Two interesting articles popped up the same day, even though they were published in different months. And they may have an interesting link.
One looks at how, and why, depressed participants ‘choose sadness‘ across studies more often than the control participants, even though it makes them more sad.
The other is a study shows a link between Facebook use and depressive symptoms. The connection between more time on Facebook and more depressive symptoms was made through comparing oneself to others.
Is there a link between research showing depression leads to choosing sadness and the choice to spend more time on Facebook? To be clear, using Facebook was not the cause of increased depressive symptoms. But maybe the first article explains why Facebook users who are experiencing depression keep going back even when it makes them feel sad.
Are we ‘choosing sadness’ when we spend a lot of time on Facebook?
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yes, I really hate facebook but recently decided that it would be okay if I ONLY allowed myself 25 friends. total. ever. because #1, I could care less when everyone in the universe decides to declare it when they pass gas or whatever else. BUT I also realise that there are some people I never get to interact with because of distance that I really love and miss. so I unfriended EVERYONE whom I didn't love, had never seen me naked, didn't know a secret I still wanted kept, or couldn't say whatever I wanted to without feeling any separational judgement within our relationship (IE ultra conservative in-laws when I'm super NOT conservative).
So far, no one seems to miss me. :)
And now I can chat freely in small ways with people I would TRULY call friends WITHOUT feeling guarded or judged.
So I think it goes both ways.