Psychologists reveal Instagram can lead to depression!

According to psychologists, the misuse of Instagram and social networks can lead to a state of loneliness and depression!

Psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania conducted a research on the abuse of Instagram and social networks. The experts stated that their excessive use can cause states of anxiety, loneliness and depression. The research was published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology.

According to the psychologists, spending too much time on social media increases the sense of loneliness and depression. The study was conducted on 143 young students using actively Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. Here is what has emerged from the experiment.

Instagram and social media misuse leads to depression!

The researchers initially conducted a survey to determine the students’ state of happiness and mood. Following, they checked how much time they spent on social network. Finally, they began the experiment, which lasted for three weeks.

Psychologists divided the volunteers into two groups. The first one used social medias as usual, while the second group could spend no more than 10 minutes per day on the different networks.

At the end of the experiment, psychologists prepared a questionnaire to understand social support, fear of going out and loneliness. They also took into account anxiety, depression, self-esteem and self-acceptance. The research found out that all the students who used social medias as usual showed more symptoms related to loneliness and depression.

Melissa G. Hunt, who led the experiment, said: “It is ironic that paying less attention to social networks makes a person less lonely. Some experts have already suggested that the reason is in the subconscious“. The expert explained: “When a person follows the other people life events, for example on Instagram, it seems that their life is better than his/hers“.

Photo source: https://pixabay.com/it/instagram-telefono-cellulare-1789189/