Are Personality And Facebook Use Related To Depression And Anxiety

Different types of Facebook use can make someone more susceptible to depression or anxiety. People who use surveillance use, or passive use, are likely to develop Facebook envy, and in turn are more likely to develop Facebook depression. People who use Facebook in a way that involves negative social comparison, or those who are bullied on Facebook, are also more likely to develop FB depression. In addition, different populations are more susceptible to developing depression or anxiety as a result of their Facebook use. College students, adolescents, people who are low in extraversion or high in neuroticism, along with individuals who are already depressed are also at a higher risk of experiencing depression as a result of their Facebook use. Those who have a high level of Facebook intensity are at risk of developing anxiety. We conducted an online survey among undergraduates at Appalachian State University with questions about their Facebook use, as well as measures of depression, anxiety, personality, and social comparison. We found that bullying, social comparison, Facebook-specific social comparison, neuroticism, introversion and low conscientiousness correlate with depression and anxiety. Negative social comparison correlated with passive use and may be a mediating variable between depression and passive Facebook use.