Link Between Social Networking Sites And Depression Among Older Adolescents

Pantic, Igor. "Online Social Networking and Mental Health." Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, vol. 17, no. 10, Oct. 2014, pp. 652-657. EBSCOhost, DOI: 10.1089/cyber.2014.0070. Doctor Pantic in “Online Social Networking and Mental Health” discusses various studies on Facebook and symptoms of depression, social

Furthermore Isolation can cause sense of feeling loneliness even though they are connected “online” or cause even worse scenarios depression which can lead to suicide with the low self esteem. A Research done in the University of Pittsburgh questioned a group of 1,787 adults aged between 19 and 32 about their different use of social media. They found that “people who visit social networks over 58 times a week are three times more likely to feel lonely than those who use the sites under nine times.”(Hosie). Therefore those who visit social media often the less time they have for real-world interactions. Adding on to isolation, their is a huge risk that leads to depression with people feeling low self esteem with the use of social media. It makes a “Standard” of beauty that you have to be, which its unrealistic, but some people believe it to be true. This low self esteem can lead to more serious issues like suicide. According to The National Institute of Mental Health reports that an “estimated 3.1 million adolescents aged 12 to 17 in the United States have had at least one major depressive episode”(Apodaca). Apodaca goes further on stating how the possible use of social media at the young age pressure people to be “perfect”. experts say “ that teen depression and suicide rates began spiking at the same time that social media started taking off”

Social media has become deeply embedded as a part of today’s American culture and lifestyles, changing the way people interact and communicate with one another. Americans use social media every day; to not only communicate, but to express themselves. These online media sites and blogs serve as entertainment for its users and give them a sense of a social life if they do not already have one. Some users become so obsessed with their online lives that they lose the ability to successfully communicate with people in real life. Their craving for the use of social media becomes an addiction to where they can spend countless hours on their social sites. Facebook, a popular social media cite, has been proven to cause Facebook Depression, a sickness in which a person is emotionally depressed and in self denial. Studies have shown that sites such as Facebook, are a direct link to an individual’s physical and emotional well being.

In today’s world we are surrounded by information technology and social media, which brings with it many changes in the ways we interact with each other in our daily lives. It now only takes a matter of seconds to connect with someone on the other side of the world in many different forms. While many of these advancements are seen as beneficial, there are a number of concerns regarding the subject. For example, there have been a number of recent studies which have made definite links between social media and mental illnesses, especially in teens and young adults. This can range from addictive use of social media sites, to clinical depression; both of which being very real problems in our society today. It is even said

Since its inception back in 2004, Facebook has represented a huge potential market for social media efforts by having over a billion users and that number is going to continue to grow every year very fast. But in reality, behind the scenes a number of researchers have shown proof of Facebook being connected to mental health issues like major depression. In Online Social Networking and Mental Health, there is a passage that explains “As it is thought that Facebook may be one of the factors influencing the development of depressive symptoms, it is also, assumed that certain characteristics of online behavioral may be predictive factors in depression identification and assessment. Today, it is clear that SNS (social network sites) such as Facebook can be useful in the early detection of depression symptoms among users” (Pantic). Today, Researchers have been calling this new phenomenon “Facebook depression,” which is

A recent study published in 2016 by a team of researchers found that in a survey of 1,787 adults, ages 19-32 there was a “strong and significant association between social media use and depression in a nationally representative sample of U.S. young adults” (Lindsey et al.). This is not the first study to confirm the hypothesis that social media use causes depression, but it is the most recent and largest study to date and it confirms the findings of other smaller studies done. Perhaps social media makes lonely people less lonely by allowing them to easily meet new people or rekindle old social bonds. However, a study lead by social psychologist Robert Kraut on depression and internet use found that users who were introverted were more likely to feel depressed and lonely using the internet that extroverted internet users (49-74). Social media has even given way to a new term, FOMO…or the fear of missing out which users can experience as they peruse Facebook. Not only does the internet hardwire us for depression, but its driving content can make us feel more lonely or

