Facebook Depression Greatly Exaggerated

Reports of Facebook-linked depression may be greatly exaggerated, according to new research.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin now say that Facebook doesn't lead to depression. “Counseling patients or parents regarding the risk of ‘Facebook Depression’ may be premature,” Lauren Jelenchick, Megan Moreno and Jens Eickhoff said in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics popularized the idea of "Facebook depression" which was widely reported and launched several Facebook self-help groups.. 
 
The Wisconsin research followed a group of young adults online and found no link between social networking and depressive tendencies, according to the New York Daily News.
 
“Our findings are similar to those from studies of other communication applications such as e-mail and chat, which also found no association with depression,” the researchers stated.
 
Despite the lack of depression, the study did suggest that parents should monitor their children's Facebook usage and their moods. So while Facebook may not lead to depression, it still merits some parental guidance and possibly personal restraint.
 
 
 
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