Reviewed by Rob Dobrenski PhD
The term “Facebook depression” was coined in an April 2011 edition of Pediatrics that examined the effect of social media on adolescents. The article proposed that preteens and teens spend a great deal of time on social media sites and “begin to exhibit classic symptoms of depression.”
The research has been questioned by many sources that researchers confused correlation with causation.
They cited a study of 83 13-year-old girls and their communication patterns, which included Facebook among other things. The conclusion of that study was this: communicating too long with friends too much can raise anxiety and depression because friends at that age do not have the adequate problem-solving skills needed to adequately help one another.
This infographic does not convey the message that Facebook causes depression because there is no data to support it. Instead, it illustrates how we use Facebook to share our thoughts, feelings, and personal interests.
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