Is it? Depression kills people fairly often.

At no point is evidence presented in the link that shows that social media leads to clinical depression and suicide. Once again an awful and incorrect comparison.

hacker news is a form of social media so that makes it just as bad as guns, cigs and heroin. Ycombinator and the people who run it are just as evil as kim jong un.

Here you go:

> Researchers have proposed a new phenomenon called “Facebook depression,” defined as depression that develops when preteens and teens spend a great deal of time on social media sites, such as Facebook, and then begin to exhibit classic symptoms of depression. Acceptance by and contact with peers is an important element of adolescent life. The intensity of the online world is thought to be a factor that may trigger depression in some adolescents. As with offline depression, preadolescents and adolescents who suffer from Facebook depression are at risk for social isolation and sometimes turn to risky Internet sites and blogs for “help” that may promote substance abuse, unsafe sexual practices, or aggressive or self-destructive behaviors.

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/127/4/800.full

Did you not read what you just posted or am I going to blind? Please highlight the parts that include clinical depression and suicidal behavior.

Clinical depression isn't a requirement. Exhibiting symptoms of depression (as stated) is all that is necessary. Clinical just means it's recurring at a regular interval.

isn't a requirement for what?

Suicidal behavior.

but its still not a symptom of "facebook depression".

>adolescents who suffer from Facebook depression are at risk for social isolation and sometimes turn to risky Internet sites and blogs for “help” that may promote substance abuse, unsafe sexual practices, or aggressive or self-destructive behaviors.

How is that remotely the same as actual depression? It's an insult to people who suffer from this medical condition.

Those aren't a list of symptoms, but instead an outcome what happens given typical depression symptoms coupled with teen behavior (and not knowing how to handle the feeling). Actually, social isolation is a fairly typical symptom of depression. Substance abuse and so on are often correlated as well.

Looking for the study itself (which I can't seem to find), but the article says something along the lines of "showing symptoms of depression". Symptoms of depression are often caused by depression.

No, it's not an insult at all. The biggest insult to depression sufferers is not recognizing it as a condition or implying that they are something other than depressed.

Edit: I'm sorry; perhaps you are simply not understanding the article. Is English your primary language?

If it was depression then it would be called depression, not "facebook depression". None of the symptoms you listed are actual symptoms of "facebook depression". Perhaps you forgot your reading glasses?

Facebook depression is (surprise) regular depression. With all the regular symptoms which includes suicide.

The only difference is that (heavy?) Facebook users are more likely to suffer from it.

If you want to argue against it, I recommend you say that the actual mechanism/cause is on shaky ground.

>You're going blind. Read again. Also click thru to the study, it references many other studies in that paragraph.

It should be really easy to highlight those parts then.

You're going blind. Read again. Also click thru to the study, it references many other studies in that paragraph.

Yes--Hacker News is a form of social media. I don't want to point out all the differences between the sites.

I can only comment on my own phyche after being on the two sites. I don't feel good after being on FB. I've gotten into the habit of deativating my account Monday-Friday. I keep it open on the weekends--just in case? So far nothing, but I've never been a popular person.

On the other hand, I don't feel bad after being on HN. Yes--like any site, I can only take it in small doses. And yes--if it changed up too much from its current format, I would delete my account.

I use the Internet for information, and enjoyment. FB just brings up too many bad memories, or just puts me in a weird mood. I don't think I've evolved enough to like FB? Were we, as monkeys, ever designed to see so many other monkeys?