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This study looked at the relationship between the average number of hours someone spends a day on social media and how often they have felt depressed and/or very unhappy. The predictor variable is the average number of hours the participant spends on social media platforms each day. The outcome variable is how often the participant has felt depressed or very unhappy in the past few weeks. It was hypothesized that there would be a positive correlation between the two variables, meaning the more hours someone spends on social media each day, the more likely they are to feel depressed or unhappy.

The participants that were surveyed were 136 Biobehavioral Health students in BBH411W at Penn State University. The survey questions were distributed through an online survey that was sent via email to every student in BBH411W for the 2018 spring semester. Each participant’s answers were recorded in the online survey database and the results were compiled in an excel sheet.

The first question asked on the survey was, “On average, how many hours do you spend on social media platforms each day”. Participants could select less than 1, 1-2, 2-3, 3-4, or more than 4. The second question asked was, “During the past few weeks, have you ever felt depressed or very unhappy”. Participants could select never, sometimes, about half the time, most of the time, or always.

The results show that as the number of hours on social media per day increases, how often someone feels depressed/very unhappy also increases. The direction of the effect was to the right. This positive correlation is significant with a p-value less than 0.05 (r= .171, df= 134, p value= 0.046).

The major reason why this hypothesis may be true is due to the negative effects social media has when people compare their lives to others. Dr. Nicole Flemming, a health psychologist, stated that there is a dopamine release in people’s brains when they go on social media. However, it often becomes negative when people see things happening without their knowledge and do not get the pleasure-seeking/reward-seeking response. With social media, people often exaggerate their “best life”, making everyone envious. This idea that everyone has to always act like their having the time of their life, laughing and with friends, creates a distorted reality. It leaves people feeling depressed and as though their lives are inferior. 

Lavine, Melinda. “’Fear of Missing out’ Can Lead to Mental Health Problems.” INFORUM, Forum Communications Company, 29 Dec. 2017, www.inforum.com/lifestyle/health/4379676-fear-missing-out-can-lead-mental-health-problems.