Increased social media use can cause depression

Question

In recent years, there has been a link between social media and developing depression, especially in teens and young adults. Social media, such as Instagram and Facebook, make it easier for people to disconnect from the real world and look at the world through their phone lens. Personally, I find that when I use social media, I compare myself to people more frequently, and it oftentimes makes me overthink my own life.

Answer 1

Studies have shown that increased social media use can contribute to depression, particularly in teens and young adults. Social media platforms, like Instagram and Facebook, encourage constant comparison and the desire to seek validation through likes and comments. According to Child Mind Institute, these platforms can exacerbate feelings of inadequacy and loneliness, leading to a cycle of overthinking and self-criticism (Child Mind Institute, 2023). Additionally, excessive screen time can disrupt sleep and reduce face-to-face interactions, which are important for mental well-being. This can worsen depressive symptoms and feelings of isolation.

Source: Child Mind Institute

Answer 2

hi there, 

this claim is very true. there have been many studies that have proven your point, as well as an obvious change in our society that can be seen without the internet. According to the National Library of Medicine, "There have been increases in adolescent depression and suicidal behaviour over the last two decades that coincide with the advent of social media (SM) (platforms that allow communication via digital media), which is widely used among adolescents."

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7392374/

Answer 3

Although the article provides accurate information and is true, the claim derived from the article is misleading. Despite there being a correlation between the amount of social media used and depression, correlation does not mean causation. A more accurate claim would be, “Social media usage and depression have a positive correlation.” There are several studies showing the positive correlation between social media usage and higher mental disorder rates. However, “Does that mean that Instagram and TikTok are actually causing depression? These studies show a correlation, not causation” (Miller). Furthermore, another piece of evidence shows an exemption to those who frequently use social media but do not have mental health disorders. This group of exempt individuals are those who frequently use social media but still interact with peers face to face (Miller).  This suggests that social media usage does not cause mental health issues; rather, the effects vary depending on how it is incorporated into your life. When adolescents can interact with others in the real world, social media can become a helpful mode of connection that amplifies relationships. Finally, a 2020 study followed about 2800 adolescents born in the year 2000 over six years, recording their social media usage alongside their depression levels from ages 13 to 19. The research challenged the mainstream idea that social media causes depression in adolescents, with a new idea which suggested depressed teens increase their social media usage as a coping mechanism. However, it is important to note that even this consensus was inconsistent, and the researchers urged for future studies be based on individual differences regarding mental health, rather than social media usage (Puuko et al., 2020).  

(Miller). 

https://childmind.org/article/is-social-media-use-causing-depression/ 

(Puuko et al., 2020). 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7459880/#sec2-ijerph-17-05921 

Answer 4

Yes I do think this is true, while social media can be used to bring the world together most of the time social media can be very isolating and can cause people to be depressed. Since social media has grown so much depression symptoms in kids have jumped 35% as kids' average social media time rose from 7 minutes to 73 minutes over a 3 year period.  

There have also been many surveys done to see if social media use is causing depression and in those surveys it showed the more usage of social media the more depression symptoms you have. There isn't a direct indicator of why social media is causing depression but some research shows risks such as cyber bullying and disrupted sleep.   

Source 1:  Lin, Liu yi, et al. “Association between Social Media Use and Depression among US Young Adults.” Depression and Anxiety, vol. 33, no. 4, 19 Jan. 2016, pp. 323–331, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4853817/, https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22466.

This article is about surveys done on people of different age groups about their social media usage and depression symptoms. This was more focused on the numbers of people using social media and also what age groups are using it the most. 

Source 2: Marsh, Jared. “Yes, Social Media Might Be Making Kids Depressed.” Yes, Social Media Might Be Making Kids Depressed | UC San Francisco, 21 May 2025, www.ucsf.edu/news/2025/05/430011/yes-social-media-might-be-making-kids-depressed.

   

This article was more focused about why social media is making kids depressed and what is causing this. This article also studied a younger age group and how that's affecting their development and also gave a solution to fixing this problem such as using a media family plan to try and control a kid's social media usage.