Excessive social media use is causing depression

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FE Team | Published: November 14, 2018 20:05:05

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Following a long day's work and the gruelling traffic congestion in Dhaka, most professionals from the middle and upper income households tend to rest for a while upon reaching their homes. But even while resting, some of them habitually pick up their smartphones and go into Facebook and other social media platforms.
Instantly, they come across posts and photos of friends and relatives, living both at home and abroad. These photos and posts are mostly positive. They depict the fun that the person posting and his friends and family members are having at tourist spots, parties and gatherings. Such posts tend to depress readers. This is because most social media users tend to feel that everyone else is leading a better life than them.
In some instances, social media users end up giving posts and photographs which are not depicting their true mental or physical state at that particular time. Often, they try to be happy when, in reality, they are not. They do these things simply to gain acceptance in social media.
Psychologists have pointed out that this vicious cycle leads to depression among social media users.
Rather than socialising through social media platforms, people should try to meet their friends and family members directly. They can also reduce their time on social media and dedicate this time to other things.
Md. Mozzammal Hossain Bhuiyan
East West University
emon.prof@gmail.com