EFFECTS OF INTERNET USE AND SOCIAL RESOURCES ON CHANGES IN DEPRESSION

TLDR

The study investigates how different Internet uses predict later depression scores and how social resources moderate these effects. A longitudinal US survey (2001–2002) assessed Internet use for information, entertainment, and escape, finding no effect on depression changes. Internet communication with friends and family lowered depression, whereas using online groups to meet new people raised depression among those with high or medium social support but not among those with low support, indicating that social resources and Internet use choices influence depression outcomes. Keywords: depression, Internet use, social support, extraversion, interpersonal interaction, social resources; funded by NSF grant IIS‑0208900.

Abstract

We examine how people's different uses of the Internet predict their later scores on a standard measure of depression, and how their existing social resources moderate these effects. In a longitudinal US survey conducted in 2001 and 2002, almost all respondents reported using the Internet for information, and entertainment and escape; these uses of the Internet had no impact on changes in respondents' level of depression. Almost all respondents also used the Internet for communicating with friends and family, and they showed lower depression scores six months later. Only about 20 percent of this sample reported using the Internet to meet new people and talk in online groups. Doing so changed their depression scores depending on their initial levels of social support. Those having high or medium levels of social support showed higher depression scores; those with low levels of social support did not experience these increases in depression. Our results suggest that individual differences in social resources and people's choices of how they use the Internet may account for the different outcomes reported in the literature. Keywords: Depressionlongitudinal studyInternet usessocial supportextraversioninterpersonal interactionsocial resources Acknowledgements The authors thank Vicki Helgeson and Irina Shklovski for their advice and help. This study was supported by NSF grant #IIS-0208900.