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Is Social Media Making You Depressed? An Honest Look At The Latest Research

by — Last updated: 2023-03-20 in Mental Health

Research shows that there's a huge correlation between social media, depression, and anxiety — especially in young people. Is social media also the cause of those mental struggles, at least in some cases?

I'm a naturalized netizen, and the internet is most certainly my adopted hometown, but I'm not a native — I clearly remember the pre-internet era, the time before hyperconnectedness had invaded every single aspect of most people's lives. People didn't have cellphones, and they didn't carry pocket-sized cameras to meticulously document their daily lives, either.

When I was in school, toxic messages were thrown at you in scrunched-up pieces of paper. Your enemies whispered about you as you passed in the hall, or yelled profanities at you. You and your friends would go to the local park and gossip after school, and if they wanted to reach you at home, they'd call your home phone or simply show up.

Today's youth doesn't remember a time like that. They might recognize the description from Stranger Things, and instantly conclude that I'm a fossil, or whatever words young people use to deride old folks nowadays. They were born into a connected world and they take it for granted. Rather than making use of the fact that they've got instant access to a wealth of information and knowledge, many teens and kids spend their time on social media, where they can connect with and be bullied by almost anyone, without a break, deep into the night — and even more so since covid forced us all online.

What does that do to modern teens' mental health? All sorts of people have all sorts of opinions on this topic, but what does the latest scientific research have to say?

Worrying Adolescent Mental Health Trends: The Raw Facts

Adolescent mental health has been declining, and the key facts parents, educators, and anyone else who cares need to be aware of include:

  • The World Health Organization estimates that between 10 and 20 percent of children and adolescents across the globe suffer from mental health challenges. Mental health is discussed more openly now. Some of the mental health challenges teens face are developmentally normal, but the covid pandemic has also highlighted new levels of loneliness and anxiety.
  • The Mental Health Foundation and other researchers report that depression and anxiety (which can take numerous forms) are by far the most common mental health problems in children and adolescents.
  • The Royal Society for Public Health, & Young Health Movement, based in Britain, reports that rates of anxiety and depression have increased 70 percent in young people over the last 25 years.
  • The rates of diagnosed depression in US youth increased from 8.7% in 2005 to 11.3% in 2014.
  • Suicide has been on the rise among teenagers and young adults, too. It is now the second most common cause of death in Americans aged 10 to 34, and the rate has risen 47.5 percent since 2000. The greatest rise correlates to the point in time when social media platforms started to become popular.
  • At present, more than 97 percent of youth in America uses some form of social media. The most popular platforms are YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and Reddit, among others.

Does Social Media Cause Depression and Anxiety?

Studies conducted between the years 2014 and 2019 have found a correlation between social media use and depression and anxiety in young people, but no definitive evidence to prove that social media played a concrete role in causing or triggering these mental illnesses.

A study published in 2020, meanwhile, showed that social media use had some potential positive effects on adolescent health, by allowing young people to connect with more varied social groups and seek support, but also that social media use was broadly associated with depressive symptoms.

In another study from 2019, it was shown that increased social media use in students aggravated depressive symptoms — the more time they spent engaging with social media, the less interested they became in interacting with activities that were previously meaningful to them, the more lonely and helpless they felt, and the more fatigued they became. Spending more time on social media, especially over two hours a day, was also associated with higher rates of suicidality.

It is quite possible that social media contributes to depression and anxiety in young people — as well as, for that matter, older internet users. More research needs to be conducted before anyone can be sure, and at the same time, we probably have to be realistic in saying that social media isn't going anywhere. That leads to the question of exactly how social media might lead to anxiety and depression, and what individuals and parents might be able to do to combat harmful influences.

Why Would Social Media Cause Depression and Anxiety?

Social media use can contribute to depression and anxiety in multiple different ways, research has found, and when you think about it, all of them are entirely logical:

  • Social media use is a nearly entirely sedentary activity, and the less we move, the more likely we are to become depressed and anxious.
  • Social media use requires people to engage in multi-tasking — flitting from one activity to another in a short period of time. Being overwhelmed with thousands of different messages is too much for the human brain, and can lead to mental health challenges.
  • Adolescents are particularly peer-oriented and social media gives them access to idealized, but ultimately fake, portraits of their peers' lives that steer them toward feeling inferior. In fact, adolescents might go through the majority of their important identity formation and individuation process online, by exploring internet communities. This leads to a sense of emptiness, as much of the content lacks substance.
  • Social media is a prime location where bullying can unfold, and unlike the in-person bullying of the past, victims get no break — and the fact that they know everything that is said stays online forever can induce tremendous levels of anxiety.
  • The increased focus on mental health amont teenagers also means that teens inevitably interact with content that invites them to question if they have disorders. Many subsequently self-diagnose, often incorrectly. This "nocebo" (anti-placebo) effect can negatively impact teens' mental health, as they begin ruminating about disorders they do not have.

It isn't all bad — social media also allows young people to explore new interest and connect with other who share their struggles. Whereas they were limited to their immediate localities not too long ago, young people can now connect with others halfway across the world; great for those who have unusual interests. However, it is important to keep in mind that teens who seek mental health advice from other teens may inadvertently create a situation in which the blind lead the blind — all too often, down the wrong path.

What Are You Meant to Do with This Information?

The correlation between social media use and depression as well as anxiety is strong enough to conclude that people (young and otherwise) who are already feeling anxious or depressed would benefit from exploring whether severely limiting their social media use might lead to symptom improvement.

Get out there. As all the young folks say, touch grass. Go meet some real people in meat space, move your body, do some chores, cuddle your cat, read an actual physical book. Connect with the people who actually love you unconditionally.

And if you're not anxious or depressed? You might still benefit. Unplug yourself more. If you're on the internet, try learning something new or watching a really good movie rather than following social media, but also get off more. People, generally, feel most content and fulfilled when they are doing something they feel good about doing, rather than mindlessly allowing the free time you could enjoy to pass by.

The internet can be wonderful. There's just more to life than that, and it's likely that we could all feel happier if we were to look beyond social media more often — whether that's to the people in our lives, to nature, or inward. The internet does not have all the answers, and there's an entire world to explore. Looking up from your screen might just allow you to feel the magnitude of that.

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