Phillips 1

Andrea Phillips Dr. Erin Dietel-McLaughlin Writing and Rhetoric #9 14 November 2013 Social Media and Depression Depression is a medical illness characterized by a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest (Mayo Clinic). Richard Stivers, author of Shades of Loneliness: Pathologies of a Technological Society, describes depression as the feeling that ones life has lost meaning and hope (Stivers 107). With one in every ten people diagnosed, depression is one of the most common mental illnesses in American. The number of patients diagnosed with depression increases by almost 20% each year. However, it is reported that 80% of people with depression symptoms do not receive any treatment (Unhappiness by the Numbers). It is no coincidence that this increase in depression has accompanied an increase in usage of social networking and media sites such as Facebook. These sites create what is called an Internet paradox, where meaninglessness and loneliness, key factors in depression, thrive. The Internet paradox is a theory stating that even though the internet is supposed to be used for increased social interaction and connections, it minimizes real social contact and lead to isolation and depression in heavy users (Nimrod). Social networking sites, therefore, can be potential hazards and threats for mental stability. While these sites cannot cause depression in someone, they can be the environmental triggers one needs to trigger depression. Mental disorders require both a genetic predisposition and an environmental stressor to trigger the illness, and that is what social media and networking sites are: the triggers (Schacter et. al). This paper will discuss the potential impact that social networking and media have on depression, showing that increased use put

Phillips 2

adolescents at risk by increasing their feelings of meaninglessness, loneliness, and isolation. It will also propose a possible solution for those already suffering from depression by addressing the usefulness of online communities aimed at offering support to others. Loneliness has always been a prevalent emotion in American teens, but increases in technology and social media have only intensified it. Thornton Wilder coined the term American loneliness to describe the loneliness that accompanies independence and the uneasiness that accompanies freedom (McCarter 159). Social media sites started as a response to this loneliness by attempting to never make one feel alone. By always making friends available through a constant stream of posts, pictures and statuses, these sites seem like the perfect solution to American loneliness. But, once logged on and immersed in these sites, it becomes apparent that there is a flaw in this solution. A disconnect occurs between what should happen, how happy and fulfilled one should feel, and what actually goes on. Instead of allowing for a fruitful solitude, these sites draw attention to how alone one truly is (McCarter 161). Society has become afraid of the concept of being alone, and instead attempts to drown it out with constant bombardment of friends. However, the time online, attempting to escape the reality of loneliness, leaves people feeling unfulfilled because they are not making real or genuine connections to people nor are they productively spending their alone time as it is meant to be spent: alone. The friends adolescents make solely online never become genuine because without face to face interaction it is hard to develop a true bond with another person. The connection one has with real friends that one sees on a regular basis, such as school friends, are only minimally enhanced through Facebook. The conversation and connection through status updates and pictures has an internet barrier than hinders any real enhancement of friendship. When logged onto Facebook, adolescents is alone in their room, yet they are surrounded with

Phillips 3

other peoples happiness and sociality. This then leads people to believe there is something wrong, because they should be around real friends, yet they are alone, making fake, virtual friends to fill the void. This disconnect leads teenagers to believe that they are unaccepted and unwanted. Without real human interaction, adolescents can easily isolate themselves, not only putting them at greater risk for depression, but also at a greater risk for addiction. Facebook advertises itself as a great way to stay connected with friends and create better friendships, but there is a fine line between a healthy amount of time online and too much. These social media sites can become addicting if not managed, because one can rely solely on them for social interaction. With an estimated 56% of social media users checking Facebook once a day, and 12% logging on every few hours, this virtual world has clearly become a massive part of everyday life (Kerbs 148). It is easy then to become engulfed in this online world and lose touch with the outside. If someone is already shy and prone to isolation, these sites can become a haven that eventually leads to addiction. Facebook allows people to keep up with their friends without ever really having to talk to them. This enhances isolation as well as a need to always know what ones friends are doing. This need then easily turns into addiction, with 12% of users logging onto Facebook every hour. This isolation and addiction then leads to a loss of reality and ultimately triggers depression. Another underlying issue is that people, especially adolescents, want to be accepted by their peers, but Facebook becomes a site where one can get sucked into a feeling of nonacceptance. In this case, acceptance defined in the number of friends, likes, retweets, comments, etc. one has. The more people write on someones Facebook wall or the more pictures someone is tagged in instills a sense of confidence and acceptance in teens. If someone

