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Using Multiple Social Networks May Lead To Depression and Anxiety, Says Study (dailydot.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Daily Dot: The more social media you use, the higher the likelihood that you'll be anxious or depressed. At least according to the University of Pittsburgh Center for Research on Media, Technology and Health. In a study published online this month with more than 1,700 millennial adults, it found people who report using seven to 11 social media platforms had more than three times the risk of depression or anxiety than millennials who use zero to two platforms. The participants were asked about the most popular social media platforms in 2014, the year the study was conducted, which included Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest, Vine, and LinkedIn. Those who used more than seven platforms showed higher levels of depressive symptoms, even when researchers controlled for factors like race, gender, relationship status, household income, education, and total time spent on social media. Brian A. Primack, lead author of the study, notes that the correlation is not certain. He told PsyPost: "It may be that people who suffer from symptoms of depression or anxiety, or both, tend to subsequently use a broader range of social media outlets. For example, they may be searching out multiple avenues for a setting that feels comfortable and accepting. However, it could also be that trying to maintain a presence on multiple platforms may actually lead to depression and anxiety. More research will be needed to tease that apart."
... to more studies.
Hmm, maybe the point of this study was to generate more work for social scientists. Or maybe not. That's the nice thing about the word "may" - it could go either way.
Correlation does not imply causation. There, now that the elephant in the room has been addressed...
I can totally see social media leading to depression long term. Seriously, you have an entire set of platforms dedicated to championing narcissism and self promotion. I mentioned this a while back in a post about LinkedIn -- one of the things that drives me nuts is, having LinkedIn contacts from the tech and the business world, I notice the business guys posting the same shallow crap they do on Facebook looking for a circle of positive affirmation.
Why do I think it makes people depressed and anxious? A couple reasons...
- It's one-sided -- no one posts about the totally uninteresting, crappy boring parts of their lives. Unless you're rich beyond imagination or a celebrity, everyone will have down moments in their lives, periods of disappointment, and very sad things happen to them.
- There's a pressure to be "always on" -- Stemming from the one-sided positive view of everything, people who might not be doing so well might feel the pressure to act like everything's fine. Having been there, as everyone has, I can't imagine how that feels in social media happy-land...it sucks in real life! There's a constant pressure to be on 24/7, sharing amazing details of your life. Thinking that everyone except you is doing perfectly is a recipe for depression.
- The trolls -- Oh, the trolls, the cyberbullies...The Internet in general and social media specifically brings out the worst in people because they feel they're protected from behind the nice safe keyboard. Look at any news site comments section that uses Facebook identities. Now, people who rant on MSN or CNN are a self-selecting bunch, I'll grant you that -- but take a look sometime and see what people post. You'll see some of the most hateful, racist, angry, spiteful, snide commentary...right next to "John Smith, History Teacher, East Nowhere High School." I've had moments where I've thought "No way, that can't be that person's real name and occupation!" -- and then gone to LinkedIn or similar and found out that yes, that history teacher, dental hygienist or business owner really does correspond to the profile. It's (in my opinion) a sad commentary on how un-civil we are to each other.
Personally, I'm not a big fan. I'd rather blog or post long-form comments on places like this than be constantly tweeting out yet another happy status update to make other people miserable. I enjoy thinking before writing and tend to prefer civil conversations.
There's at least one girl I went to high school with who's really held up. One, (I swear to god I'm not making this up) was a stripper for a while and then got a PhD and is now the chair of a sociology department at some small university in California. She looks like she could still get up on that pole after having a couple of cocktails. Back in high school, she was one of them freckle bitches and couldn't get a date for the prom. I ran into her a couple of years later and she was smoking hot. I kicked myself for not being nicer to her back in junior year. She signed my yearbook with a heart. The hot girl that I took to the prom has indeed turned into a fat old grandma. This is why you should teach your sons to be nice to all the girls in school, because you never know who's gonna turn out to be fine as cherry wine.
I don't know why I'm telling you this. Maybe because I can't post it on Facebook because she'll see it, and anyway I'm too drunk to manage the two-step authentication that I set up for just this kind of situation.
You are welcome on my lawn.
I can never tell if these posts are about liberal millennials or the alt-right. The former is supposed to be obsessed with social media and personal image, the latter complains loudly when their trolling gets them banned or is perceived to impinge on their precious freedom of speech.
Both seem to be extremely thin-skinned, and in need of safe spaces to protect their feelings. Conservative groups have lists of college professors who offend them now, and demand respect for their views and beliefs. Both live in their own little bubbles and echo chambers. Both whine and complain constantly about hurt feelings and trivialities.
Without context it's really hard figure out which group you are talking about.
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SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC