How social media affects your mental health
What role does social media play in depression? One of the biggest differences in the lives of today's teens and young adults compared to previous generations is that they spend far less time connecting in person with their peers and spend more time connecting electronically, primarily via social networks . Some experts see the rise in depression as evidence that the connections social media users make electronically are less emotionally fulfilling and leave them feeling socially isolated. Benefits of social interaction,” says Alexandra Hamlet, PsyD, a clinical psychologist. "The more superficial it is, the less likely it is to make you feel connected, which is something we all need. Indeed, one exception to the correlation with Social media depression is that girls use social media frequently, but also engage in high levels of face-to-face social interaction. Twenge's study showed that girls who interact intensively with each other both o...