Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Facebook addiction increases depression severity among already depressed people

psypost.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

101–110 of 164 posts

Re: Facebook addiction increases depression severity among already depressed people

#101

Post by swayvil »

rgbrenner wrote: post #85

I agree with the article that it's not facebook. You're depressed, dont feel like doing anything but know you should, so you procrastinate on facebook, and then maybe the whole day passes, and the waste of another day makes it feel like nothing is going to change, helping feed your depression. Facebook really has little to do with this... if it wasnt facebook, it would be youtube, instagram, watching tv, or sleeping…

No, it really is Facebook.

Facebook provides a temptation.

Like a table full of cookies over the holidays. Of course you are going to visit that table a hundred times a day. Even though it isn't really very healthy. And then when the holidays are over your diet will improve.

We are not Nietzschean creatures of pure will. The temptation-landscape significates.

Re: Facebook addiction increases depression severity among already depressed people

#102

Post by trashface »

TacticalCoder wrote: post #57

At some point I thought it was still a thing because my wife was still kinda, sorta, using it. But years ago she quit. I hear about Meta and that they own WhatsApp and I see people using WhatsApp. But FaceBook: among my friends and family who used to post there, nobody ever posts anything. I don't doubt many are still logged in by default because they haven't updated their computer in years but they simply do not pos…

Facebook is still popular in the older demographics, in particular Facebook Dating.

Re: Facebook addiction increases depression severity among already depressed people

#103

Post by barbazoo »

float4 wrote: post #48
sjellen wrote: post #25

All social media and news does this. Every person who says their hobby is 'news' are the most angry and depressed people you will ever meet.

Gosh what a nuanced take that is. I enjoy reading the news and then discussing it with friends that are also news readers. That's the hobby aspect for me (and aforementioned friends). Together we try to predict what will happen in the world (wars, inflation, energy transition, stock market, ...) and quite often at least one of us is completely right or spectacularly wrong, which makes it fun for us. I know it's not v…

It depends in my experience on what "news" we're talking about and the depth of the information. Almost all I'm seeing online is made to engage and engage people, some more and some less, and that definitely matches what parent is describing. Maybe you're talking about different kinds of content.

I stopped consuming "news" i.e. CBC, CNN, Guardian, and the likes two months ago and I feel objectively happier and spend less time endlessly refreshing the page. I read the occasional in depth article because I feel like it doesn't have quite the same effect.

Re: Facebook addiction increases depression severity among already depressed people

#104

Post by miketery »

jbirer wrote: post #90

I decided to go monk mode for a year. No friends, no family, no social media, no distractions. I focused on learning cooking, yoga etc. Spent most of my time either in my studio apartment or solo travelling. The results were huge, I went from an anxious depressed mess to someone who enjoys waking up, which is a very basic thing, but when you are depressed you hate that you have to wake up and go through life. I recom…

This sounds extreme, but none the less I agree people should try to change something.

Most recommend to start exercising. Easiest way to do this is to simply say I'm the kind of person that runs / bikes / works out (don't give yourself the option to decide). Simply say on Saturday's I do a run (rain or shine), then say Tuesday's and Saturdays, etc. In no time you're doing it 3+ times a week.

From one good habit others will follow, since you'll have learned how to stay consistent.

Re: Facebook addiction increases depression severity among already depressed people

#105

Post by madmads »

johnfn wrote: post #94
rgbrenner wrote: post #85

I agree with the article that it's not facebook. You're depressed, dont feel like doing anything but know you should, so you procrastinate on facebook, and then maybe the whole day passes, and the waste of another day makes it feel like nothing is going to change, helping feed your depression. Facebook really has little to do with this... if it wasnt facebook, it would be youtube, instagram, watching tv, or sleeping…

> Facebook really has little to do with this... if it wasnt facebook, it would be youtube, instagram, watching tv, or sleeping all day. …or you could end up doing something to improve your situation, like taking a walk outside or going to the gym. It’s kinda like saying vapes aren’t a problem because you would just get a cigarette.