Phillips 4

then feels unaccepted, they would start to feel depressed. With prolonged use, this feeling of always having to keep up and maintain a popular Facebook image is exhausting and easily triggers depression. Imagine scrolling through Facebook and seeing that all of your friends are constantly posting pictures of themselves having fun without. Here you are sitting in your room, alone and left out. This can leave one feeling unaccepted and lonely, which can then lead to isolation, because he or she feels as though no one wants them. This is one reason why increased Facebook use puts people at risk for depression. The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families describes the issues underlying Facebook depression stating, acceptance by and contact with peers is an important element of adolescent life. The intensity of the online world is thought to be a factor that may trigger depression in some adolescents (OKeeffe, Clarke-Pearson). Acceptance is one of the most important aspects of adolescence, and even adulthood, but when a new importance is placed on ones online identity, it is hard to feel accepted. Being accepted in the adolescent world is dependent on the number of likes on an status, the number of comments on a photo, or the amount of retweets on a Twitter post. The more one has, the more accepted and liked he or she is. People could easily become too invested in this concept and, if their needs are not properly met, they see the outcome as a personal attack on their character or worth. The greater amount of time spent online, the greater this feeling, potentially. Social networking then triggers depression through these feelings of unacceptance. There is a sense of meaninglessness that comes with technology that can then lead one to develop depressive symptoms. This comes from the disconnect between what we think technology will give us and what it actually provides. Social media sites promise meaning and happiness, but when people actually goes on them, they feel nothing but the opposite. Ellul

Phillips 5

identified three conditions in which it is almost impossible for genuine meaning to be created: (1) human relationships become abstract; (2) human activity becomes trivial; and (3) action becomes ambiguous (Stivers 118). All three of these can be seen in social media, with perhaps the first being the most prevalent. I have already discussed the feeling of loneliness that accompanies abstract human relationships, but they also leads to a feeling of meaninglessness. The virtual friends one gains on these sites become almost meaningless because without face-toface contact, real connections become rare. These real connections and genuine friends are essential to provide meaning to humans. The other two issues raised of human activity becoming trivial and actions being ambiguous are less obvious side effects of social networking and media sites, but nonetheless important. With too much time spent online, human activity can lose its meaning because we start to see all the activity of others and stop focusing on doing things ourselves. Not only do we start thinking there is something wrong with us for not acting and doing the same things are friends are doing, but we stop seeing the point in doing anything. All activity starts to seem similar and the point of creating our own actions starts to seem trivial, because it seems as though everyone else doing the same things. Instead of creating ones own life and actions, one starts living vicariously through others and allows them to become the outlet. Something then feels wrong. This leads to an ambiguous life, where one isolates oneself and stops really living. This can then lead to acute depression because meaning in life then only comes through others actions and accomplishments. All three of these conditions contradict the purpose of social media and networking. These sites give the impression that happiness can be found through them because one will never be alone, will always have friends, and will always be connected. But, this is not always the case. Because of the disconnect between the happiness we think we will have when being a part of these sites, and the unhappiness we feel once we are

Phillips 6

hooked into them, we can start to feel something is wrong with us (Stivers 117). When we feel badly about ourselves or feel as if something is wrong with ourselves, we can develop depressive symptoms. People should also be cautious when online due to a recent phenomenon known as cyberbullying. This is characterized by the deliberate use of technology and media to harm or harass others in a repeated, hostile manner. While participation in social networking sites does not guarantee cyberbullying will occur, it increases the risks and can cause profound psychosocial outcomes including depression, anxiety, severe isolation, and tragically, suicide (OKeeffe, Clarke-Pearson). People seem to have unlimited access to personal information on these sites. Profiles can include private information, pictures, etc. that become a bullys playground. Some sites even seem dedicated to cyberbullying. Sites such as Formspring.me allow annoymonous users to ask questions or post comments to the persons account, many of them intrussive and hostile (Neumann 152). Brandon Givv, associate professor of psychology at Binghamton University, said, We know that people will do things as part of a group or when theyre anonymous, rather than face-to-face. Theyre more likely to be mean...if you see something up on a website your perception is that everyone knows, and now everybody hates you (Neumann 152). While these sites may look appealing on the outside, it might seem like they could connect friends and make them closer because they know more eachother, the sites are dangerous because they put people in a vulnerable position. Positive comments and questions are not as common as negative ones, fostering a bullying atmosphere. Without proper support, cyberbullying could become a serious issue, triggering depression in those teens that are susceptible to it.

Phillips 7

The research on the link between increased time spent on social media sites and depression is fairly novel. One could interpret some of the studies, such as the one done by Lauren Jelenchick, Jens Eickhoff, and Megan Moreno, to mean that a causal relationship between increased internet use and depression cannot be determined. However, there is increasing evidence to suggest otherwise, from scientific research to simple personal accounts. While Facebook Depression? Social Networking Sites and Depression in Older Adolescents makes the claim that there are no associations seen between social networking sites and depression, researchers also claim that the study cannot say this for certain. Given that it is only one study, it only focused on college students, a small sample was taken, and it was not conducted over a long period, it is hard to draw conclusion about the impact social networking sites had on depression in the general public (Eickhoff, Jelenchick, Moreno). For symptoms to develop, one needs to spend more time on these sites. Because this study did not take this into account, one should not conclude that social media sites have no effect on his or her risk for depression. Increased use in social media sites can lead to depression, but certain sites also help those already exhibiting symptoms. A groundbreaking study found that college students disclose feelings of depression on their social networking profiles at an alarming rate, with 25% showing symptoms. What is interesting in this case is that references to depression [are] more commonly displayed on Facebook profiles in which a response by another Facebook user was generated (Egan, Jelenchick, Moreno). This suggests that people who receive reinforcement from friends are more likely to report their depressive symptoms online. This could be a key to identifying and helping those who are at risk before it becomes too late. One could also view this information and say that people are reporting feeling bad on these sites simply because they are

