Increased social media use can cause depression

Question

In recent years, there has been a link between social media and developing depression, especially in teens and young adults. Social media, such as Instagram and Facebook, make it easier for people to disconnect from the real world and look at the world through their phone lens. Personally, I find that when I use social media, I compare myself to people more frequently, and it oftentimes makes me overthink my own life.

Answer 1

Studies have shown that increased social media use can contribute to depression, particularly in teens and young adults. Social media platforms, like Instagram and Facebook, encourage constant comparison and the desire to seek validation through likes and comments. According to Child Mind Institute, these platforms can exacerbate feelings of inadequacy and loneliness, leading to a cycle of overthinking and self-criticism (Child Mind Institute, 2023). Additionally, excessive screen time can disrupt sleep and reduce face-to-face interactions, which are important for mental well-being. This can worsen depressive symptoms and feelings of isolation.

Source: Child Mind Institute

Answer 2

hi there, 

this claim is very true. there have been many studies that have proven your point, as well as an obvious change in our society that can be seen without the internet. According to the National Library of Medicine, "There have been increases in adolescent depression and suicidal behaviour over the last two decades that coincide with the advent of social media (SM) (platforms that allow communication via digital media), which is widely used among adolescents."

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7392374/

Answer 3

Although the article provides accurate information and is true, the claim derived from the article is misleading. Despite there being a correlation between the amount of social media used and depression, correlation does not mean causation. A more accurate claim would be, “Social media usage and depression have a positive correlation.” There are several studies showing the positive correlation between social media usage and higher mental disorder rates. However, “Does that mean that Instagram and TikTok are actually causing depression? These studies show a correlation, not causation” (Miller, n.d.). Furthermore, another piece of evidence shows an exemption to those who frequently use social media but do not have mental health disorders. This group of exempt individuals are those who frequently use social media but still interact with peers face to face (Miller, n.d.).  This suggests that social media usage does not cause mental health issues; rather, the effects vary depending on how it is incorporated into your life. When adolescents can interact with others in the real world, social media can become a helpful mode of connection that amplifies relationships. Finally, a 2020 study followed about 2800 adolescents born in the year 2000 over six years, recording their social media usage alongside their depression levels from ages 13 to 19. The research challenged the mainstream idea that social media causes depression in adolescents, with a new idea which suggested depressed teens increase their social media usage as a coping mechanism. However, it is important to note that even this consensus was inconsistent, and the researchers urged for future studies be based on individual differences regarding mental health, rather than social media usage (Puuko et al., 2020).  

(Miller, n.d.)

https://childmind.org/article/is-social-media-use-causing-depression/ 

Association for Psychological Science Article

https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/longitudinal-data-show-no-evidence-of-teens-social-media-use-leading-to-depression?pdf=true&

(Puuko et al., 2020). 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7459880/#sec2-ijerph-17-05921 

Answer 4

Yes I do think this is true, while social media can be used to bring the world together most of the time social media can be very isolating and can cause people to be depressed. Since social media has grown so much depression symptoms in kids have jumped 35% as kids' average social media time rose from 7 minutes to 73 minutes over a 3 year period.  

There have also been many surveys done to see if social media use is causing depression and in those surveys it showed the more usage of social media the more depression symptoms you have. There isn't a direct indicator of why social media is causing depression but some research shows risks such as cyber bullying and disrupted sleep.   

Source 1:  Lin, Liu yi, et al. “Association between Social Media Use and Depression among US Young Adults.” Depression and Anxiety, vol. 33, no. 4, 19 Jan. 2016, pp. 323–331, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4853817/, https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22466.

This article is about surveys done on people of different age groups about their social media usage and depression symptoms. This was more focused on the numbers of people using social media and also what age groups are using it the most. 

