The Influence of Social Media Use on Depression in Adolescents: A Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis

Concerns are increasingly raised about the impact of social media use on depression in adolescents. The aim of this article was to summarize and synthesized quantitative studies addressing the association of social media and depression in adolescent population.

Methods & Materials:

 This research used systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on the impact of internet and social media use on depression in adolescents using search tools in Persian and English databases. In total, fifteen studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were included in the analysis.Ethical consideration: Ethical issues have been completely observed by authors.

This systematic review and meta-analysis revealed a small (0.18) statistically significant correlation (p<0.000) between social media use with depression in adolescents.However, this relationship is complex and associated with multiple psychological, social, behavioral, and individual factors, necessitating further investigation of mediating and moderating variables. It should be noted that most research has been cross-sectional and consequently this does not infer the causal relationship between social media use and depression. In Iran, research has only investigated Internet addiction. Further research is needed.

Overall, the mechanism of the impact of social media on depression should be further investigated through qualitative researches and longitudinal studies.