Unlike! Could social media be the cause of depression and anxiety?
Obsessed with checking Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, Snapchat and Periscope?
You could be putting your mental health at risk in the pursuit of the perfect online persona.
A recent study from the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Research on Media, Technology, and Health found that using multiple social media platforms may put people at increased risk of depression and anxiety.
The study found that if you are a fan of just one or two platforms, you are less likely to develop symptoms of anxiety and depression than those who engage on multiple social media sites.
"Compared to those who used 0–2 social media platforms, participants who used 7–11 social media platforms had substantially higher odds of having increased levels of both depression," says the Pittsburgh's Centre.
If we were all being honest with ourselves, we would say that sadly, getting likes and comments on a perfectly set-up Instagram picture does give us a little buzz.
It's this feeling of false acceptance and success that people can get hooked on, and when a status or photos flops, so can our mood.
“People compare themselves to the posts they see, and then feel inadequate,” Nicole Amesbury, head of clinical development at online-therapy company Talkspace told the New York Post.
“Another reason is biology-based. Each time they open an app and see a positive response, they get a small amount of dopamine released in the brain."
"When someone doesn’t get enough ‘likes’ or dopamine hits, they feel the loss.”
We think we could do a Kendall Jenner and take a social media sabbatical for ourselves after hearing that.
