Instagram and Facebook encourage depression

According to a new study published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, spending a lot of time on social networks increases the feeling of loneliness and causes depression.

During the experience that served as the basis for the work, 143 students actively participated using Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat. At first, scientists applied a survey to identify the mood and well-being of volunteers. They also measured the average time of presence in social networks with the help of statistics provided by the iPhone.

Later, the students were divided into two groups. In the first group, which functioned as a control group, students dedicated their commitment to social networks as long as usual. The members of the second group, the experimental group, spent no more than 10 minutes a day on each of the social networks. The experiment lasted three weeks.

At the end of the experiment, the psychologists organized a special volunteer-based questionnaire with seven indicators: fear of isolating from the environment, social support, anxiety, loneliness, depression, self-esteem and self-acceptance.

Finally, the study showed that loneliness and depression depend directly on the time we live in social networks. Even all members of the experimental group had fewer symptoms of depression than control group members.

Melissa G. Hunt, one of the authors of the book, says that "less attention to social networks makes us feel less alone".