In this case, if the individual is diagnosed with depression, taking away an escape from reality like Facebook doesn't solve the depression. Like they said, a depressed person will find something else to substitute Facebook. Depression needs actual treatment in most cases. The analogy to vaping and smoking doesn't exactly work.

Re: Facebook addiction increases depression severity among already depressed people

#107

Post by baby »

uncletammy wrote: post #89
rgbrenner wrote: post #85

I agree with the article that it's not facebook. You're depressed, dont feel like doing anything but know you should, so you procrastinate on facebook, and then maybe the whole day passes, and the waste of another day makes it feel like nothing is going to change, helping feed your depression. Facebook really has little to do with this... if it wasnt facebook, it would be youtube, instagram, watching tv, or sleeping…

> Taking away facebook will not make them un-depressed. Although I agree that Facebook isn't the problem here, taking it away might be a necessary first step.

The problem is that you can’t take it away. If it’s not fb it’s tiktok, or youtube, or instagram, or reddit, or HN, or emails, or rss feeds, or food, or video games, or …

Re: Facebook addiction increases depression severity among already depressed people

#108

Post by baby »

swayvil wrote: post #101
rgbrenner wrote: post #85

I agree with the article that it's not facebook. You're depressed, dont feel like doing anything but know you should, so you procrastinate on facebook, and then maybe the whole day passes, and the waste of another day makes it feel like nothing is going to change, helping feed your depression. Facebook really has little to do with this... if it wasnt facebook, it would be youtube, instagram, watching tv, or sleeping…

No, it really is Facebook. Facebook provides a temptation . Like a table full of cookies over the holidays. Of course you are going to visit that table a hundred times a day. Even though it isn't really very healthy. And then when the holidays are over your diet will improve. We are not Nietzschean creatures of pure will. The temptation-landscape significates.

Temptation is everywhere. Every app today is trying to maximize your time spent there.

Re: Facebook addiction increases depression severity among already depressed people

#109

Post by fullshark »

rgbrenner wrote: post #85

I agree with the article that it's not facebook. You're depressed, dont feel like doing anything but know you should, so you procrastinate on facebook, and then maybe the whole day passes, and the waste of another day makes it feel like nothing is going to change, helping feed your depression. Facebook really has little to do with this... if it wasnt facebook, it would be youtube, instagram, watching tv, or sleeping…

Maybe I'm overthinking this but this seems kind of an odd takeaway, and bringing it front and center is a bit of slight of hand. You're refuting a claim that's not in the headline but I guess what you think a reader's next logical step would be?:

Finding: Facebook makes already depressed people more depressed -> Claim: Facebook makes undepressed people depressed. The 2nd is not claimed, the first is the result and I think facebook has a lot of do with this.

Re: Facebook addiction increases depression severity among already depressed people

#110

Post by SoftTalker »

deanmoriarty wrote: post #75
deebosong wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds like you're doing the wise thing by starting therapy. Maybe you already know this but it might take a bit of trying out a few therapists/ counselors before you land on one that seems a good fit. As to the voice in your head and the wants you're identifying, it sounds like you don't necessarily want to quit, or that you even want an idyllic rustic lifestyle. But more so that you wanna address where the feeling…

Thanks. All you say is accurate and the tension between doing the right thing vs sabotaging is real. I’ve been basically living all my adult life like a frugal college student so that I could amass millions of dollars to get out of the rat race. However, it seems like the burnout is getting so bad that I might not be able to continue with this accumulation strategy. At the core of it is (1) my inability to effectivel…

If you have accumulated multiple (even low single digit multiples) millions of dollars and have that reasonably invested you should be easily able to retire to a low cost of living area and work on solo online business ideas. It's definitely FU level money for most people, more than most will ever earn in a lifetime.

On the other hand, perhaps living such a frugal lifestyle is contributing to your burnout. Not suggesting you need to throw all caution to the wind but taking some vacations/travels, or working with an interior designer to have a really nice welcoming place to come home to could make a difference.

Post reply on HN