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A Model of Social Media Participation and Depression

Author

Listed:
  • Christopher Limnios

    (Providence College)

  • William Marquis

    (Providence College)

Abstract

We provide a theory which explains the link between depression and participation in social media. Opportunities to be captured and posted to one's social media randomly arrive and the participant chooses which of them are posted. Utility is a ``keeping-up-with-the-Joneses'' type. The network's socioeconomic reference point continues to rise as a result of participation in the network. Participants find it increasingly difficult to isolate opportunities which are above the reference point, decreasing aggregate utility.

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher Limnios & William Marquis, 2020. "A Model of Social Media Participation and Depression," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 40(4), pages 2994-2999.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-20-00070
    as

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    File URL: http://www.accessecon.com/Pubs/EB/2020/Volume40/EB-20-V40-I4-P260.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Social media; Depression; Social networks; Facebook; Instagram; Keeping-up-with-the-Joneses; photographic filter; #nofilter;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D1 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior
    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health

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