Recognizing the Relationship Between Depression and Social Media
While the golden age of the internet has connected millions of people worldwide online, the side effects of the global connection can be severe. Across different platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, there are more than 4.5 billion users.
Even though that seems like almost everyone in the world, research shows that those who do not use social media or limit their time online are happier on average than social media users. Young people, especially children and teenagers, are at a higher risk of falling victim to depression caused by social media.
There are many reasons for this link, and we took the time to break it down for you.
Defining Depression
Even if you think you may not be living with depression, you still may be experiencing symptoms that are not as well associated with it. Some less recognizable symptoms of depression include:
- Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too often
- Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Difficulty thinking, concentrating, or making decisions
While one or a combination of these symptoms does not necessarily indicate depression, you may want to look inward to evaluate how you truly feel. From here, we can explore the relationship between social media usage and depression.
Perceived perfection
One of the major contributing factors to social media and depression is the idea of perceived perfection. Online, we are free to create a persona, the “best” version of ourselves. Unfortunately, this alternative to your true self harms not only yours, but your own self-esteem.
In putting only edited photos or falsified events on your social media profile, you make yourself feel like you cannot live up to your own imagination. It makes you feel as if you must strive for a perfection that cannot be reached. Additionally, others may feel as if they do not live a “cool” enough life. This places pressure to perform or live up to inaccurate standards. In a situation like this, nobody wins.
Less personal relationships
Social media has made some relationships much easier. Long-distance friendships, forgotten childhood friends, or distant relatives are much easier to get into contact with due to the help of social media. However, social media takes away some of the personal aspects of your relationships.
Only communicating with your friends and loved ones through a screen removes a lot of the personal aspects of relationships. Missing out on face-to-face communication is detrimental to a lot of personal relationships and your own mental health. Try scheduling at least one real-life interaction with your friends on a weekly basis. This contributes to a feeling of closeness and will help take you out of your depression.
Physical side effects
In both excessive social media usage and depression, there are common physical effects. Staring at a screen can cause serious disruption to your sleep patterns. Blue light, or the light you see when you look at your phone, blocks melatonin, the hormone that makes you tired.
Increased social media usage also contributes to a lack of concentration. Being able to scroll endlessly with the flick of a finger decreases your attention span in real-life situations, which makes you feel restless and potentially depressed.
Causation versus Correlation
With all this in mind, it’s important to remember that while it’s proven social media users are generally less happy, it does not necessarily mean that social media is the cause. There is a way to enjoy social media usage responsibly.
Try setting timers to limit your usage of certain sites or only use the sites on the weekends. Planning activities with your friends in real life will also help you maintain your connections without involving a screen.
If you find yourself in need of professional help managing your depression, our office is here to help. Reach out to us today for a consultation or to schedule an appointment.
