internet / digital living

Adolescent use of the Internet and symptoms of depression and anxiety

BackgroundThe extent to which digital media use by adolescents contributes to poor mental health, or vice-versa, remains unclear. The purpose of the present study is to clarify the strength and direction of associations between adolescent internet use and the development of depression symptoms using a longitudinal modeling approach. We also examine whether associations differ for boys and girls.MethodsData are drawn from (N = 1547) participants followed for the Quebec longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD 1998–2020). Youth self-reported internet use in terms of the average hours of use per week at the ages of 13, 15, and 17. Youth also self-reported depression symptoms at the same ages.ResultsAfter testing sex-invariance, random intercepts cross-lagged panel models stratified by sex, revealed that internet use by girls was associated with significant within-person (time-varying) change in depression symptoms. Girl’s internet use at age 13 was associated with increased depression symptoms at age 15 (ß = 0.12) and internet use at age 15 increased depression at age 17 (ß = 0.10). For boys, internet use was not associated with significant time varying change in depression symptoms.ConclusionsThe present findings support the hypothesis that internet use by adolescents can represent a significant risk factor for the development of depressive symptoms, particularly in girls.

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art anxiety depression - Dr Jonathan Haverkampf

Discover How Interactive Art Exhibitions Can Boost Your Mood and Reduce Anxiety

Viewing interactive art online can improve our mood and reduce anxiety. People reported significant improvements in mood and anxiety after just a few minutes of viewing an interactive Monet Water Lily art exhibition from Google Arts and Culture. The study also found that individuals with high levels of aesthetic responsiveness benefit more from online art viewing.

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Overcoming Fears and Challenges: Dialectical Behavior Therapists Embracing Telehealth

Publication date: March 2023Source: Journal of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy, Volume 33, Issue 1Author(s): Khrystyna Stetsiv, Kevin Rebmann, Chelsey R. Wilks

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Social media use and adolescents’ well-being: A note on flourishing

BackgroundSeveral large-scale studies and reviews have reported both negative and positive associations of social media use with well-being, suggesting that the findings are more complex and need more nuanced study. Moreover, there is little or no exploration of how social media use in adolescence influences flourishing, a more all-encompassing construct beyond well-being, including six sub-domains (i.e., happiness, meaning and purpose, physical and mental health, character, close social relationships, and financial stability). This paper aims to fill this gap by understanding how adolescents might flourish through social media activities by fulfilling the basic needs pointed out by the Self-Determination Theory, i.e., relatedness, autonomy, and competence.MethodsThe study is drawn on cross-sectional data collected from 1,429 Swiss adolescents (58.8% females, Mage = 15.84, SDage = 0.83) as part of the HappyB project in Spring 2022. Self-reported measures included the Harvard Adolescent Flourishing scale, positive and negative online social experiences, self-disclosure on social media, and social media inspiration. Control variables included, among others, self-esteem, ill-being, and personality.ResultsAfter applying Bonferroni’s correction, results of the hierarchical regression analyses showed that positive social media experiences (β = 0.112, p 

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Is Your Anxiety or Depression Worse When You’re Alone?

Have screens made us sadder, more anxious, and emotionally dumber? Screen dependency can impair people’s ability to enjoy alone time, fostering disassociation and disconnection from themselves and others. Studies show that screen dependency can negatively impact mental health, the ability to self-soothe, and emotional intelligence. Steps to enjoy alone time include limiting screen time, starting

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Digital Anxiety

Do you struggle with digital anxiety? A few adjustments can make a big difference. Anxiety is a part of living, both online and offline. Keeping an anxiety journal may help to relieve stress. It may also help to limit social media and screen time and commit to non-digital self-care practices.

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