Social media use linked to increased posting in depressed users and poorer mental health in seniors

A study of more than 17 million Twitter posts by researchers at Princeton University and Trinity College Dublin found that people who reported depression were more likely to publish again the next day after receiving likes, a pattern not seen with retweets. The analysis, published in JAMA Psychiatry, suggests that the social approval signaled by a "like" can act as a stronger reward for users with depressive symptoms.

Separately, an international survey of 13,536 adults aged 55 plus, conducted as part of Canada’s 2022 Internet Use Study, reported that frequent use of social‑media platforms and messaging apps was associated with a poorer self‑assessment of mental health. Researchers highlighted mechanisms such as constant social comparison, exposure to negative content, and increased isolation. The findings appeared in PLOS Global Public Health.