Social Media’s Impact on Depression
In the age of social media, everyone is sharing just about everything about their life. In 
some ways, social media has been a blessing, since you can reconnect with old friends, 
keep in touch with people who live far away, and make new friends. Unfortunately, for 
people with depression and other mental illnesses, it can make you feel worst. Here are 
some things to understand about social media and its impact on depression.
Social Media and its Triggers
One of the ways that social media has made a negative impact on people with 
depression is that it can create triggers for people. The word “trigger” might seem a little 
cliché today, but it is very serious and very real. Someone with a mental illness might go 
through periods of feeling a little better, but one very small thing can trigger their illness 
and send them back into a bad episode. This is true of people with depression. So 
much is shared on social media, that anything from a phrase to an event can be 
triggering.
Signs that Social Media is Hurting You
Not sure that your depression symptoms are affected or worsened by social media? All 
you need to do is pay a little attention to your own brain and body when you use social 
media. It can often be very subtle in the beginning, and just takes a little journaling to 
figure it out. Start writing in your journal on a daily basis, beginning with how you’re 
doing before you ever log on to Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. Then write down how it 
changes when you begin using social media actively. You might notice things like:
Your mood shifts 
You suddenly become very jealous 
You find it hard to see what friends are doing 
You feel easily upset or triggered by events
What to do About it
The obvious answer is to reduce your social media time, but that is often easier said 
than done. Sometimes, you need to use it to keep in touch with distant relatives, or you 
use it as a way to network for your job. In this case, just be careful when and how you 
use social media.
Unfollow or block anyone that upsets you to the point where they are becoming a huge 
trigger. Don’t follow any news outlets if that is a trigger for you, and get into the habit of 
not using it at least when you’re going through a serious depressive episode.

