Link – Depressed teens turn to social media to cope, survey finds
All this new technology is just a tool. We’re seeing this play out in studies now:
“One issue that many observers worry about is the possibility that young people’s use of social media may be contributing to the rise in adolescent depression,” the report reads.
Does it? “It’s a mixed bag and not as straightforward as we would hope,” Miller told NBC News. “To some it was a lifeline of support. For others, it really added to their distress.”
Social media can be horrible for anxiety and depression, but the connections with others can also provide a support system that doesn’t necessarily exist offline for many. We’re never going to be able to make the public square of social media a completely safe space, but we can do what we can to provide limited spaces that are, on blogs, private channels, group chats, etc.
I think there’s a lot of good being done in those places, using the same tools we hear so much negativity about.
