One Social Media Habit Linked to Anxiety and Depression Symptoms in Teens
Summary
A study of more than 4,000 adolescents in Norway found that comparing themselves with others on social media was associated with symptoms of five mental health conditions. The researchers stressed that the study captured one point in time, so it cannot show whether social media behavior causes symptoms or symptoms affect behavior.Key Facts
- The study was published October 17 in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health.
- Participants had a mean age of 14 and completed measures of five social media behaviors and symptoms of five mental health conditions.
- Social comparison accounted for 20 to 26 percent of the variation in symptoms of generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and major depressive disorder.
- Social comparison accounted for 6 to 9 percent of the variation in ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder symptoms.
- Hostility from others was the second strongest predictor and accounted for 3 to 6 percent of symptom variation across the conditions.
- Simply passing time on social media showed no independent association with symptoms in the conditions studied.
- The study did not track participants over time, so it could not establish which came first: mental health symptoms or specific social media behaviors.
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