Social media make teens depressed – everyone has heard that. But the problem may also exist in adults, as a US study started in May 2020 shows.
“We asked people who weren’t depressed about their social media use,” Harvard Medical School lead author Roy Perlis told NC News. Months later, those test subjects who use Snapchat, Facebook or TikTok were much more likely to have depression.
5,395 users analyzed
The researchers actually wanted to use their monthly surveys of 5,395 adult users (average age 56) from May 2020 to May 2021 to find out how US users are dealing with the corona pandemic. But over time, they became more interested in how the use of social media affects the mind. It was shown that those subjects who use social media were more likely to show depressive symptoms in later surveys than those who stay away from social media.
The study also found that different social media apparently influence different age cohorts. People under 35 do not seem to have any problems with Snapchat and TikTok, while the older ones tend to slide into depression, especially when using these platforms. Why exactly this is so remains unclear. May be related to the fact that it is heavily visual media or that it is usually more aimed at younger audiences.
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Facebook frustration under 35
Facebook is also a social medium that, according to the study, is relatively clearly associated with depressive symptoms in adults. In this case, however, this is particularly true for under-35-year-olds, while older Facebook users hardly seem to be affected. Here, too, it remains unclear exactly why this is. The researchers also note that the study only shows a connection between depression and social media use.
However, social media isn’t necessarily the trigger. It also seems conceivable that people who are prone to depression for other reasons may be drawn to certain platforms for some reason.
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