Facebook use, envy, and depression among college students: Is facebooking depressing?
Introduction
For young adults, the transition to college life can be daunting. It can mean gaining unprecedented freedom, moving far from home, making new platonic and romantic relationships, and enduring a large amount of homework and exams. Because of these factors and others, college students have been found to be particularly prone to depression (Mahmoud et al., 2012, Moreno et al., 2011, Moreno et al., 2012, Neighmond, 2011, Wright et al., 2012). Individuals between 18 and 24 years old were specifically found likely to suffer from depressive disorder symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC., 2011). Studies also found an increasing incidence of depression among college students in recent years (AP, 2010, Neighmond, 2011). A study in 2010 discovered that “five times as many high school and college students are dealing with anxiety and other mental health issues as youth of the same age who were studied in the Great Depression era” (AP, 2010).
Multiple factors likely contribute to the increase in incidence of depression including better diagnostics and attention paid by higher education health professionals to student wellbeing. However, policy makers and scholars have hypothesized that heavy use of online social networks such as Facebook and mobile technologies may contribute to the phenomenon (Chou and Edge, 2012, Jelenchick et al., 2013, Moreno et al., 2011, Soo Jeong et al., 2013). Facebook allows college students to express themselves by posting status updates, links, and photos. It also allows them to observe others’ online presence by keeping track of regular updates about their family, friends, classmates, and acquaintances (Ellison et al., 2007, Smock et al., 2011). But while Facebook has been shown to elicit happiness (Kim & Lee, 2011), it is also prone to problematic use, such as when young users post photos of them drinking or in sexually suggestive poses (Karl, Peluchette, & Schlaegel, 2010). Facebook also raises questions about privacy and deception (Carlson et al., 2004, Christofides et al., 2009, Debatin et al., 2009, Hong et al., 2012) and new studies argue whether or not heavy Facebook use can lead to depression (Jelenchick et al., 2013, Moreno et al., 2012, Wright et al., 2012).
The link between Facebook use and depression among college students is starting to attract scholarly attention, but scholars disagree about the nature of the relationship. Some have questioned whether the relationship exists at all. A study found a weak statistical association between internet use and depression, although the researchers concluded the relationship was unlikely to have major clinical significance (Moreno et al., 2012). Another study discovered that the number of hours students spend on Facebook was positively correlated with depression (Wright et al., 2012). However, another study found no link between Facebook use and depression, concluding that “advising adolescent patients or parents on the risks of ‘Facebook depression’ may be premature” (Jelenchick et al., 2013, p. 130). The present study aims to contribute to this growing area of important research by examining whether or not heavy Facebook use leads to depression among college students.
Section snippets
Social rank theory
Depression, a condition that affects a growing number of college students, has attracted the attention of many psychologists seeking to understand its causes. The field of psychology has developed numerous theories to explain depression (see, for example, Sloman, Gilbert, & Hasey, 2003). In this study, we apply social rank theory.
Social rank theory, as a theory of depression, concerns itself with competition. Humans, just like animals, compete for food, mates, and various resources (Gilbert and
Method
This study is based on an online survey of 736 college students recruited from a large Midwestern university. Since this study explores relationships among Facebook use, envy, and depression, the survey method is appropriate. Survey research “collects information by asking people questions” and coding their responses in numerical form “suitable for statistical analysis” (Shoemaker & McCombs, 2003, p. 231). Statistical analyses allow us to test the potential links between concepts.
Results
RQ1 asked about the relationship between frequency of Facebook use and depression among college students amid differing findings by previous studies that explored the link between Facebook use and depression among college students. Based on correlation analysis, we found no significant direct relationship between frequency of Facebook use and depression among college students, r(727) = .01, p > .70.
H1 predicted that heavy Facebook users would report feeling higher levels of Facebook envy than light
Discussion
This study found that Facebook use on its own does not directly lead to depression, echoing findings by Moreno et al. (2012), even if we used a different depression scale and a different study design. Moreover, using Facebook can even actually lessen depression. A more complete picture, however, considers that Facebook is a platform of multiple uses that might lead to different outcomes. By using the framework of social rank theory of depression, we treated Facebook envy as a possible mechanism
Conclusion
This study offers social rank theory as a useful framework to understand the complex process of depression among college students. The link between envy and depression has been established in many studies about offline communication. In this study, we hope to contribute to this stream of research by applying the theoretical link to online interactions, particularly on Facebook. Today’s college students spend a considerable amount of time online, especially on Facebook. But by just blaming
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