The researchers pointed to the impact of social media response on people with depression

Likes on social media have long been a familiar part of online communication. For some, they mean almost nothing, while others closely monitor the number of reactions to their posts. A new study reported by the journal JAMA Psychiatry has shown that people with symptoms of depression may perceive such feedback differently. Scientists have found that a large number of likes significantly increases the likelihood that they will post again the very next day. This conclusion turned out to be unexpected: for a long time it was believed that with depression, a person becomes less sensitive to any form of reward. About why the results of the study surprised experts and what they can tell us about the work of the human psyche — in the material of Izvestia.

Why are likes especially important for people with depression?

The authors of the study analyzed more than 17 million publications on the social network X (ex. Twitter), owned by 7,736 users. To assess the presence of depressive symptoms, the scientists used several independent approaches at once: some of the participants independently reported their mental state, in other cases, special algorithms for analyzing publication texts were used. They then compared how the number of likes received affects the likelihood that a person will post again the next day.

Of particular interest was the fact that the results obtained are at odds with one of the most common scientific hypotheses about depression. For many years, it was believed that the disease is accompanied by anhedonia — a decrease in the ability to experience pleasure and receive positive emotions from what used to bring joy. That is why experts expected that people with depressive symptoms would react less strongly to social approval on the Internet. However, a new study shows a more complex picture: at least in the digital environment, the positive reaction of other users may be even more important to them.

The authors urge not to jump to conclusions. According to them, the study does not mean that likes are able to compensate for the symptoms of depression or serve as a way of psychological support. Rather, the results indicate that online social rewards may be processed differently by the brain than other types of positive stimuli. Now, scientists will have to find out exactly what mechanisms underlie this feature and whether the knowledge gained can be used to better understand the disease itself.

Experts spoke about the influence of social networks on increasing feelings of envy

It's not about the number of likes, it's about the importance we attach to them.

At first glance, a like seems like an insignificant detail: just a note that another user liked the post. However, psychologists consider it as a form of social reward. For a person, it is not the image of a heart or a raised finger that is important, but a signal that he has been noticed, heard, or supported. This mechanism existed long before the advent of the Internet: the approval of others has always been of great importance to people, since belonging to a group directly influenced the survival of our ancestors. Social media has only made this process instant and easily measurable — in terms of the number of likes, comments, and followers.

That is why the results of the new study have aroused such interest among experts. As already noted, anhedonia has long been considered one of the key manifestations of depression. However, new work shows that this mechanism may be more complex than expected. Based on the data obtained, social approval on the Internet is not necessarily perceived to be weaker. On the contrary, people with depressive symptoms may respond more strongly to positive feedback and return to the social network more often after their posts receive a lot of likes. The authors emphasize that this does not mean that likes help to cope with depression, the study only shows an unusual feature of the reaction to social reward, which has yet to be explained.

At the same time, scientists are increasingly calling for abandoning the simple explanation that social media is the cause of depression. According to scientists, the impact of digital platforms on mental health depends on many factors at once: the age of the user, the nature of communication, the type of content viewed, the duration of sleep, the level of support from family and friends, and pre-existing psychological characteristics. In other words, the same amount of time spent on social media can have different effects on different people.

Therefore, experts suggest looking not so much at screen time as at the quality of the digital experience. It's one thing to correspond with friends, participate in thematic communities, or receive support during a difficult period. It is quite another to constantly compare oneself with other users, to anxiously expect new reactions, or to depend on self—esteem on the popularity of publications. Research in recent years has shown that it is the nature of interaction with social media that often has a greater impact on psychological well-being than the number of hours spent online.

Experts explained the reasons for bragging on social networks

Why experts advise against measuring self-esteem by the number of likes

Psychologists note that social networks are designed in such a way as to constantly maintain the user's interest. It's impossible to predict in advance which post will garner dozens of reactions and which one will go almost unnoticed. This unpredictability in itself encourages people to check notifications more often and return to the platform in anticipation of new feedback, based on the principle of variable reward, which is well known in behavioral psychology.

That is why experts recommend that you do not associate your own value with the number of likes or comments. User reactions depend on a variety of factors — publication time, platform algorithms, audience activity, and even randomness. If self-esteem begins to depend entirely on external approval, emotional fluctuations can become stronger, especially in people who are already experiencing anxiety or depressive symptoms.

The main conclusion of the new study sounds cautious. It does not prove that likes cause depression or help to overcome it. Instead, the work shows that people with depressive symptoms may respond differently to online social approval than previously thought. Scientists have yet to find out why this happens and whether this knowledge can be used to better understand the mechanisms of depression.