The negative effects of depression are not confined to a patient’s emotions and mental health; the body is also affected.
Depression is a complex mental illness whose sufferers are often persistently low in mood, and may also experience a constant sense of helplessness.
Every person experiences symptoms of depression at some point in life as a result of sadness or a shock. But when the duration of these symptoms extends beyond two weeks, it points toward a more serious problem.
It is the most common mental disorder and is spreading rapidly among young people — and now an important cause of that spread has been identified.
Excessive use of social media increases the risk of being affected by depression, according to a medical study conducted in the United States.
Research at the University of Cincinnati found that a relationship exists between scrolling on social media for more than two and a half hours a day and being affected by depression.
The study analysed survey data from more than 183,000 people aged between 18 and 70. Participants were asked 1,318 questions on a range of subjects in order to assess depression alongside other health issues.
A machine learning model was used in the research to identify the relationship between social media use and depression.
Researchers found that people who use social media for two and a half hours daily reported symptoms of depression at higher rates.
They said a relationship exists between remaining connected in the real world and good mental health.
They added that the risk also increases with television viewing and web surfing alongside social media.
According to the researchers, social media functions like an addiction and can damage mental health. They said, however, that it is also a reality that abandoning its use entirely has now become difficult for people.
According to them, if social media is used carefully, it helps in avoiding depression.
An important qualification applies to findings of this type. The study identifies an association between two variables measured at the same time, which does not by itself establish which one produces the other. People experiencing low mood may withdraw from in-person contact and spend more time on screens, meaning the pattern could reflect the direction of causation running the other way, or both factors responding to a third.
The proposed mechanisms are nonetheless plausible and widely discussed. Extended screen use displaces time that would otherwise go to sleep, physical activity and face-to-face interaction, all of which are independently associated with mental wellbeing. Platform design centred on continuous engagement, and the tendency of curated content to invite unfavourable self-comparison, are further factors identified in the literature.
The researchers’ observation about the changing nature of these platforms is notable — that early use centred on contact with known acquaintances, whereas time is now spent largely consuming content produced by strangers.
Anyone experiencing persistent symptoms of low mood should consult a qualified mental health professional, who can provide assessment and appropriate support.
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