Reducing time on social media could help reduce depression risk, research suggests

The study found that young adults who used more than 300 minutes of social media per day were 2.8 times as likely to become depressed within six months. — martin-dm/IStock.com/AFP

How much time do you spend on social media each day? Daily use of sites like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or Twitter could have an impact on mental health. In fact, research from the United States suggests a link between the time spent on social networks and increased risk of depression.

This isn't the first time that scientists have investigated time spent on social media – especially among younger users – and depression. However, previous studies didn't establish whether depression was responsible for increased time spent on social media, or whether social media was the cause of depression symptoms.