Seabrook EM, Kern ML, Rickard NS. (2016). Social networking sites, depression, and anxiety: A systematic review. JMIR Mental Health. 3(4): e50. PMCID: PMC5143470
The authors examined 70 studies focused on associations between use of social networking sites (SNSs) with depression and anxiety. Findings indicated that positive and negative associations between SNS use and mental health exist, but relationships are complex. Many of the findings indicated that frequency or quantity of SNS connections or interactions mattered less than the quality of those connections and reactions. For people with depression, results indicated that objective quality did not matter as much as perceived quality of SNS connections and interactions. Passive use (i.e. only viewing content without posting content), social comparison (i.e. comparing one’s life to others’ self-presentation on Facebook), Facebook envy (i.e. hostile evaluations of others’ self-presentations on SNSs), and SNS addictive behaviors were related to depression and anxiety. The authors concluded that SNSs have the potential to be beneficial for mental health, but maladaptive interactional styles can be self-perpetuating.