Harvard University researchers found an increased risk of depression related to social media use in middle-aged people. Social media channels, especially Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Twitter, are great entertainment for people around the world. Billions of people have fun, get information and even earn money through these channels. However, social media does not produce ‘positive’ results for everyone.
Why does social media increase depression?
According to this new study by scientists in the USA, social media increases depression in some people. 5,400 adults were included in the study. The findings showed that the risk of depression related to social media over the age of 35 was higher than their peers who did not use it.
In the study examining the relationship between social media use and depression, certain platforms came to the fore. Media such as Snapchat, Facebook and TikTok were blamed for this risk of depression. Harvard University researchers said middle-aged people on Snapchat and TikTok may be unhappy because they feel old.
However, the only negative impact of social media is not for middle age. According to previous studies, spending too much time on social media is quite harmful to the developing children’s brain. Returning to the study, the research team surveyed 5,400 adults with an average age of 56 twice. The first survey was in May 2020, while the second was a year later.
Participants were asked to complete a nine-question mental health questionnaire about which social media they used. The lead author of the study, Professor Dr. Roy Perlis told NBC News, “People who use Facebook, TikTok, and Snapchat were much more likely to say they were depressed in the second survey. ” said.
TikTok and Facebook users showed opposite results
Researchers also drew attention to an important issue. They noted that depressed people may be more likely to take to social media, perhaps as an escape. Meanwhile, in the second survey, 482 (9 percent) of the respondents pointed to a deterioration in their mental health.
The team published their findings in the journal JAMA Network Openmedicine. According to the article, middle-aged Snapchat users were nearly twice as likely to be depressed than their non-users. Similarly, middle-aged people who used TikTok had a 1.5 times higher risk of depression compared to their non-user peers.
However, the situation was the opposite for Facebook users. According to studies, those under the age of 35 who used Facebook were two and a half times more likely to be depressed.
While the reasons for the study findings are not fully known, there are different theories. One theory is that people may feel misfit and unhappy when they use social media that doesn’t fit their age profile. Because TikTok’s users are mostly under 20 years old and Snapchat’s are under 35 years old. But Facebook’s users are older.
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