Digitally depressed: the effects of digital media usage in regards to depression and approaches for alleviation for individuals and the society

Abstract

Digital media is inevitable. Users are claiming that digital media platforms have become part of their daily routines and their communication channels. If this is the case, it is believed that depressed users are using digital media to stay connected, communicate and other purposes, inevitably. Therefore, the aim of this study is how clinically diagnosed depressed patients (users) are using the digital media and whether it is helping or worsen their depressive symptoms. This study used mixed methodology, using survey questionnaires and semistructured interviews. The participants were depressed patients who used digital media platforms, where they were asked to evaluate and report the usage and the effects that digital media has on them. The questionnaires were conducted to explore generic information regarding depressed patients’ usage intensity, where the interviews allow the author to understand the patient’s in-dept feelings and opinions on specific topics. The results were compared and analyzed accordingly. Participants admitted of using digital media platforms as part of their daily routines for different purposes. The self-reported results show that digital media is like a double-edged sword to them as there are certain features that help their symptoms, for example, group-forming feature that compensate their offline relationships and other user-generated features. Some content, however, is harmful and negatively impact their depressive symptoms. Contents like misleading information around mental illness and suicide incident reports from the digitized news media on these platforms are claimed to negatively impact patients’ depressive symptoms as it is one of the contributing factors to the public stigma around depression.