A new study has confirmed a link between excessive social media usage and increased depression and loneliness.
A new analysis published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology found that individuals who took steps to significantly curtail their daily social media usage exhibited significantly lower levels of depression and loneliness when compared to others who placed no limit on their daily social media usage time.
During the experiment, the study participants were divided into two groups, both of which completed an initial assessment for loneliness, depression, and well-being prior to beginning the analysis. One group instructed to use social media networks such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat as they normally would throughout the day, with no time limits. The other group was told to limit their total social media usage between the three networks to just 10 minutes per day. Additionally, each group downloaded a special app to ensure their social media usage was being properly tracked.
Upon completion of the experiment, researchers found that the group with just 10 minutes of social media usage per day were much less likely to be depressed and lonely when compared to the group with no limits on social media usage. According to the researchers, the effects were even more pronounced among individuals who exhibited depressive symptoms before the study started.
“Here’s the bottom line,” said Melissa G. Hunt, the study’s lead researcher and a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania. “Using less social media than you normally would leads to significant decreases in both depression and loneliness. These effects are particularly pronounced for folks who were more depressed when they came into the study.”
While the exact reasons for the decreased prevalence of depression and loneliness among populations with limited social media usage will require further analysis, researchers have postulated that limiting social media opportunities limits the amount of time spent on potential self-comparison to the lives of others, which can in turn cause some individuals to become depressed. According to Hunt, this time spent on social media can be better spent on tasks or activities that can increase self-worth.
“When you’re not busy getting sucked into clickbait social media, you’re actually spending more time on things that are more likely to make you feel better about your life,” noted Hunt.
John Patrick (@john_pat_rick) is a graduate of Canisius College and Georgia Southern University. He interned for Red Alert Politics during the summer of 2012 and has continued to contribute regularly.
