Contrary to popular belief, social media does not increase the risk of adolescents suffering from depression.
- The use of social networks does not increase the risk of suffering from depression in adolescents.
- The frequency and intensity of use do not increase this risk.
- For the author of the study, social networks even constitute a place of community, belonging and even support for young people who have few friends.
In France, “un in two adolescents suffer from anxiety or depressive symptoms“, according to one Ipsos study. He also highlights another observation: “theAdolescents say they spend an average of 6 hours 48 hours per week on a screen, excluding homework (…) And 31% responded that they were confronted with at least one situation of cyberviolence on social networks or by SMS.”
No correlation between social media use and depression
In view of such figures, there seems to be a link between the use of social networks and depression among adolescents. But that’s not the reality, according to a study published in the journal Science Direct. “The prevalence of anxiety and depression has increased, as has the use of social media, explains Silje Steinsbekk, professor in the psychology department at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and author of the study, in a communicated. So many people think there must be a correlation.”
To study the link between social media use and depression, researchers followed 800 children aged 10 to 16 for six years. “This allowed us to follow children as they transitioned from childhood to adolescence, specifies Silje Steinsbekk. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were identified through diagnostic interviews with children and their parents.”
Social networks, a place of community and support
Thus, scientists observed, in both girls and boys, that there was no link between the use of social networks and the development of depression. Additionally, frequency or intensity of use (posting articles, photos, adding comments, etc.) did not increase the risk of suffering from mental illness.
“The use of social networks by young people is a subject which (…) raises a lot of concern among both parents and professionals, says Silje Steinsbekk. We hope to provide more knowledge about how social media affects youth development and their ability to function in society. Social media provides a place of community and belonging, making it easy to stay in touch with friends and family. They can provide a platform for social support and help protect young people with few friends from loneliness.”
