Social Media May Be Making You Depressed

Maybe you’ve heard of Facebook Depression. Perhaps you’ve even experienced it. Scroll through your feed and you’re immediately bombarded with feelings of jealousy or sadness. You begin to think your life barely stacks up compared to those of your friends. Negative thoughts swirl in your mind and your self-esteem takes a hit. Social media – the very tool intended to help you connect with others – could be making you depressed.

A systematic review of 30 existing studies examining the relationship between social media and depression produced mixed results on the topic. The findings from Lancaster University, and published in the journal of Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, suggest there is a “complex” relationship between online social networking and symptoms of depression. Many factors – psychological, social, behavioral and individual – are believed to play a role.

Comparing Yourself to Others Can Lead to Depression

In the review, the researchers found a trigger for depression was social comparison. Here’s a look at their findings:

• Negative comparison with others when using Facebook was found to predict depression via increased rumination (overthinking)
• Frequent posting on Facebook was found to be associated with depression via rumination

It’s important to remember that many people are deliberate in crafting their online identity by carefully curating their photos and posts. It’s not uncommon to feel like others are leading more exciting lives, but it’s crucial to understand that a social media profile is just one facet of someone’s life.

Know the Risk Factors for Facebook Depression

Of course, not all social networking is bad. When used for social support and even as a mental health resource, social media can provide benefits, according to the study.

However, be aware of the factors that can lead to depression. The review found that Facebook users were more at risk when they participated in the following behaviors:

• Felt envy triggered by observing others
• Accepted former partners as Facebook friends
• Made negative social comparisons
• Made frequent negative status updates

Women and people with neurotic personalities were also at a higher risk for depression in these scenarios.

Take a Break

There are plenty of positive aspects of social media, but it can also be exhausting. Facebook boasts more than 2 billion active users. That’s a lot of people making noise.

If social media leaves you feeling at best, deflated, and at worse, depressed, it might be time to take a break. Whether you deactivate completely, uninstall the app from your phone or simply stop scrolling, you may find a sense of peace from stepping away for a while.

Use the time to cultivate relationships in person and to dig deeper into the reasons behind your inclination to compare yourself to others. You may be discover some answers while dodging fake news and filtered photos.