A study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Pennsylvania, United States earlier this year, has found links between the amount of time people spend on social media and the onset of depression.
The study was conducted on a group of 1 787 adults between the ages of 19 and 32 who were selected at random by randomly dialing telephone numbers (known as random digit dialing) as well as address-based sampling.
To measure the amount of time the participants spent online, the study relied on both self-reported figures from the participants as well as a global frequency score based on the Pew Internet Research Questionnaire.
To measure for depression, the study used the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Depression Scale Short Form.
Once the study was complete, researchers found that social media use and the onset of depression are “significantly associated”. To you and me, that means the more a person uses social media in a week the more likely they are to become depressed.
Well, sort of: it should be noted that the direction of this effect is not yet clear. Basically, researchers aren’t sure whether people spend more time on social media because they are depressed or whether extended time online leads to depression.
However, another study published in the Journal of Community Health in 2015, found that heavy usage of social media might lead to individuals feeling as if there is less emotional support for them online.
All one needs to take a look at is the YouTube comments section of a video or even the infamous Twitch chat, to know that the internet can be a toxic place at times.
With that said, this shouldn’t be taken as a sign that we’re all doomed because we see some people venting their spleens online.
As we mentioned, the causal direction of the relationship has not yet been confirmed which, once established, could be vital for treating depression in the future.
This study is interesting food for thought, though, and hopefully one that inspires you to spend time doing something else rather than scrolling through the vitriol on your timeline all day. You know, just in case.
[Via – NCBI] [Image – CC BY 2.0 magicatwork]
