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

This claim is indeed true because there is a huge trend between deteriorating mental health and the amount of social media one consumes. Help Guide states "However, multiple studies have found a strong link between heavy social media and an increased risk for depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm, and even suicidal thoughts". They also explain that there is not enough research done to explain how kids growing up in the age of technology and social media have mental health issues in the long run because of how recent of development it is.

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-mental-health.htm#:~:text=Since%20it's%20a%20relatively%20new,harm%2C%20and%20even%20suicidal%20thoughts.

There is also research done to prove that social media has effects on the older generations as it affects adults. There is a linkage between depression and amount of social media used in adults which explains why social media can cause depression

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/social-media-use-linked-depression-adults-rcna6445

Answer 2

I think it is possible for social media to cause depression. Especially amongst the younger generations who social media use is higher than others.For teenagers specifically it can affect their mental health and self esteem. It can cause them to compare themselves and eventually lead to depression.

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

Comments

I like that you provided a detailed explanation and source link. However, going forward, it's best to dig deeper and find your own evidence rather than use the source listed with the claim. There is plenty written about the link between social media and depression that you could include in your fact-check. Also, don't forget to add a rating your fact-checks (see the sidebar of this page for more information). https://news.uark.edu/articles/62109/social-media-use-linked-to-developing-depression-regardless-of-personality https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/social-media-use-linked-depression-adults-rcna6445 https://www.verywellmind.com/social-media-and-depression-5085354 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.678766/full

---

I like how you not also bring up very much possible and obvious reasons for depression among the youth in social media but you use a very credible source to further back up your claim that social media can very much cause depression and unfortunately other issues in a child's life. Well done!

Answer 3

I agree. While social media can be a great way to connect with people it can also have a lot of negative impacts. Social media can make you feel like you're missing out, feeling excluded in turn can cause anxiety and depression. As you stated, social media can also make you compare yourself to others. This can harm your self esteem and self image which again can cause anxiety and depression. This is especially dangerous for young people on social media since you're more impressionable at that time in your life. This linked article provides a lot more information on this topic, it also provides some specific signs that social media is damaging your mental health and how you can get help.

https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/it-or-not-social-medias-affecting-your-mental-health

Rate: not misinformation 

Comments

Good that you added your own opinion and that you tied evidence from the sources to prof how this claim is true.

Answer 4

Social media can be linked to depression in humans. The source you used was credible since it has the .org as well as cosigns by 2 doctors. There are also plenty of articles that discussed the same topic.  According to my source, healthguide.org, social media can bring about negative feelings like the following: inadequacy about life/ appearance, fear of missing out/ social media addiction, isolation, depression and anxiety, cyberbullying, and self-absorption.

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-mental-health.htm

Rate:  Not Misinformation

Answer 5

Although social media connects people around the world, it also isolates people, therefore, I believe it is possible for social media to cause depression. A study limited the use of social media in a group of university students, and the results show that the limited-use group showed significant reductions in loneliness and depression over three weeks. It can be seen that social media is in fact a factor in increasing depression as limited use automatically decreases depression.

https://guilfordjournals.com/doi/10.1521/jscp.2018.37.10.751

Rate: not misinformation

Answer 6

I think it is highly possible for social media to cause depression in today's youth and young adults. The causes of depression can vary and overall can be subjective; however, the linked article you provided clearly states, "In several studies, teenage and young adult users who spend the most time on Instagram, Facebook and other platforms were shown to have a substantially (from 13 to 66 percent) higher rate of reported depression than those who spent the least time." The article describes symptoms of using social media, such as bad concentration and sleep deprivation, all symptoms closely related to depression. 

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

The Mayo Clinic lists these symptoms similar to using social media: "sleep disturbances, trouble concentrating, anxiety," etc.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20356007

I found an article from a study published in 2019 tackling the issue: Does the increase in social media use cause depression for youth (ages 13-18)? The study concluded that the cause of depression is multifactorial and that social media alone is not the cause of depression for today's youth. However, you cannot completely rule out social media being a cause. The article distinguishes the relationship as an association between depression and social media. 

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02673843.2019.1590851

Overall, increased use of social media can cause depression, but it may not always be the sole cause. Many other factors also play a role in depression. 

Rate: not misinformation

Comments

Great job looking for outside sources and statistics to support your claim it really put into put into perspective the relationship youths have with social media and their mental health.

Answer 7

I believe this is true. Social media has been known to cause/fuel feelings such as fear of missing out, FOMO, loss of self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. The articles below talk about the effects of social media on a person's mental health.

https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/it-or-not-social-medias-affecting-your-mental-health

This article talks about the risk of social media and also mentions studies that have been done to prove the negative impacts of social media on mental health.

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-mental-health.htm

This article talks about the benefits and disadvantages of social media. It helps show why we use social media and even points out some signs to look out for to see if your social media use is starting to affect your mental health. The article also offers some tips to improve your mental health by modifying your use of social media.

Answer 8

I do believe increased social media use can cause depression. In this day and age, kids as young as 7 have a social media account. I think social media gives young girls the wrong image about themselves and promotes unrealistic beauty standards. "A 2017 study of over half a million eighth through 12th graders found that the number exhibiting high levels of depressive symptoms increased by 33 percent between 2010 and 2015. In the same period, the suicide rate for girls in that age group increased by 65 percent" 

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

Answer 9

Although this a relatively new field of interest, there is significant research showing that increased social media activity leads to higher depression rates. Although social media has communication benefits, it also has made people hyperaware of the 'short-comings" of their lives. When you see everyone, getting married and having kids, you will likely feel behind in life and left out. Body image and body standards have also changed based on social media. Constantly comparing yourself to others is not healthy. 

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND DEPRESSION AMONG U.S. YOUNG ADULTS - Lin - 2016 - Depression and Anxiety - Wiley Online Library

Answer 10

This is true, but not always the case. Using the McleanHospital,  "According to the Pew Research Center, 69% of adults and 81% of teens in the U.S. use social media. This puts a large amount of the population at an increased risk of feeling anxious, depressed, or ill over their social media use." This helps show social media's mental effect on teenagers and adults. Of course, that doesn't mean everyone is affected but it can cause it. 

https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/it-or-not-social-medias-affecting-your-mental-health