Phillips 8

being reinforced to, or because they gain attention, and not because they truly are depressed. However,this research did not study why people were feeling depressed, rather the amount to which they showed symptoms and how it was responded to. The reasons they feel depression are not because of a social standard to do what ones friends are doing, but because of the reasons already discussed in this paper: a lack of meaning and loneliness that comes with these social networking sites. This information should instead be taken as a serious warning and used as a tool to help aid those suffering. While certain social networking sites may be detrimental to psychological health as illustrated by the Internet Paradox, they may also serve as a useful tool in helping those already suffering. Online community groups have arisen with the aim to help sufferers of depression cope with their disease. These sites have been shown to be very helpful for a variety reasons. A study done by Galit Nimrod showed that there were intrinsic as well as extrinsic benefits to participating in online communities. Participation has an impact that permeated into users offline reality and led to a sense of improvement in their condition. This was manifested in better understanding of ones condition and various treatments, better coping and general wellbeing, increased sense of control, and generally more hope and motivation to fight depression (Nimrod 40). By being an active member of a support community, one will understand his or her condition more, be better able to cope with the symptoms of their illness, and be more motivated to fight the depression than he or she would on his or her own. Nimrod suggests that the reason these sites are so helpful is because they provide three tools: a source of information, a medium that facilitates receiving formal care, and a resource of social support (Nimrod 31). This is because the people participating in these communities are reaching out for help from people they know can relate to them and will not judge them for their problems. They will also be more

Phillips 9

willing to accept the advice given to them, because they know it comes from people who understand what they are going through. Nimrods study also shows an interesting correlation between heavy, moderate, and light users of these sites. His research suggests that heavy users gain more benefits than do moderate and light users (Nimrod 39). He attributes this to the fact that in addition to receiving direct benefits from participation, the heavy users also helped themselves by helping others and gaining some empowerment as a result (Nimrod 40). This suggests that it is not just the activity of being on the site more and receiving more help that leads heavy users to show reduced symptoms, but also the fact that by helping others, these users receive some sort of altruistic meaning. This sense of helping others could give meaning to someone who otherwise found his or her life meaningless, alleviating some of the hopeless feeling that accompanies depression. A clear relationship can be seen between an increased use in social media and networking sites and depression. Increased feelings of meaninglessness and loneliness accompany these sites, while increased use can also put people at risk for cyberbullying. People should, as a result, limit the time they spend on Facebook. If they feel themselves becoming depressed, they should seek help. One way could, ironically enough, be through the internet. Online communities have shown to be great in helping those suffering with depression. A possible indicator that one could use help, is through his or her Facebook postings. If someone seems to be isolated and unhappy, it might be useful to check their social networking postings and see if they have an increased number of depressive symptoms. This is an issue that plagues many teens. With an increase in teen depression and teen suicide, it would be worth looking into programs educating adolescents on their Facebook use and how it can affect their lives.

Phillips 10

Works Cited Jelenchick, Lauren A, Eickhoff, Jens C, Moreno, Megan A. Facebook Depression? Social Networking Site Use and Depression in Older Adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health. 52. 1 (2013): 128-130. O'Keeffe, Gwenn S., and Kathleen Clarke-Pearson. "The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families." The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families.American Academy of Pediatrics, 28 Mar. 2011. Web. 06 Nov. 2013. McCarter, Jeremy. With Friends Like These. Social Networking. Kenneth Partridge. New York: H.W. Wilson Company, 2011. 151-156. Print. Moreno, Megan A., Lauren A. Jelenchicks, Katie G. Egan, Elizabeth Cox, Henry Young, Kerry E. Gannon, and Tara Becker. "Feeling Bad on Facebook: depression disclosures by college students on a social networking site" Depression and Anxiety 28.6 (2011): 44755. 11 Mar. 2011. Web. 6 Nov. 2013. Neumann, Roger. Cyberbullies Ramp Up the Taunting - Anonymously. Social Networking. Kenneth Partridge. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 2011. 159-162. Print. Nimrod, Galit. "Challenging the Internet Paradox: Online Depression Communities and Well-Being." International Journal of Internet Science 8 (2013): 30-48. Print. Schacter, Daniel L., Daniel Todd. Gilbert, and Daniel M. Wegner. "Psychological Disorders." Psychology. 2nd ed. New York: Worth, 2009. N. pag. Print. Staff, Mayo Clinic. "Definition." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 10 Feb. 2012. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. Stivers, Richard. Shades of Loneliness: Pathologies of a Technological Society. Lanham, MD:

Phillips 11

Rowman & Littlefield, 2004. Print. "Unhappiness by the Numbers: 2012 Depression Statistics." Healthlines RSS News. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.