페이스북, 과도한 사생활 노출 시 우울증 올 수도...UH Study Links Facebook Use to Depressive Symptoms

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케이콘텐츠 

 

페이스북에서 과도하게 친구들의 사생활에 몰두하면 우울증상이 나타날 수 있다는 연구 결과가 나왔다. 메이-리 스티어스 휴스턴대 심리학과 연구원은 페이스북 이용 시간과 타인과 자신을 비교하는 의식, 그리고 우울증상이 서로 상관관계가 있다고 6일 밝혔다.   남들과 자신을 비교하는 사회적인 비교의식이 우울증상과 관련 있다는 연구 결과는 기존에도 있었다. 하지만 소셜네트워크서비스(SNS)와 관련된 연구는 최근 들어서야 시작됐다.   연구진은 두 단계로 나눠 연구를 진행했다. 우선 실험 참가자들을 대상으로 페이스북 사용 시간과 우울증상의 상관관계를 파악했다. 그런 뒤 좀 더 구체적으로 페이스북 사용 시간과 비교의식, 그리고 우울증상을 조사했다.   첫 번째 연구에서는 미국 남서부 지역의 한 대학교에서 180명의 참가자를 모아 하루 중 페이스북 사용 시간과 우울증 징후 검사를 실시했다. 그 결과 여성과 달리 페이스북을 활발하게 사용하는 남성에게서만 평균적으로 경미한 수준의 우울증상이 나타났다. 하지만 페이스북 활동이 활발한 사람이 활발하지 않은 사람보다 남들과 비교를 더 많이 하는 것은 아니었다.   좀 더 심층적인 연구를 하기 위해 연구진은 참가자 152명에게 14일 동안 페이스북 내용을 보고하도록 했다. 페이스북 로그인 횟수와 페이스북을 하며 느낀 비교의식을 세 가지 종류로 구분해 보고하게 한 것이다. 단순히 다른 사람과 비교하는 중립적인 내용, 다른 사람과 비교해 자신감이 떨어졌다는 내용, 그리고 우월감을 표현한 내용으로 구분했다.   실험 결과 참가자들은 하루 평균 7회 정도 페이스북에 로그인을 했고, 페이스북 사용 시간이 많을수록 모든 종류의 비교의식이 많아지는 것으로 나타났다.   스티어스 연구원은 “페이스북이 꼭 우울증을 유발하는 것은 아니지만 페이스북 사용 시간과 비교의식 그리고 우울한 감정이 서로 밀접한 관계를 맺고 있다는 사실이 밝혀졌다”고 말했다.   연구 결과는 국제학술지 ‘사회 및 임상심리학’ 지난해 10월호에 게재됐다. 동아사이언스 최영준 기자 jxabbey@donga.com

 

Findings Suggest Amount of Time Spent and Social 

Comparison on Facebook Impacts Mental Health

 

By Melissa Carroll The social media site, Facebook, can be an effective tool for connecting with new and old friends. However, some users may find themselves spending quite a bit of time viewing Facebook and may inevitably begin comparing what’s happening in their lives to the activities and accomplishments of their friends. According to University of Houston (UH) researcher Mai-Ly Steers, this kind of social comparison paired with the amount of time spent on Facebook may be linked to depressive symptoms. Steers’ research on the topic is presented in the article, “Seeing Everyone Else’s Highlight Reels: How Facebook Usage is Linked to Depressive Symptoms” published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology. “Although social comparison processes have been examined at length in traditional contexts, the literature is only beginning to explore social comparisons in online social networking settings,” said Steers, a doctoral candidate in social psychology at UH. Steers conducted two studies to investigate how social comparison to peers on Facebook might impact users’ psychological health. Both studies provide evidence that Facebook users felt depressed when comparing themselves to others. “It doesn’t mean Facebook causes depression, but that depressed feelings and lots of time on Facebook and comparing oneself to others tend to go hand in hand,” said Steers.   The first study found an association between time spent on Facebook and depressive symptoms for both genders. However, the results demonstrated that making Facebook social comparisons mediated the link between time spent on Facebook and depressive symptoms for men only. Similarly, the second study found a relationship between the amount of time spent on Facebook and depressive symptoms was mediated by social comparisons on Facebook. Unlike the first study, gender did not moderate these associations. The concept of social comparison is not new.  In fact, it has been studied in face-to-face contexts since the 1950’s.  However, engaging in social comparisons on online social media sites may make people feel even worse. “One danger is that Facebook often gives us information about our friends that we are not normally privy to, which gives us even more opportunities to socially compare,” Steers said. “You can’t really control the impulse to compare because you never know what your friends are going to post. In addition, most of our Facebook friends tend to post about the good things that occur in their lives, while leaving out the bad.  If we’re comparing ourselves to our friends’ ‘highlight reels,’ this may lead us to think their lives are better than they actually are and conversely, make us feel worse about our own lives.” Steers said that people afflicted with emotional difficulties may be particularly susceptible to depressive symptoms due to Facebook social comparison after spending more time on medium.  For already distressed individuals, this distorted view of their friends’ lives may make them feel alone in their internal struggles, which may compound their feelings of loneliness and isolation. “This research and previous research indicates the act of socially comparing oneself to others is related to long-term destructive emotions. Any benefit gained from making social comparisons is temporary and engaging in frequent social comparison of any kind may be linked to lower well-being,” said Steers. Steers hopes the results of these studies will help people understand that technological advances often possess both intended and unintended consequences. Further, she hopes her research will help guide future interventions that target the reduction of Facebook use among those at risk for depression. About the University of Houston The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized by The Princeton Review as one of the nation's best colleges for undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation's fourth-largest city, UH serves more than 40,500 students in the most ethnically and culturally diverse region in the country. http://www.uh.edu/news-events/stories/2015/April/040415FaceookStudy

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