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Is Depression Related to Adult Use of Social Media?

 


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A new study found a link between depressive symptoms in adults and the use of social media.Peapo / Getty Images
  • Researchers have investigated the association between the use of social media and depression in adults, including the elderly.
  • They found that the use of some, but not all, social media was associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms.
  • Alongside expert commentators, the team seeks attention in interpreting the results due to the limitations of the study and the uncertainty of causality.

Use of social media correlates with decreased well-being and increased anxiety and depression Youth When Young adult..

one review He emphasized studies that found that using the Internet to communicate and play games for more than four hours a day could predict depressive symptoms one year later. Studies have also found that depressive symptoms predict increased use of the Internet and decreased participation in non-screening activities.

another study Involving 990 participants in the United States, we found a link between the use of social media and the development of depression. However, existing depression did not anticipate the use of social media.

However, many of these studies rely on self-reported use of social media, so it may be doubtful how accurate these studies are. NS review Of the 47 studies investigating the accuracy of self-reported digital media use, there was concern that self-reported measurements would rarely correlate with logged measurements.

In addition, the impact of social media on older people is relatively unknown, as studies often do not include adults in the samples.

Finally, it is still unclear if there is a causal link between social media use and depression, and which comes first.

Recently, researchers conducted a research study investigating the link between the use of social media and the development of depressive symptoms.

The results suggest that the use of certain social media preceded the worsening of depressive outcomes.The survey results will be displayed inJAMA network open..

However, some experts doubt how well these findings can be interpreted.

Researchers analyzed the results of survey data obtained from individuals over the age of 18 between May 2020 and May 2021. The survey sample includes gender, age, race, and ethnic assignments from each of the 50 states in the United States, confirming that it represents the country’s population.

For survey questions, 9-item patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) Evaluate the symptoms of depression. The question asked whether the participant was “little interested or happy in doing things” and whether the participant was “depressed, depressed, or desperate” in four stages. ..

The researchers also asked participants about the following:

  • Use of social media such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok
  • Whether you have consumed COVID-19 related news sources in the last 24 hours
  • Number of social support available to discuss issues
  • Number of interviews with non-household members in the last 24 hours

For data analysis, the team included participants who completed the survey at least twice and showed an initial PHQ-9 score of less than 5 and less than mild depression.

In total, 5,395 people have completed two surveys. Their average age was 55.8 years, 65.7% female, 4.7% Hispanic, 10.6% black and 76.3% white.

From their analysis, researchers noted that the use of Snapchat, Facebook, and TikTok in the initial study was associated with a significantly higher risk of increased self-reported depressive symptoms.

They also said that COVID-19-related news participants consumed in the last 24 hours, along with the number of social support and daily face-to-face interactions, only affected the results linked to Snapchat.

The use of TikTok and Snapchat was correlated with depressive symptoms among people over the age of 35, but not among those under the age of 35, while the use of Facebook was for people under the age of 35. It was associated with depressive symptoms among people, but not among people over the age of 35.

Researchers say that due to the observational nature of their research, it is not possible to ascertain why the use of social media is associated with depression. However, it does identify possible mechanisms.

“One possible explanation for our results is that people at risk of depression are more likely to use social media, even if they are not currently depressed.” Roy H. Perlis, MD, M.Sc., The lead author of the study said Today’s medical news..

“The other is that social media is actually contributing to that increased risk. Our study design cannot distinguish between the two. What we can exclude is depression. It’s possible that people are more likely to report the use of social media, which was the limit of some previous studies, “he added.

When asked to explain what might be behind this association Sarah Makin, MSEd. NCC. , LPC. , And Makin Wellness Founder and CEONot involved in the study, emphasized that when isolated, people may look to social media as a way to feel more connected. However, this can have the opposite effect and therefore can cause depressive symptoms.

She also describes the effects of social comparisons as follows: Failure of others to succeed can lead to negative thoughts about ourselves. “

While the rate of depression appears to have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is also the question of whether the use of social media played a totally casual role.

“The big limitations make it difficult, if not impossible, to conclude what is valuable from the findings.” Craig JR SewallA postdoc at the University of Pittsburgh, who was not involved in the study, said: MNT..

