According to the study, many users react particularly badly to Snapchat, Facebook and TikTok

Social media makes teens depressed – everyone has heard that. But the problem may also exist in adults, as a US study started in May 2020 shows. “We surveyed people who were not depressed about their social media use,” lead author Roy Perlis of Harvard Medical School told NC News. Months later, those test subjects who used Snapchat, Facebook or TikTok were significantly more likely to have depression.

5,395 social media users analyzed

The researchers actually wanted to use their monthly surveys of 5,395 adult users (average age 56) from May 2020 to May 2021 to find out how US users are dealing with the corona pandemic. But over time, they became more interested in how social media use affects the mind. It turned out that those subjects who use social media were more likely to show depressive symptoms in later surveys than those who stayed away from social media.

The study also found that different social media appear to influence different age cohorts. People under 35 don't seem to have any problems with Snapchat and TikTok, while those who are even older tend to slip into depression, especially when using these platforms. Why exactly this is the case remains unclear. There may be a connection to the fact that these are highly visual media or that they are usually aimed at younger audiences.

Facebook frustration under 35

Facebook is also a social media that, according to the study, has a relatively clear connection to depressive symptoms in adults. But in this case, this is particularly true for those under 35, while older Facebook users hardly seem to be affected. Here, too, it remains unclear exactly why this is. The researchers also note that the study only shows a connection between depression and social media use.

But social media is not necessarily the actual trigger. It also seems possible that people who are prone to depression for other reasons may be drawn to certain platforms for some reason.


For the study “Association Between Social Media Use and Self-reported Symptoms of Depression in US Adults”: http://bit.ly/311lzK0


Source: pte


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