updated about their activities. Similarly, you can help them if they experience any kind of cyberbullying while using social media. 
• If your child or teen is suffering from anxiety or depression due to their excessive use of social media, it is better to consult with a mental health specialist as soon as possible. Only a therapist can understand the mental health condition in detail and help your child to cope or deal with such problems effectively. 

  In the last few years, social media has become the part-and-parcel of our daily life. Additionally, the usage of the internet among children and teens is gradually increasing day by day. While it makes one feel connected with the outside world, it has some negative impacts on a child’s mental health. Thus, the parents need to limit their screen time and seek medical help if their children suffer from any mental health problems due to social media use.    Top   Recommended Read

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Is Social Media Making Us Lonely?

Author explores universal longing for connection in "this exquisite loneliness.".

Posted August 18, 2024 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

• Understanding Loneliness
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• According to research, the more time you spend on social media, the more likely you are to feel lonely.
• Using social media to maintain connections with others tends to lead to more feelings of loneliness.
• Richard Deming explores loneliness and creativity in his book "This Exquisite Loneliness."

When award-winning poet and critic, and director of creative writing at Yale University, Richard Deming sat down to write a book about loneliness , he knew his story, among many others, would lead the way in excavating this complex yet universal human experience.

“Essentially, I’ve suffered from chronic loneliness all my life,” Deming shared. “I have substance abuse and addiction in my background as well, and loneliness certainly fueled that. A few years ago, I’d written my second collection of poems, Day for Night , and friends kept referring to it as ‘a meditation on loneliness.’ To be honest, I was surprised because I hadn’t been conscious of that being a theme running through the work, but of course when they pointed it out, I couldn’t not see it.”

He went on to say, “As a topic, loneliness remains understudied and under-addressed, even as it seems to be more and more prevalent all the time.” Determined to better understand loneliness and its connections to creativity , Deming built the book, This Exquisite Loneliness , around the life stories of key figures who acknowledged loneliness as part of their creative and intellectual lives.

Deming is right—loneliness does seem to be on the rise. In fact, in 2023 the U.S. surgeon general issued an advisory on what was named “our epidemic of loneliness and isolation,” which included a National Strategy to Advance Social Connection, an unprecedented step in our nation’s history (OASH, 2023). For many people, turning to social media for connection has become a daily habit in our digitally-saturated world. But this could be making matters worse.

According to research, the more time you spend on social media, the more likely you are to feel lonely. One study showed that more time spent scrolling through snapshots of other people’s happiness on social media actually fueled loneliness and distress, possibly driven by jealousy (Wang, et al, 2020). Using social media to maintain connections with others tends to lead toward yet more feelings of loneliness, perhaps as a result of disappointed expectations—virtual interactions may not be adequate substitutes for face-to-face conversations and shared experiences (Bonsaksen T, et al, 2023).

Psychology Today turned to Deming to help tell the story of loneliness, social media, and how readers can discover creativity in the midst of their loneliness.

Q: What exactly is loneliness?

Ultimately, I define loneliness as the painful feeling arising from the sense that one’s relationships aren’t enough to meet one’s emotional needs. One either feels that there aren’t enough relationships in one’s life or if there are many relation­ships, they are mostly superficial. Either way, there’s a per­ceived lack of intimacy . Or there can be strong, healthy relationships but these nevertheless have some gaps in connection or understanding. Even the most committed, loving, stable partnerships have gaps. That of course sounds a bit clinical, and like all emotions, loneliness is often more complex and subtler than that. That’s why I wanted to come at the question by way of life stories—mine and others. I saw that the pain of loneliness can come with real stakes—poor health, stress , suicide , overdose. I wanted to get to a place where we could really acknowledge what loneliness is as a way to understand its effects.

Let’s call it a longing for connection. In that way, loneliness isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It urges to connect with other people. Much like hunger spurs us to eat and get nutrients, loneliness gets us to reach out. It’s a natural drive. Of course, unchecked things become problematic. Longing involves discomfort and the sharper the longing, the more urgent it becomes, the sharper the pain.

Q: In your book, you report research that shows how loneliness is on the rise for millennials, baby boomers, and beyond. Based on your research for this book, why do you think people struggle so much with loneliness in today's world?

I wouldn’t rule out the fact that as loneliness does seem more and more widespread, people become more aware of it as a real social force that impacts everyone in an entirely personal way. In other words, is loneliness increasing? Or are we becoming more willing to think about it? Of course, both things can be true.

That said, it does seem to be worsening and there are numerous elements that we can see affecting how people feel. Certainly for decades now there has been a winnowing away of larger forms of social interaction—from bowling leagues to local theater. Life patterns and hiring tendencies have meant that people are more likely than ever before to move away from family and away from where they grew up in order to start their careers, which frays long-standing social connections. Even working from home, as so many more people are doing now, can serve to isolate people. The collective experience of working in an office changes and people simply are more alone.

Social media also is of course a factor—and such an obvious one that it might seem cliché to mention it. Yet, if we think of social media as being not real, meaningful connection but instead the illusion of connection, then we can start to see how it works on us. It’s like so much empty emotional calories. If loneliness is a hunger, then social media or even Zoom and the like can be akin to eating a bag of Oreos. Social media also often works to manipulate our perception of others. We see the idealized versions of life that others post (so fun, so exciting, so happy and fulfilled!) and wonder why it doesn’t square with our experiences of life. There is also the problem of confronting the discrepancies between our own publicly curated versions of ourselves and how we might actually feel about ourselves. The gap between the real and the ideal—between the actual and the performed—only comes across that much more keenly.

Q: How can readers discover creativity in their loneliness?

Ultimately, loneliness isn’t something we choose, it chooses us. That’s one way it differs with solitude, which is something we choose. Loneliness can come upon us, but we don’t have to be powerless about it. If loneliness is a story we tell ourselves, we might actively revise that narrative or, like Hurston, gather together tales, experiences, and anecdotes in order to weave new ones, ones that give us a space to live our lives in.

Loneliness is often associated with shame and a real fear about what it implies about us. What This Exquisite Loneliness looks at is how certain thinkers, writers, and artists saw their loneliness and used it as an engine to reach out to others and to create new ideas, and new forms of expression. It might not resolve the loneliness but it can be that others feel solace, comfort, and a recognition of fellow feelings by way of the things that came out of that loneliness. Central to my own thinking is the question “What can we make out of loneliness?” is a legitimate response to “What can we do about loneliness?”

Bonsaksen T, Ruffolo M, Price D, Leung J, Thygesen H, Lamph G, Kabelenga I, Geirdal AØ. Associations between social media use and loneliness in a cross-national population: do motives for social media use matter? Health Psychol Behav Med. 2023 Jan 1;11(1):2158089. doi: 10.1080/21642850.2022.2158089. PMID: 36618890; PMCID: PMC9817115.

Wang, W., Wang, M., Hu, Q., Wang, P., Lei, L., & Jiang, S. (2020). Upward social comparison on mobile social media and depression: The mediating role of envy and the moderating role of marital quality. Journal of Affective Disorders, 270, 143–149.

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH). (2023, May 3). New Surgeon General Advisory Raises Alarm about the Devastating Impact of the Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation in the United States. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/05/03/new-surgeon-general-advisory-…

Heather Rose Artushin, LISW-CP, is a child and family therapist passionate about the power of reading.

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