Is Social Media Really Causing Depression in Children?

Social media is a huge part of everyone’s life today. Websites like Facebook and Instagram are the favourite pastime of almost every single one of us. Teenagers, and even young adults, these days are seen spending most of their free time on these social networks while a decade ago they used to go to playgrounds in their free time. Is this a good change? The question is why are these websites so addictive that they are becoming the cause of depression for children worldwide?

According to multiple studies, those who spend more time on social media have substantially higher rate of becoming depressed (13% to 66%) as compared to those who spend only a little time. Does that mean Facebook, Instagram etc. are a cause of depression? Well, these studies show only a correlation, but it is worth giving a serious look at how social media could negatively affect teenagers and youngsters.

Social Media and Depression

The key differences between the lives of today’s generation and that of earlier generation are that youngsters and adults nowadays spend only a little personal time with their family and loved ones and more time online, i.e. on social media.

Experts say that connections people make online on social media platforms are comparatively less strong in terms of emotions, which leads to emotionally broken and thus, depressed individuals.

Social Media and Perceived Social Isolation (PSI)

Another study conducted on a group of youngsters between 19 and 32 showed correlation between the time an individual spent on social media and resultant perceived social isolation. However, directionality could not be determined; therefore, the question remains is “If people feeling socially isolated spend more time on social media, or they develop PSI in more intense cases?”

Well, if the latter is the case, is it because individuals are spending less time on real social experiences that would lead to decreased PSI? This could be the nature of highly-curated social feeds that are observing them and making them feel more excluded.

Social Media and Self-Esteem

There is another theory about increase in depression due to the loss of self-esteem, specifically in teenage girls. They negatively compare themselves with other girls on who look prettier, thinner, richer, typically in their artfully-curated pictures, getting more likes and are more popular on social media.

Instagram, an image-driven social network, is quite popular among youngsters, and leads them to report depression, anxiety, and make them worry about their physical appearance.

“Kids spend so much time on social media trying to post what they think the world will think is a perfect life. Look at how happy I am! Look how beautiful I am! Without that they’re worried that their friends won’t accept them. They’re afraid of being rejected,” says Dr. Bubrick (stated on childmind.org).

Less/Almost Zero Physical Activity

While keeping themselves busy on social media, children are missing on what that can be a true sense of achievement in life. This can be another depression source, as they are lacking the physical activities like playing games or learning new skills and implementing them practically.

Children are spending a lot of their free times on social media and electronic gadgets like smartphones while they are not getting anything in return that can make them feel good about the investment of their precious time.

Concentration Disruption

The virtual of social media fascinates children and youngsters, which leads to concentration disruption. In fact, children are commonly seen interacting with their friends on these social channels even while studying. They take pride in possessing the ability to multi-task, which unfortunately reduces their learning ability and overall performance. Resultantly, they fail to achieve good marks and make their own parents and professors happy.

Sleep Deprivation

There are certain indirect ways in which social media impacts an individual’s mood. For example, social media is one of the most common causes of distraction that leads to depression in teenagers because they get sleep deprived due to its excessive use.

According to a supporting study, more than 60% teenagers are found busy on social media even in their last hour before going to bed. Resultantly, they end up sleeping less than those who do not use their phone at least one hour before bedtime.

Tips to Reduce the Negative Effects of Social Media Use

Although there is no conclusive evidence that social media is the leading cause of depression, there are multiple signs that it could be among the primary causes. It is parents’ time to act smart with their children and check their everyday social media activities to find out if it is healthy and positive or not.

If you notice that your child might be hiding something from you or he/she is in depression, sit with them and talk about it. Do not hesitate to meet with a mental health specialist in person, if needed.

The following are the steps you can take to find out a healthy use of social media:

• Make sure your children socialise and participate in activities that build self-confidence.
• Encourage your children to keep their smartphone/gadgets aside while studying to avoid concentration disruptions.
• Keep interacting with your children and do ask them about their friends, such as what they like to do when they are free.
• Encourage your children to be honest with themselves regarding the use of social media and avoiding activities that negatively impact them.
• Refrain from letting them use smartphone an hour before going to bed. If they need an alarm to wake up on a fixed time every day, ask them to use an alarm clock instead.

One key reason why social media seems to be the cause of depression is the use of smartphone. Though released in only in 2007, 92% of children and youngsters by 2015 had owned smartphones.

“The rise in depressive symptoms correlates with smartphone adoption during that period, even when matched year by year,” says Jean Twenge, psychologist at San Diego State University.

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