Depression and the Media

“The less you are connected with human beings in a deep, emphatic way, the less you’re really getting the benefits of a social interaction,” “The more superficial it is, the less likely it’s going to cause you to feel connected, which is something we all need.”

Social media has changed the way of communicating, socializing and maintain friendship. While there are benefits to living in a digital world, there are also risks. Today’s youth miss out on critical social skills development when they spend the majority of their free time connected to and interacting through a screen. They can also get lost in a world of unrealistic comparisons, cyber bullying, and feeling left out.

Teenage and young adult users who spend the most time on Instagram, Facebook and other platforms were shown to have a substantially higher rate of reported depression than those who spent the least time. One of the biggest differences in the lives of current teenagers and young adults, compared to earlier generations, is that they spend much less time connecting with their peers in person and more time connecting electronically, principally through social media.

While making friends is possible on social media, adolescents using social media may experience loneliness and question others' genuineness. The parents of adolescents may not understand social media fully and are concerned about safety and the effect of social media on social development. The increased role of social media and technology in adolescents' daily communications may affect their development of in-person relationships. Increased social media usage may impact how adolescents socialize face-to-face, leading to social isolation when faced with self-doubt or a lack of confidence. Social media can significantly influence body image concerns in adolescents.

Indeed, one exception to the depression correlation is girls who are high users of social media but also keep up a high level of face-to-face social interaction. The study showed that those girls who interact intensely offline as well as through social media don’t show the increase in depressive symptoms that those who interact less in person do.

Teen who are easily influenced by the images of others on social media may hold themselves to an unrealistic standard for their bodies because of the prevalence of digital image alteration. Engaging with social media platforms two hours before falling asleep can seriously effect sleep quality, and a longer duration of digital media use is associated with reduced total sleep time. Young adults who have a strong Facebook presence show more signs of other psychological disorders, including anti-social behaviors.

And there are also some teenagers who aren’t successful in connecting with peers offline, because they are isolated geographically or don’t feel accepted in their schools and local communities. Youths who frequently use social media increase their risk of depression by 27 percent, while those who dedicate themselves to outdoor activities don’t have that much risk. For those kids, electronic connection can be lifesaving.

By:- Krishna Gupta & Harshit Khandelwal (India)

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