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A recent study by Jean Twenge et. al.in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology found a dramatic increase in the rates of depression and suicide-related outcomes (thinking about suicide, plans, attempts and deaths). The rates of major depressive episodes increased by 63% in the 2009–2017 period among young adults aged 18–25. Serious mood disorders and suicide-related thoughts and behaviors have been increasing over the last decades for any given cohort. That is, for example, the iGen has higher rates than Millennials. Moreover, unhappiness is correlated to the rise in the use of electronic communications and the decline in duration of sleep.
The decline in happiness among American youth is presented in the figure 5.2 below. We can see that happiness among all youth cohorts peaked in 2006 and has been declining ever since. For example the self-reported happiness of 12th graders was 2.13 in 2006 and fell to 2.02 in 2016-17, a decline of 5% or ½% per year.
While there are a number of explanations for this decline in happiness, two stand out: the rising use of social media and a serious decline in sleeping. Jean Twenge in a major study of youth and social media says “Over the last decade, the amount of time adolescents spend on screen activities (especially digital media such as gaming, social media, texting, and time online) has steadily increased, accelerating after 2012 with the rise of smartphone ownership. By 2017, the average 12th grader (17-18 years old) spent more than 6 hours a day of leisure time on just three digital media activities (internet, social media, and texting.”
Figure 5.4 below demonstrates the correlations between increasing use of social media, reduced in-person interactions, and declining sleep. As social media use went up, sleep and in-person interactions declined, as did happiness.
Finally, figure 5.5 shows the correlations between various activities and happiness. The two most highly correlated positive activities are sleep and sports or exercise. The two most negatively correlated activities are using the internet and listening to music.
While correlation does not prove causation, several studies suggest that use of social media does lead to lower levels of happiness. Morten Tromholt, in an experiment in Denmark, found that taking a break from Facebook has positive effects on the two dimensions of well-being: 1) “life satisfaction” increases and 2) emotions become more positive. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that these effects were significantly greater for heavy Facebook users, passive Facebook users, and users who tend to envy others on Facebook.
A second study used University of Pennsylvania undergraduates who were told to limit their use of Facebook, Snapchat or Instagram to ten minutes each per day. The control group was told to continue their normal use. The limited use group showed significant reductions in loneliness and depression over three weeks compared to the control group. Both groups showed significant decreases in anxiety and fear of missing out over baseline, suggesting a benefit of increased self-monitoring. Other studies link social media use to higher levels of anxiety.
All of this should not be surprising. We are social creatures and get much of our happiness (and sadness sometimes) in interacting with others. While texting and emailing enables us to keep in touch, they are no substitute for real interpersonal experiences. Niobe Way has written “Those who have close friendships or strong social support networks are less prone to depression, less likely to get physical illnesses, and more likely to live longer lives. In a six-year study of 736 middle-aged men, having a strong social support network significantly lowered the risk of heart attack and fatal coronary heart disease.”
As the Book of Ecclesiastes (4:9-10) says
“Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
