What is The Relationship Between Addiction To Smartphone And Depression?

We live in the "headline era" right now. So, let's read some headlines:

• "Social media increases depression and loneliness" by Healthline

• "Depression in girls linked to higher use of social media" by The Guardian

• "Millennials' odds for depression rise with social media use" by Healthday

• "Social media linked to rise in mental health disorders in teens, survey finds" by NBC News

(Courtesy: Spectator Health)

And here are some more CONTRADICTING ones:

• "Social media is not to blame for depression in young people" by Independent

• "Data show no evidence that teens' social media use predicts depression over time" by Psychological Science

• "Social media may not be harming your mental health like you think it is" by Huffington Post

• "Think social media is to blame for teens' depression? Think again" by News Week

(I would highly suggest you give at least a couple of these articles a read!)

(Courtesy: Inverse)

Now, these articles are great. Including data from surveys and opinions of experts, they put forth their argument rather clearly and justifiably.

However, here comes the biggest problem: we still don’t know a lot about depression.

Surveys are not a reliable source to conclude anything about this mental illness. We know it's very serious. BUT there are so many questions about depression that remains unanswered. Like, how does it begins, what factors play the biggest role in triggering suicidal tendencies in some, while other depressed people don’t think about suicides?

So, we don’t know much about it. And it's essential that we change that very soon with more studies and researches given we now live in the midst of depression epidemic.

Millions of people around the world are suffering from this mental illness. And what's worse is the kind of advice these depressed people get from their own peers, friends and even family members: "get over it" "you're fine" "you’re over-thinking" "go out". STUPID!!

Coming to your exact question… how Smartphone and depression are linked?

The answer is simple: nothing can be said conclusively. We don’t know. Yes, there have been a small number of surveys and studies on this. But they come with terms and conditions. Their findings cannot be taken at face value.

Depression is a collective result of many factors.

There are millions of people who obsessively use Smartphone and social media, BUT they are NOT depressed.

So, pointing out that Smartphone and depression are directly linked with each other would not be very fitting. It might be "one of the factors" and NOT the sole factor itself.

Also, you must understand a few points here…

• There exist different kinds of depressions (bipolar, dysthymia, SAD, postpartum, psychotic, more). Each has its own symptoms and challenges.

• There's a BIG difference between being sad and being in depression. This is something that many people, especially the young ones do not understand, which has given rise to a culture today where mental illness is romanticized by many. You're not in depression if your best friend hasn't texted you in a day. It's NOT depression if a sad song makes you feel low. It's essential to make a distinction between sadness and depression.

• Low-grade depression exists in many. Most of these do not convert into a syndrome.

You must factor these small things before you make any conclusion about depression and its links with Smartphone usage.

(Courtesy: Laura McKowen)

Continuing with the last point of "low-grade depression" in the prodrome stage, Smartphones could possibly play a big role in turning it into a full-blown depression.

Smartphone and social media platforms are the best things that have happened to human civilization since the printing press came.

However, the biggest problem is that most of us still struggle to adapt to this part of evolution. We don't know how to efficiently and healthily use these technologies.

When you’re using your Smartphone and scrolling through your social media feeds endlessly, it is bound to affect you in some ways. "In what ways?" It depends on the kind of media and activities you're exposed to.

For example, if you’re watching videos on the Syrian war for weeks and months, the concept of such media will take a large part of your thought process, delving you to feel what those videos are meant to make you feel. You will feel sad and low. And if this happens on a stretch, your low-grade depression, or even momentarily sadness, can take a bad turn.

(This is exactly what happens with the soldiers who return from wars. They suffer from PTSD or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.)

Similarly, if you’re exposing yourself to videos of babies and dogs for weeks and months, it will leave a positive impression on you, making you feel better. This will bust your stress and all the worries.

So, simply using your Smartphone for hours in a single sit isn’t a direct prediction of depression. It's what kind of media you're consuming. And even if social media is triggering your depressive tendencies, a lot of other factors will play an important role, like your own childhood, the kind of people you're surrounded by, the amount of time you're spending outdoor in nature, and so forth.

In short, there's no definite answer to your question on the links between Smartphone and depression. If you seriously want to know about the topic, you must first understand the different dynamics of depression's cause and effect.

Hope this helps! :)

Internet or mobile addiction! Sounds insane, isn’t it? After all, the internet is the tool of our communication and business today. It allows us to connect with people and express our talents on various avenues. Simply put, it has become the way of our life. Then how can something that is all around us and the core part of our lives become an addiction? Well! No matter how silly or inept it may sound, internet addiction is the real thing and there are many who are unaware that they have fallen prey to it.