James Donaldson on Mental Health - Does Social Media Use Cause Depression?

Less healthy activity Another possible source of depression may be what teenagers are not doing during while they’re spending time on social media, including physical activities and things that generate a sense of accomplishment, like learning new skills and developing talents.

“If you’re spending a lot of time on your phone, you have less time for activities that can build confidence, a sense of achievement and connectedness,” explains Dr.

Kids who are spending a lot of time on devices are not getting much in return to make them feel good about themselves, she adds.

“Yes, you get a little dopamine burst whenever you get a notification, or a like on a picture, or a follow request.

But those things are addicting without being satisfying.” Disrupted concentration Another thing disrupted by social media is the process of doing homework and other tasks that require concentration.

It’s become common for teenagers to engage with friends on social media at the same time they are studying.

They take pride in being able to multi-task, but evidence shows that it cuts down on learning and performance.

“Basically, multitasking isn’t possible,” Dr.

“What you end up doing is really just switching back and forth between two tasks rather quickly.

There is a cost to the brain.” And with poorer concentration and constant interruption, homework takes substantially longer than it should, cutting into free time and adding to stress.