Ever wondered if your constant browsing of social media is depressing you? Here’s the science.
Evidence suggests that if we use sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter extensively — in the wrong ways — it can break or weaken the bonds that are most important to our mental health. But there is also conflicting evidence that says the use of Facebook can raise self-esteem. In any event, there are things we can do to avoid the depressive effects associated with social media. Most importantly, if you already have a tendency toward depression, steer clear of Facebook and Instagram. Seeing lots of skinny friends while worrying about your weight won’t help your state of mind.
Social networks’ effect on our mental health is a pressing question because they are used ubiquitously in the U.S. None is more popular than Facebook. About 68 percent of U.S. adults use the site, according to the Pew Research Center. That percentage is much higher in young people; about 81 percent of people from ages 18 to 29 use the site. Seventy-four percent of women use the site every day. If it seems like everybody uses Facebook, it’s because nearly everyone does. Whether or not that’s a bad thing is still up for debate.
Research published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information has shown that use of Facebook can increase self-esteem. This is supported by a psychological model of the self, called the Hyperpersonal Model. The theory is: Selecting the best parts of yourself to display to others on the internet increases your self-esteem. People are happier with themselves when they’re looking at their Facebook profiles than when they’re looking in the mirror. That’s because they get to post photos of themselves at good angles, show off their achievements and only show the parts of their lives they want to reveal.
On the other hand, Facebook might be linked to depressive symptoms and low self-esteem precisely because everyone gets to post the best parts of themselves. While you only see the highlights of your friends’ lives, new cars, jobs, families and weight loss, you’ll be stuck living the entirety of yours, including faults and mistakes. It’s why your perception of your online friends is probably skewed. We tend to overestimate the looks, degrees, smarts and morals (among many other areas) that we see online. One study on state university students in Utah found Facebook use is linked to thinking that other people are happier than you, and even that “life is not fair.”
This would paint the mass use of Facebook in a very different light. If use of Facebook and other social networking sites is indeed linked to depression, the statistics on social media use aren’t a technological marvel — they’re scary. They point to an epidemic in the making.
Social media is not a demon, but it hides dangers. Whether it depresses people is a question best answered at the individual level. One good practice is to use social media to strengthen the bonds with your family and loved ones and maintain social ties. Using social media for shallow interactions, as in scrolling through your feed to like pictures of all your rich, thin friends or arguing with Twitter trolls, probably isn’t good for you.
Stephan Chamberlin is a UF political science junior. His column comes out Tuesday and Thursday.
