A new study suggests, if you are depressed don’t pick up your smart phone.
Michigan State University's Prabu David, the dean of the college of Communication Arts and Sciences, was part of a team of researchers who studied common uses of smart phones, including as a way to alleviate feelings of sadness or depression.
Researchers say smart phones could worsen psychological conditions and spiral into unregulated and problematic use of mobile phones.
“The research bears out that despite all the advances we’ve made, there is still a place for meaningful, face-to-face interaction,” David says, “The mobile phone can do a range of things that simulate human interaction. It seduces us into believing it’s real, but the fact remains it’s still synthetic.”
They suggest people who are depressed should put down the smart phone and meet more with people face to face.
“If you have a chance to see someone face-to-face, take it,” David says, “Life is short.”
The paper was published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior.