Firstly, there have been significant links between our online presence and other aspects of our mental health, which has inspired the subject matter of many recent research studies around the world. There are many psychological and physical factors that affect our mental well-being due to the impact of social media. Depression and Body Dysmorphia being the leading causes, due to the content the individuals are exposed to while online. Even though researchers coined the correlation between social media use and depression as complex. Data was collected from a sample of 340 first year college students, and the findings were that the increase use of Facebook have been associated with higher levels of loneliness. Also the extensive use of Facebook has been associated with higher rates of disordered eating and body image insecurity.

Facebook is addicting and people spend a majority of their time on that website hoping for a “like”, so when they don’t get the validation of a “like” they think no one likes them and get upset. Likewise, comparing other’s life to their own increases the negative thoughts running through one’s brain. On an article published on Forbes’s website, Alice G. Walton writes “It turned out that people who logged more Facebook time not only had more depressive symptoms, but that social comparison – in any direction – was the mediator, and for both sexes. In other words, it didn’t matter whether a person was making upward, downward, or neutral social comparison – they were all linked to a greater likelihood for depressive symptoms.” Also, as mentioned above, staying inside all day staring at a screen will negatively affect a person’s mental health. In a short article published in Time Magazine, journalist Alice Park writes “Scientists found that healthy teens who used the Internet obsessively--reporting that they felt moody or nervous when not online--were 2.5 times more likely to become depressed nine months later than less frequent surfers were.” (Park) This information shows that the internet is having a negative effect on the younger

In an ever-changing world, technology has pervaded almost every aspect of the average person’s life. Along with advances in technology has emerged the rise of social media sites, where individuals can take pictures of events, update statuses, mark the places they have been, and the foods they have eaten. Young adults have been at the forefront of using these social networking sites to display their actions and aspects of their lives to the public world. While one may think these sites are intended to bring joy to others, and put people in connection with one another, the display of other’s lives may have a negative effect on the viewer. Among groups who may be negatively affected by these social networking sites are college students, who face a new environment, and commonly experience a “fear of missing out” from viewing the lives of others. While these social media sites may be fine in small amounts, the increased consumption of multiple social media sites may have a negative effect on the happiness of college students, which may produce a link to depressive symptoms.

While there are many benefits to social media, there are hidden dangers as well, especially to mental health. An increasing number of studies have found that Facebook increases the risk of low self-esteem and depression because it gives a distorted

While the social media field gets larger with each generation, depression becomes more and more popular. This forms the question, “Does social media play a role in causing depression?” Because of social media’s large influence, I personally believe it is one of the many factors of depression and other mental illnesses. This is important because without more awareness of this problem, there will be more mental illness victims.

An Article Titled Online Social Networking and Mental Health, 2014, by Igor Pantic, MD, PhD (2.) “some researchers have associated online social networking with several psychiatric disorders, including depressive symptoms, anxiety and low self-esteem.” Since social networks are a relatively new phenomenon, questions regarding their potential impact on mental health remain unanswered.” Kraut et al. Published one of his first studies, in 1998 that indicates that Internet use in general significantly affects social relationships and participation in community life

In the study, “Facebook Use Predicts Declines in Subjective Well-Being in Young Adults”, researchers recruited eighty-two people for the study by

Facebook is one of the top grossing social media platforms today that is increasingly finding more ways to keep friends and family connected. Rather they use it or not, majority of teen today have a Facebook account at some point in their life. Facebook has its advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantages of Facebook can lead to an unhealthy teen. Facebook affects the mental health in teens causing issues with self-esteem, depression, and create an unhealthy dependency on the social media platform.

Feeling down, lonely, and experiencing the loss of “non-digital” friends were found to be connected with internet use. In 1998, a Carnegie Mellon study proved that more time spent online would increase these negative feelings.  This negative digital impact may also not be temporary, as it has the possibility to last for years in the future. Heavy social media use can help develop stress, depression, and