Source 2: Marsh, Jared. “Yes, Social Media Might Be Making Kids Depressed.” Yes, Social Media Might Be Making Kids Depressed | UC San Francisco, 21 May 2025, www.ucsf.edu/news/2025/05/430011/yes-social-media-might-be-making-kids-depressed.

   

This article was more focused about why social media is making kids depressed and what is causing this. This article also studied a younger age group and how that's affecting their development and also gave a solution to fixing this problem such as using a media family plan to try and control a kid's social media usage. 

Answer 5

This is true, however it's difficult to find direct articles to support to this claim because mental health varies on how much you might be abusing your screentime. That being said, there has been a common trend of depression among teenagers and young adults who overuse social media. NIH says "Compared with those in the lowest quartile, individuals in the highest quartiles of SM site visits per week and those with a higher global frequency score had significantly increased odds of depression". This supports the clear correlation between social media and depletion of mental health. With increased social media use, you become increasingly isolated from your communities. Humans are very social creatures so when we feel like we no longer have in person connections, feelings of loneliness and insecurity arise. Self presentation on social media is often polished and appears to be "perfect". From outside perspectives, this leads people (particularly teenagers) to feel inferior to their peers. Social media has the ability to distort our realities-- causing users to constantly compare themselves to seemingly perfect individuals. These perceptions developed through social media will create self-inferiority, which is a steep slope to depression. 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4853817/

Answer 6

This claim is definitely true, research has proven that more social media use usually causes higher rates of depression. But because many studies are observational, the university of Arkansas made an article "Social Media Use Linked to Developing Depression Regardless of Personality" saying that it "social comparison can enhance negative feelings of oneself and others, which could explain how risk of depression increases with increased social media use." proving that social media is a problem and has caused depression especially to younger audiences.

Answer 7

Yes, this claim is very much true. Research and studies show that the increase in social media usage among users has caused a rise in depression. Especially in young users, teens. Although mental health has overall increased over recent years, the main reason for why is due to social media. The article also talks about how social media can cause anxiety, body dysmorphia, due to cyber bullying. 

http://www.yalemedicine.org/news/social-media-teen-mental-health-a-parents-guide

Answer 8

A study done by University of California San Francisco battled an ongoing idea of which problem causes what. Increased social media use was found to raise depression symptoms in people but those with depression were not linked to having increased social media use. Therefore the studies do show that social media is a factor in higher depression rates in the new age. Kids who were cyber bullied 2.62% times more likely to have sucidal thoughts. They were also 2.31% times were more likely to experiment with drugs like marijuana and nicotine. Being involved with this different behavior may put a strain on these childrens social lives once again putting them into a state of depression. https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2025/05/430011/yes-social-media-might-be-making-kids-depressed Research was done by Carol Vidal an adolescence physciatrist that found depression was high with high social media use. While the findings are similar to the UCSF research it found that people with higher social media use spent less time outdoors. Lack of greenspace exposure and physical activity is a great indicator of depressive habits. This study also heavily emphasizes and supports the facts that cannibis use if often linked to those with depression. With the knowledge gathers from these studies it is important that people are educated on the effects social media may have on their habits and lifestyle to best prevent depression. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/2024/05/johns-hopkins-childrens-center-study-shows-more-than-just-social-media-use-may-be-causing-depression-in-young-adults What does social media show us though that may put us in these depressive feelings? Being shown other peoples lives may lead to constant comparison of yourself to others. Which may lead to feeling less than the others you see in the media. Cyberbullying is also a big factor. Unwanted harassment and bullying is constantly happening in the medie. People find it easier to bully those through a screen than in person in the new age. Whether it’s seeing negative comments about yourself or others feelings of anxiety and depression increase. Seeing others participating in activities may give you Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) which can make you feel left out and lonely. Being addicted to the technology can throw off your sleep schedule drastically making you more tired and susceptible to depression in your everyday. The link in depression and modern day media is clear and should be monitored to best use media in our lives. https://fremonthospital.com/blog/the-link-between-social-media-and-depression/