Social media use exceeding 2.5 hours daily linked to depression risk

A study published in the journal Mental Health Research has identified a correlation between high social media consumption and increased risks of depression and sadness. Researchers from the University of Cincinnati and Northwestern University analyzed data from over 183,000 adults in the United States over an 11-year period using machine learning models.

The findings indicate that significant negative psychological impacts typically emerge once social media usage exceeds 150 minutes, or 2.5 hours, per day. Beyond this threshold, every additional hour of use is associated with an approximately 17% increase in the likelihood of self-reported depressive symptoms.

This correlation remained consistent even after adjusting for variables such as age, income, education, and gender, and persisted when excluding fluctuations related to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, researchers emphasized that the study identifies a correlation rather than a direct causal link between excessive social media use and depression.