为什么社交媒体可能会导致抑郁症

A study published in Depression and Anxiety found that social media users are more likely to be depressed. This was just one of the huge number of studies linking social media and depression. But why exactly do platforms like Facebook and Instagram make people so unhappy? Well, we don’t know yet for sure, but there are some explanations.

发表在《抑郁与焦虑》杂志上的一项研究发现，社交媒体用户更容易抑郁。这只是众多将社交媒体与抑郁症联系起来的研究之一，但是为什么像Facebook和Instagram这样的平台会让人们如此不开心呢?我们还不确定，这里有一些解释。

Social Media Could Lead to Depression

社交媒体可能导致抑郁

Depression is a serious medical condition that affects how you think, feel, and behave. Social media may lead to depression in predisposed individuals or make existing symptoms of depression worse explains the study above’s senior author Dr. Brian Primack. So, the problem may not be in social media per se, but how we use it.

抑郁症是一种严重的疾病，它会影响你的思维、感觉和行为。上述研究的主要作者布莱恩·普里马克博士解释说，社交媒体可能会导致易患抑郁症的人患上抑郁症，或者使已有的抑郁症症状变得更糟。所以，问题可能不在于社交媒体本身，而在于我们如何使用它。

Signs You’re Suffering From “Social Media Depression”

表明你患上了“社交媒体抑郁症”的迹象

If you feel like social media is having a negative impact on your mood, then you may be suffering from “social media depression.” Look for symptoms like:

如果你觉得社交媒体对你的情绪有负面影响，那么你可能患上了“社交媒体抑郁症”，像以下症状:

• low self-esteem,

低自尊

• negative self-talk,

消极的自我暗示

• a low mood,

情绪低落

• irritability,

易怒

• a lack of interest in activities once enjoyed,

对曾经喜欢的活动缺乏兴趣

• and social withdrawal.

不合群

Social Media Could Crush Self-Esteem

社交媒体可能摧毁自尊

We know that social media and depression are in some way linked, but why is this so? Well, according to Igor Pantic, MD, Ph.D., social media use skews your perception about other people’s lives and traits. To explain this further, most people like to portray an idealized image of their lives, personal traits, and appearance on sites like Facebook and Instagram. If you confuse this idealized image with reality, you may be under the false impression that everyone is better than you which can crush your self-esteem and lead to depression. This is especially true for teens and young adults who are more likely to compare themselves to others. If you already suffer from low self-esteem, the illusion that everyone has it better off than you will just make you feel worse.

我们知道社交媒体和抑郁症在某种程度上是有联系的，但为什么会这样呢?根据医学博士Igor Pantic的研究，社交媒体的使用会扭曲你对他人生活和性格的看法。为了进一步解释这一点，大多数人喜欢在Facebook和Instagram等网站上描绘自己生活、个人特征和外表的理想化形象，如果你混淆了这种理想化的形象和现实，你可能会产生一种错误的印象，认为每个人都比你优秀，这会摧毁你的自尊，导致抑郁。这对青少年和年轻人来说尤其如此，他们更有可能将自己与他人进行比较。如果你已经饱受自卑之苦，那种认为每个人都比你过得更好的错觉只会让你感觉更糟。

Causing Social Isolation and Other Negative Emotions

造成社会孤立和其他负面情绪

Another commonly cited reason for the negative impact of social media on mental health is its link with social isolation. Depressed people are more likely to isolate themselves socially and chose only to interact indirectly through social media platforms. But communication online tends to be superficial and is lacking when compared to real-life interaction explains Panic. What this means is not that social media leads to isolation but the other way around, possibly explaining why we find so many depressed persons on these sites.

社交媒体对心理健康产生负面影响的另一个常见原因是它与社会孤立的联系。抑郁症患者更有可能在社交上孤立自己，只选择通过社交媒体平台进行间接互动。但是，在线交流往往是肤浅的，与现实生活中的互动相比，缺乏交流可以解释恐慌。这并不意味着社交媒体会导致孤立，而是相反，这可能解释了为什么我们在这些网站上发现这么多抑郁症患者。

Lastly, social media use may generate negative emotions in you like envy, jealousy, dislike, loneliness, and many others and this may worsen your depressive symptoms.

最后，使用社交媒体可能会让你产生嫉妒、嫉妒、厌恶、孤独等负面情绪，这可能会加重你的抑郁症状。