Annotated Bibliography
Inquiry Question: Can the use of social media lead to depression?
Bebinger Martha, “Social Media Anxiety Disorder (SMAD): The Next New Medical Condition?”. Wbur’s Common Health Reform and Reality. Web. 10 April 2012
Summary: This article done by Martha Bebinger on Wbur’s Common Health Reform and Reality website gives you the inside story of how a woman felt after creating a post on social media. Martha then goes on to explain that after the woman had searched the internet for any and all answers explaining how she felt how she then turned to an expert by the name of Stefan Hofmann who is the director of the Social Anxiety Program at Boston University’s Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders.
Evaluation: I found this article through on online search. I find it to be creditable for the following reasons. First, the article is published on a WBUR’S website which has won hundreds of awards for reporting, features and news series, and investigation reports. Secondly, Martha Bebinger is a very well known reporter for WBUR’S and is know for her reliable and creditable reports.
Response: Bebinger gives an excellent example of how average every day the overwhelming effects of social media can instantly affect people. Bebinger also does a great job of presenting the facts that support her story.
Benjamin, Kathy. "9 Ways Facebook Is Changing People's Lives." Mental Floss. 19 Apr 2012: n. page. Web. 27 Mar. 2013
Summary: This article found on the Mental Floss website discusses nine specific ways that Facebook is changing people's lives. Kathy Benjamin digs deeper into these points in the article. Benjamin discusses that you may be addicted to Facebook if you cannot go twenty-four hours without logging on. Benjamin also discusses how pictures found on Facebook can make other people jealous. The article discusses how Facebook can make you either unhappy, or it can be a big self-esteem booster. Facebook can also make your friends not like you and it can definitely stress you out. The final point that Benjamin makes is that Facebook is starting to replace time-honored traditions.
Evaluation: The Mental Floss website has a lot of information to offer. Since the website was reflecting the magazine itself it poses questions, states interesting facts, has a knowledge feed, has articles relating to interesting topics, and even has quizzes. On the page with the article itself, there are recommendations for articles that one might be interested in based on that article.
Response: This article is important to answering my inquiry question because it has many valid points that are backed up with statistics. It has positive and negative effects that Facebook can have. I will use this information to relate to other people and show that the effects Facebook can have may not be as obvious as one might think.
Benson Jonathan. “Excessive social media use leads to depression.” Natural News Natural Health News & Scientific Discoveries. Web. 8 December 2012.
Summary: In this article Jonathan sums up the findings of a new study from Michigan State University, which found that excessive media use could lead to symptoms associated with depression and anxiety. Jonathan then goes on to explain that this is not the first time that a correlation has been made between social media and mental illnesses however, a study done by Mark Becker has reveled some new information that using multiple forms of media at the same time can also lead to health problems.
Evaluation: This article was taken from the December 8, 2012 issue of Natural News Natural Health News & Scientific Discoveries, which is a science-based natural health advocacy organization, led by activist-turned-scientist Mike Adams. I find this to be very creditable because of whom it was not only published by but because of also because in 2013, Natural News launched a large research database based on scientific studies whose abstracts are collected in the PubMed resources of the National Library of Medicine.
Response: I believe that this will help me further explain how social media is not only causing anxiety and depression, but when combined with other media can also lead to heath problems. It directly answers my inquiry question and brings to the attention what the effect of combining multiple forms of social media and media can be.
Copeland, Libby. "The Anti-Social Network." Slate Magazine. 26 Jan 2011: n. page. Web. 27 Mar. 2013.
Summary: This article featured on Slate Magazine's website discusses research found from Stanford University on how different social media networks can make you sad. It talks about how they studied college students regarding the social media networks. Research showed that students felt worse about themselves after logging onto Facebook. These social networks have many negative effects on peoples emotions such as making them feel mad, sad, lonely, depressed, and causing them to focus on the negatives in their lives. The article points out that after students spend time on Facebook, they were convinced that everyone else was leading a perfect life.
Evaluation: The Slate website itself was very simple, and it allows people to not only read the article but comment on it. Author, Libby Copeland, used information from a study done at Stanford University to advocate for social media relating to sadness.
Response: This article provides me with reliable information and facts from actual research done by Stanford University, which will help me, expand on my inquiry question. I intend to use this information to show people that they are not alone when it comes to social media linking to depression and low self-esteem. I also intend to use this information to show people that this is a quickly growing problem in our world today.
Leodoro J. Labrague. “Facebook use and adolescents’ emotional states of depression, anxiety, and stress.” Health Science Journal Volume 8 Issue 1 2014
Summary: This article discusses than in our society today social media have over one billion users. Through recent studies that have been conducted it suggests that social media may have some negative effects on peoples well being. The article then walks you through the scientific research that is conducted to identify relationships between social media usage and negative emotional states. The article concludes by saying that social media and negative emotional states are not substantially linked, however you should limit you time on any social media sites.
Evaluation: I believe that this is a very creditable source because it is the Health Science Journal is a peer-driven community based doctoral supervisory model. Hellenic Society of Nursing Research and Education also endorses it.

Response: I find this article very useful in answering my inquiry question because it does not only take you through the steps of their research it also provides the findings of other research.