Did you know the time of day you access social media might be linked to your mental health? According to a new study, people who are depressed are more active on social media late at night—specifically between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.
While social media has proven to be an invaluable tool for building connections and engaging with others, new research highlights the danger of relying on it too much. Data was collected from Weibo (China’s version of Twitter) and analyzed by the Australia National University (ANU) and China’s Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) to identify users that show potential symptoms of depression.
“These people have a specific linguistic pattern. They are more likely to use negative words, such as death, depression, life, pain, and suicide,” says co-researcher Jin Han, a PhD student at the ANU National Institute for Mental Health Research.
Han is optimistic about the impact this study could have for people suffering from depression in the future. The information could be shared with companies such as Lifeline, an Australian organization that specializes in mental health services.
This study “could also be used to identify people who may be showing signs of depression but are less likely to reach out for help,” Han said.