A new study published by researchers from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine apparently supports what a few earlier studies indicated: the more time we spend fiddling with our phone, the more likely we are to be suffering from . According to a recent Baylor University study, the more times we “check our phones,” the more likely we are to be depressed.

Is Technology Keeping us In Touch or Taking us Out of the Loop?

For the initial century or so in the history of phones, we only used these devices if we actually had someone with whom we needed to communicate and information worthy of sharing. Phone calls usually meant that there was some important news, either joyful or tragic. As phones became as common as sliced bread, could monopolize the home phone for literally hours at a time. Today, my daughter “watches TV” with her boyfriend, even though he’s 700 miles south. They text back and forth throughout their favorite shows – in real time! – and enjoy the benefits of instant communication. A couple of decades ago, we’d do something similar, but with verbal commentary, not text.

Talking to Myself and Feeling Blue

The advent of the smartphone, however, has created a whole new purpose of the phone – a stand alone, letting-you-play-alone internet connection. No longer do you need to actually have a single friend or family member to contact in order to whip out your phone and start pushing buttons. You can now check everything from the day that the first telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell to the number of cellphones in use today (over 100 million here in the US). You can do everything that you could be doing at your home computer, but on the go and on your phone. You can create that bubble of isolation sitting in the stands at a Major League Baseball game or at a trendy nightclub that you create at home in your dark basement. Getting out to be with others implies that you are interacting with them, not simply intersecting with their locations.

Facebook Fantasies

Studies have shown that constantly checking our Facebook can lead to depression – we forget that all of our real and virtual Facebook friends are likely posting only the happiest highlights of their normally routine life. The photos of vacations, romance, success, or smiling family and groups can cause us to doubt that our own lives – or even our happiest moments – measure up to the perceived success of others. If you’re hanging out on your phone, scrolling through Facebook, and feeling like your life is less than what others may be or yours could be, use that insight for change, not to justify inertia. Figure out exactly how you would like your own life to be “better” or “different,” and start working toward that goal.

How Many Minutes a Day Indicate a Problem?

The researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine looked at more than just minutes a day on the phone; they also looked at location and geographical movement over time. It turns out that those of us who maintain a routine schedule and get out of the house regularly are less likely to be depressed. The researchers found that the average person spends 17 minutes a day on their phone. Those most likely to be suffering from depression spent over three times that – approximately 68 minutes a day. This indicates isolated surfing, checking out pages not checking in with others, and not reflective of actual one-on-one telecommunication.

If you are “clocking in” at over an hour a day, chances are that you are “clocking out” of real life – and this suggests that you may need to get off the phone and into the game.

Fighting Back against Depression

Depression is serious business and there are seldom easy one-size-fits-all solutions. Seeking professional help can be an important step and a life saver for some. If you are suffering from depression or just feeling down, there are some quick fixes that can get the pendulum swinging in the other direction to help you determine if professional help is needed.

Add regular exercise to your day – this has been proven to be effective in lessening the symptoms of depression. Eat healthy and get enough sleep. Focus on the positives in life and remind yourself to let go of negative thoughts. Meditate – this is another easy, at-home treatment for the blues. Go on a Facebook detox and immerse yourself into your own life, not the virtual, photoshopped lives of others.

References

Roberts, J. A., Pullig, C., & Manolis, C. (2015). I need my smartphone: A hierarchical model of and cellphone . Personality and Individual Differences, 79, 13-19.

Saeb, S., Zhang, M., Karr, C. J., Schueller, S. M., Corden, M. E., Kording, K. P., & Mohr, D. C. (2015). Mobile phone sense correlates of depressive symptom severity in daily-life behavior: An exploratory study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 17(7):e175 doi: 10.2196/jmir.4273