Social Media and Depression

With the recent death of Saved By The Bell actor Dustin Diamond, I got to reminiscing about the early 1990s sitcom that took place in the hallowed halls of fictional Bayside High. I went back and watched a couple of clips from the show. One thing that struck me in a powerful way is the fact that the students interactions all took place without the presence of social media. That got me thinking about how smartphones have changed the lives of us all, particularly our kids. Researchers at the University of Arkansas have completed a study which finds that the more time young adults spend on social media, the more likely they are to suffer from depression. Young adults who spend over five hours a day on social media are three times more likely to suffer from depression than those who spend less than two hours a day online. Parents, now is the time to set borders, boundaries, and limits for social media use, so that your kids will develop habits that lead to their mental, relational, and spiritual well-being.