Active and passive social media use are differentially related to depressive symptoms in older adults.

Objectives: Previous research on social media use (SMU) and mental health has focused on younger individuals. For example, in young adults active SMU (e.g. posting content) has been related to decreased depressive symptoms, whereas passive SMU (e.g. browsing content) has been related to increased depressive symptoms. These relationships have not yet been investigated in older adults, however, even though SMU and poor mental health are common.

Methods: We collected data from adults aged 65 years and older, and categorized SMU into active and passive dimensions with a principal component analysis. Next, we conducted t-tests and logistic regressions to assess whether older adults' SMU was associated with depressive symptoms.

Results: Our analysis revealed that active SMU was associated with increased odds for depressive symptoms, whereas passive SMU was associated with decreased odds for depressive symptoms.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that the relationships between active and passive SMU and depressive symptoms in older adults are different from previous literature focusing on younger individuals. We theorize that these findings may be due to older adults' engaging in fewer social comparisons overall, and hence experiencing fewer negative feelings while passively viewing others' social media posts.