Depression and Social Media Use of Undergraduate Females

Yorkshire

Women who spend more time on social media platforms have a greater chance of developing symptoms of depression (Burnborg & Burdzovic, 2019). When women are using social media, they spend the majority of their time looking at the lives and social accomplishments of other users. This comparison may cause them to experience hopelessness, anxiety, and depression (Litchtfuss, 2019). Women are the most likely to experience symptoms of depression (Harvard Health, 2011). With the increased popularity of social media, depression is becoming a growing problem. Published research shows a relationship between social media and depression (Burnborg & Burdzovic, 2019). It would be beneficial to examine college-aged females specifically at Mississippi State University, a gap in previous research. This research will look at Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Tik Tok, Pinterest, and YouTube to evaluate which social media platforms are used the most in individuals who are ranked on a depression scale created by Kroenke (Kroenke, 2001). This research is important because depression is becoming a growing problem among college-aged women and social media is prevalent in most lives.