Oregon State University Studies Examine Social Media's Impact on Adult Mental Health

Two studies, published over the summer in the Journal of Prevention and the Journal of General Internal Medicine, focused on the mental health implications of social media usage among adults aged 30 to 70. Data from over 1,500 participants were collected through a 2023 questionnaire by the National Institutes of Health.

Brian Primack, a physician and researcher at OSU's College of Health, emphasized that this age group has not received as much attention in social media research, despite their significant usage of these platforms. He stated, "That gap matters because adults are substantial users of social media, while loneliness and depression remain important public health concerns throughout adulthood. We need a better understanding of how social media fits into that picture."

One study, released in late July, examined whether using social media shortly after waking up correlates with depression. The findings indicated a strong association between browsing social media within 30 minutes of rising and reported depressive symptoms, even after accounting for factors like total usage time and demographic characteristics. However, it's unclear if morning usage directly causes depression or if depressive feelings lead to this behavior, according to Research Assistant Professor Hyosin Dawn Kim.

The second study, published in early August, compared the effects of real-life versus social media emotional support on loneliness. Geethika Koneru, a medical doctor and graduate student, stated, "When it comes to emotional support, our findings suggest that social media is not a substitute for the support we receive through our real-life relationships." The results showed that individuals with the lowest levels of real-life emotional support were eight times more likely to experience loneliness, while those with little emotional support online were only 45% more likely to feel lonely compared to their better-supported peers.

Primack cautioned that while the studies do not label social media as inherently harmful, they highlight the necessity to evaluate how these platforms are utilized.