[ad_1]
Spending too much time on "social media" sites like Facebook is making people more than just miserable. It may also be making them depressed.
A new study conducted by psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania has shown – for the first time – a causal link between social media and depression and loneliness, the researchers said.
It concluded that those who drastically cut their sites like Facebook, Instagram
FB -1.97%
and Snapchat
SNAP -3.28%
often saw a marked improvement in their mood and how they felt about their lives.
Do not miss: Nearly half of Americans report
"It was striking," says Melissa Hunt, psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania, who led the study. "What we found over the last few weeks of their lives is that of depression and loneliness."
Many of those who started the study with moderate clinical depression.
Many of those who have begun with the clinical symptoms of depression have just finished symptoms, she says.
The study, "No More FOMO: Limiting Social Media Loneliness and Depression Decreases," is conducted by Melissa Hunt, Rachel Marx, Courtney Lipson, and Jordyn Young, is being published by the peer-reviewed Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology.
For the study, Hunt and her team studied 143 undergraduates at the University of Pennsylvania over a number of weeks. They tested their mood and sense of well-being using seven different established scales. Half of the participants with social media sites as normal. (Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat did not reply to request for comment.)
The other half were studied: Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, the most popular websites for the age group. (Use was tracked through regular screen shots from participants' phones showing battery data.)
Net result: Those who cut back on social media use "clinically significant" falls in depression and in loneliness over the race of the study. Their members of the group, who do not change their behavior, do not change their behavior, saw no improvement.
This is the first study to find a link between social media and the use of depression and loneliness on the other. But previous studies have mainly shown that there is a correlation, and the researchers allege that this shows a "causal connection."
It 's possible – it' s more likely that they are seeking social connections.
It's possible – even more likely that they are seeking social connections, says Hunt. The new study suggests that Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat are not just popular with the lonely and depressed: They are also making people more lonely, and more depressed.
Why does social media make so many people feel bad? The study did not analyze this, but Hunt offers two explanations. The first is "downward social comparison." You read your friends' timelines. They're deliberately putting on a show to make their lives look wonderful. The result: "You're more likely to think about your life in comparison," says Hunt. The second reason: FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out.
Also see: Lonely people share too much on Facebook
Social media sites have become such an integral part of the modern world that many people simply do not cut them out altogether, Hunt says. That's why the study focused just on cutting back. It's significant that it is important to avoid depression. You do not have to give it up altogether to feel better.
The main caveat is that the study was restricted to undergraduates. Whether the same sites affect older groups, who can be less susceptible to social pressure, is another matter for another day.
Correlation and causation are two issues that researchers have to make. In an over polarized and heated political climate, for example, Twitter
tWTR, -0.29%
may be making older Americans miserable and angry – or angry Americans may use Twitter.
Get a daily roundup of your personal finance delivered to your inbox. Subscribe to MarketWatch 's Free Personal Finance Daily newsletter. Sign up here.
Source link
