Is There A Link Between Social Networking And Depression?

February 17, 2011 10:48 PM

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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Facebook, MySpace and Twitter — most of us are on at least one. In fact, social networking has become such a part of our lives that there was even a movie made about it. Now, several new studies suggest that sites that are supposed to keep you connected, can actually leave you feeling depressed.

Amanda Oleson never met a Tweet she didn’t like, she has nearly 1,600 followers on Twitter and stays active on Facebook, too.

“I probably post 10 to 15 times a day. Maybe more than that on days I’m really involved in conversation,” said Oleson.

However, Amanda knows that what she sees from her friends online isn’t always the whole story.

“Pictures? Why would you post something unflattering of yourself? Then people from high school are going to know that you aren’t doing spectacular,” said Oleson.

The link between social networking and depression is called the “social comparison” theory.

“I think it’s human nature to compare yourself to a rival or a good friend or an ex-boyfriend,” said Shayla Thiel-Stern.

Thiel-Stern has been studying social media for years. She teaches classes about social networking at the University of Minnesota and even encourages her students to Tweet during class.

She understands how those who have a tendency to dwell on things, particularly teenagers and younger adults, can be influenced by what they see online. For example, an ex-girlfriend is now married and has kids or a high school rival has a better job than yours.

“I think a lot of it has to do with who these people are and do you respect their opinions. Are they from your past? I think it’s sort of nice to have the immediate, positive reinforcement,” said Thiel-Stern.

That’s the other side. When someone likes your Facebook photo or accepts your friend request, it can make your day.

“If somebody likes a photo of mine, I feel good. I get a rush,” said Eric Mueller, a freshman at the University of Minnesota.

The key to staying happy is learning not to compare yourself at all. Researchers say don’t believe everything you read because it’s not always the whole truth. Many of the ex-girlfriend or boyfriend’s bad photos aren’t making it online, nor is the news about the promotion they didn’t get.

According to Oleson, learn to take what you see with a grain of salt.

“I hope it doesn’t run my life. I’m pretty connected, but I don’t think it’s taking over,” said Oleson.

Is There A Link Between Social Networking And Depression?

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[...] Is There A Link Between Social Networking And … February 19th, 2011 admin Is There A Link Between Social Networking And Depression? Facebook, MySpace and Twitter — most of us are on at least one. In fact, social networking has become such a part of our lives that there was even a movie made about it. Now, several new studies suggest that sites that are supposed to keep you connected, can actually leave you feeling depressed. Read more on CBS Minnesota [...]
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[...] There is no doubt that in this day and age the majority of people connect with others through the internet. In fact, I am connecting with you through this blog right now. There is nothing wrong with this, we have become accustomed to being able to reach more people immediately and to know what everyone is doing. We believe it saves us time and helps us remain connected to people that we would normally not have the time to connect with. This may be true in some cases, but many times we spend more time “connecting” to others through the internet and social networking and end up losing more time than we save as well as feeling more detached than connected. In recent years, it has been found that there are other negative affects of social networking than just the loss of time. It has been suggested that there is a link between facebook and depression. [...]
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[...] out this concern is more than speculation. The link between social networking and depression is now the subject of study. It is a development of social comparison theory, originally formulated by Leon Festinger. To my [...]