Study links excessive social media use during pandemic to depression

Excessive social media use during the pandemic is a predictor of symptoms of depression and secondary trauma, a new study by researchers at Pennsylvania State University and Jinan University in Guangzhou, China, suggests. — Jens Kalaene/dpa

Excessive social media use during the pandemic is a predictor of symptoms of depression and secondary trauma, a new study by researchers at Pennsylvania State University in the United States and Jinan University in Guangzhou, China, suggests.

The study, published last month in Computers In Human Behavior, surveyed 320 participants living in Wuhan about how they accessed and shared health information with friends, family members, and colleagues over WeChat, China's most popular social media app. They also used a stress scale to measure anxiety and depression by asking participants to rate statements such as "I felt that life was meaningless" and "I had disturbing dreams about the coronavirus epidemic."