Pediatrician Warns About Depression And Facebook

The American Academy of Pediatrics warns that Facebook may have a negative impact on teens already prone to depression.

The American Academy of Pediatrics – – representing more than 60,000 qualified pediatricians – – has spoken up about the dangers of Facebook for teens prone to low self-esteem or depression.

Some people believe that Facebook can also make adults feel depressed, but the updated American Academy of Paediatrics social media guidelines points out that practitioners should look at whether teenagers who use the social network obsessively show signs of anxiety.

Although doctors disagree about whether Facebook simply allows for teenagers’ natural propensity to depression to continue online, or whether Facebook creates new anxieties, O’Keefe seems to be of the opinion that the social network might be harmful to kids already dealing with signs of depression.

Just like Stanford psychologist Alex Jordan wrote in his own article, “Misery Has More Company Than People Think,” O’Keefe also points out that Facebook’s status updates, photos, and friend lists are some of the features that...

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