There is increasing evidence of a link between depression in college students and their use of social media.

The University of California Los Angeles annual survey shows that incoming freshmen in 2014 had the lowest level of self-rated emotional health in 49 years (over 153,000 first time, full-time students at 227 universities and colleges).

Social media usage has increased with the percentage of students using it six or more hours a week increasing from 18.9% in 2007 to 27.2% in 2014.

A University of Missouri student showed that there is a link between heavy Facebook usage with feelings of envy and depression.

A 2014 Austrian study concluded the more time respondents spent on Facebook, the more they felt they were wasting their time.

Whew!

Psychiatrist Dr. Victor Schwartz of the Jed Foundation says there is an association between depression and time spent on social media.

Maybe this is a red flag for parents.

Or a warning sign for the rest of us that there is no known effect of socializing with others face to face leading to depression.

Consciously seek out in-person contact with others on a daily basis to balance social media use.

Spend time every day being grateful for something – especially little things that we take for granted.

It is no accident that the increase in depression among the general population coincides with expanded use of digital contact.

Each year more antidepressants are dispensed than any other drug category.

Yet there is more depression each year than the previous year.

More drugs – more depression.

Perhaps the better prescription is balance, gratitude and live contact with real people face to face.

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