Social Media and Depressive Symptoms in Childhood and Adolescence: A Systematic Review

Concerns are increasingly raised in academic and lay literature about the impact of the internet on young people’s well-being. This systematic review examined empirical research on the relationship between social media use and depressive symptoms in the child and adolescent population. A systematic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Adolescent research review 2017-12, Vol.2 (4), p.315-330
Main Authors: McCrae, Niall, Gettings, Sheryl, Purssell, Edward
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescents
Behavioral Science and Psychology
Child and School Psychology
Computer Simulation
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Developmental Psychology
Digital literacy
Educational Psychology
Emotional Development
Family Relationship
Handheld Devices
Internet
Interpersonal Communication
Interpersonal Competence
Life Satisfaction
Mass Media
Mass Media Use
Mental Health
Narcissism
Neurosciences
Peer Influence
Personality
Personality Problems
Positive Reinforcement
Psychiatry
Psychology
Self Actualization
Self esteem
Social Media
Social networks
Sociocultural Patterns
Systematic Review
Young Adults
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Summary:Concerns are increasingly raised in academic and lay literature about the impact of the internet on young people’s well-being. This systematic review examined empirical research on the relationship between social media use and depressive symptoms in the child and adolescent population. A systematic search of Medline, PsycInfo and Embase databases yielded eleven eligible studies. Relevant results were extracted from each study, with a total sample of 12,646. Analysis revealed a small but statistically significant correlation between social media use and depressive symptoms in young people. However, studies varied widely in methods, sample size and results, making the clinical significance of these findings nuanced. Over half of the studies were cross-sectional, while those of longitudinal design were of limited duration. This review justifies further investigation of this phenomenon, with a need for consensus on variables and measurement.
ISSN:2363-8346
2363-8354
DOI:10.1007/s40894-017-0053-4