Social media might be detrimental to mental health. Research from the University of Pittsburgh Center for Research on Media, Technology and Health (CRMTH) has found a link between increased time on social media and increased rates of depression and anxiety in young adults.

In an analysis of 1,787 adults ages 19 to 32, researchers asked about the 11 most popular social media platforms. Results showed that participants who used seven to 11 platforms were 3.1 times more likely to show depressive symptoms and a 3.3 times more likely to show signs of anxiety when compared to participants using zero to two platforms. The work will be published in the April 2017 issue of Computers in Human Behavior.

"This association is strong enough that clinicians could consider asking their patients with depression and anxiety about multiple platform use and counseling them that this use may be related to their symptoms," said lead author and physician Brian A. Primack, MD, PhD, director of CRMTH and assistant vice chancellor for health and society in Pitt's Schools of the Health Sciences. “It may be that people who suffer from symptoms of depression or anxiety, or both, tend to subsequently use a broader range of social media outlets. For example, they may be searching out multiple avenues for a setting that feels comfortable and accepting. However, it could also be that trying to maintain a presence on multiple platforms may actually lead to depression and anxiety. More research will be needed to tease that apart.”

Researchers hypothesized that a number of factors could contribute to why the use of many social media platforms are linked to levels of depression and anxiety. These factors include multitasking, the unwritten rules of each platform and the many opportunities for embarrassment on social media.

"Understanding the way people are using multiple social media platforms and their experiences within those platforms—as well as the specific type of depression and anxiety that social media users experience—are critical next steps," said co-author and psychiatrist César G. Escobar-Viera, MD, PhD, a postdoctoral research associate at Pitt's Health Policy Institute and at CRMTH. "Ultimately, we want this research to help in designing and implementing educational public health interventions that are as personalized as possible."