The Relationship between Social Media and Depression

Among the world's 7.7 billion people, an astonishing 2.4 billion people have Facebook accounts , and internet users spend an average of 144 minutes per day on social networking sites. Yet while social media connects people online, it can also cause feelings of isolation and loneliness , potentially contributing to or exacerbating depression in many people. Social media's growing presence makes it necessary to explore the relationship between social media and depression.

When you're browsing Instagram or Facebook, it's easy to forget that a photo is merely a snapshot of a moment in time—it rarely represents the full picture of a person's life. People on social media often present a filtered image, creating the impression that their lives are better than they really are; they tend to showcase happy milestones while omitting negative ones. For instance, a user is more likely to post after getting engaged than after a breakup. Consciously or unconsciously, you may compare yourself to your peers, which can foster feelings of inadequacy when social feeds are full of curated highlights.

Similarly, social media users also tend to post artfully cropped or edited photos of themselves, which can create unrealistic body image standards. People may feel pressure to live up to these standards when they compare themselves to friends. Poor body image can contribute to mental health problems , underscoring the relationship between social media and depression.

Because social media rewards users with "likes" and other forms of external approval, it can motivate people to cast themselves as happier than they really are and create a sense of unhealthy competition. These comparisons can also lead to "FOMO," or fear of missing out, which is the uneasy feeling that there is something more exciting or interesting than what you're currently doing. FOMO can instill anxiety and depression.

What's more, when you overemphasize social media, you may actually end up missing out on things that would bring you joy. For example, rather than enjoying a good meal and conversation with a friend, you may spend time trying to capture the perfect photo to post on social media. When sharing an experience online becomes more important than the experience itself, you may feel disconnected from your life .

Another phenomenon related to social media usage and depression is known as " doomscrolling ." When a tragic event happens, it's natural to want answers. The problem is when you continue to scroll through news that's saddening, disheartening, or depressing. People assume that getting answers will make them feel better, but doomscrolling through fifteen articles on a recent school shooting or celebrity death, for instance, can make you feel hopeless. Saturating daily feeds with stories on rising case counts, worsening economic impacts, and new but inconclusive research, the COVID-19 pandemic presents a special risk for doomscrolling and can leave you feeling particularly overwhelmed with bad news.

Comparisons, FOMO, and doomscrolling can make you feel lonely and isolated, which is detrimental to your mental health. Everyone has a need for human connection and feeling part of a community, and having a support network of people you can rely on is essential to being resilient. Resilient people can adapt to adversity and protect their mental health.

Social media can be a way to connect with your support network, but if it's contributing to your feelings of depression, remember that you're not alone. There's hope, and treatments are available to you, including talk therapy and antidepressants. If these treatments don't help alleviate symptoms, you can also try Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), which stimulates areas of the brain to help with mood regulation. To learn more about TMS therapy, schedule your no-cost consultation.