“Items they used to measure usage [social media] The platform is a simple “yes / no” answer to this question. “Have you ever used any of the following social media sites or apps?” So people [who] For example, I used Instagram and people 5 years ago [who] If you use Instagram 5 hours ago, both will answer “yes”. “

“This is a big problem and this finding is virtually meaningless. In a tuned regression model, the use of Snapchat, Facebook, and TikTok in the first study has a high risk of self-reported increased depressive symptoms. It was significantly related to that, “he continued.

“The question about [social media] Even if they found a connection between, the use was expressed as it was [social media] Use and depression, they have it [social media] Use was recent or long ago, whether they visited frequently [social media] Whether the platform or it was a “one-off” situation [or both]..As a result, it is a big stretch to conclude that the increase in depression in participants from May 2020 to May 2021 is related to whether they used a particular one. [social media] “Platform,” he explained.

“I think the” links “found in this survey are suspicious, but in general, if there are links. [between social media] Depression, there may be some explanation. I think the most compelling explanation in the days of COVID-19 is that many people experienced an increase in depression due to the myriad adverse effects of the pandemic. “

– Dr. Sewall

“At the same time, people needed to be more dependent on digital technologies such as: [social media] To connect with friends, colleagues, and loved ones.Therefore, those who were even more depressed due to the pandemic could have been dependent. [social media] As more coping mechanisms, “he concluded.

“It takes a lot of careful thinking and accurate methodologies to explain the link between the use of social media and depression,” says Dr. Fisher. “In my personal opinion, this measures from cross-cutting self-reporting means, such as those used in this study, to individual-minded means (sometimes called idiographic techniques), and to society. It should be done in a way that moves to the means of doing so. Use of media in a more objective way (such as using device logs and data donation frameworks). “

“I don’t know from this paper that there is enough evidence to categorically conclude that there is a link between the use of social media and depression. [leads to] depression. It’s possible that people who were more depressed during the pandemic happened to use more social media (for example, to connect with friends). Neither method can draw any conclusions, “he added.

Researchers conclude that there is a need for a better understanding of the relationship between the use of social media and mental health.

“Can you understand why the use of social media isn’t causing risks, but just telling us about potential risks?” Dr. Perlis said. “Can we intervene to prevent depression and anxiety? Our work helps both mental health researchers and policy makers to study this relationship and think about ways to potentially act. What we can’t continue to do is simply ignore this association or try to shake it off as a statistical artifact. “

Researchers note that their research has some limitations. First, they say they couldn’t adequately control all the factors that could have influenced the results. They emphasize that their research has not proven causal and that the use of social media “may simply be a marker of underlying vulnerability to depression.”

When asked how these findings would affect public health, Makin said:This can be easily done by going to the settings of [smartphone]Therefore, when the daily limit is reached, you will not be able to access the app. “

“Similarly, you may need to do some research to determine the right amount of time to spend on social media. It feels good, but sticks to the lives of others and causes depression. Nothing to do. It may also be helpful to suggest changes in how you interact and react with others on social media. Teenagers and adolescents with social media accounts are online bullies. You may need to monitor more closely to make sure you’re not a victim or perpetrator of the disease, “she added.

However, Dr. Sewall believes that these findings should not affect public health recommendations, given the “thin” evidence.

“I believe that focusing on people is a waste of time and resources if we want to help people improve their well-being during these very difficult times. [social media] use. [It would be] It is much better to focus on the myriad of other pandemic-affected issues, such as financial security. “

Dr. Fisher agreed that these findings should not directly affect public health recommendations, “at least not in extreme ways.”

Dr. Fisher added: “We hope that these findings will create momentum to pressure social media companies to share data with independent researchers. The link between the use of social media and depression.”

“I all want to increase the accountability of social media platforms, but in reality the use of social media Very peculiar, And like many other behaviors, it can be positive or negative. “

“If we make our daily activities too morbid, we can actually retreat our understanding. Healthcare professionals and other public health authorities, especially in the general sense, I would be disappointed if I used the results of this study as a justification for any kind of causal relationship between the use of social media and depression. ”

– Dr. Fisher

“There is never academia’s consensus that’social media’, or even certain social platforms, are harmful to mental health in the general sense. [we] We need much better data to be more certain about these links and to understand in which direction the causal order flows, “Dr. Fisher concludes.

Sources

1/ https://Google.com/

2/ https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/flimsy-evidence-for-social-media-worsening-adult-mental-health

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