Depression among users of social networking sites (SNSs): the role of SNS addiction and increased usage

Background: Previous literature suggests that increased usage of social networking sites (SNSs) can have a detrimental effect on mental wellbeing [1,2]. Furthermore, increased SNS usage has been found to result in the development of a new behavioral addiction: SNS addiction [3]. This new form of addiction to social networking is shown to predict depression in users of SNSs [4,5]. Objective: As the rates of people who use SNSs are rising, the current study aimed to identify relationships between SNS usage, SNS addiction and depression, with a focus on SNSs used today that have not been researched before, namely Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. Methods: A cross-sectional online study was conducted on a sample of 103 young adults. Each participant filled out a questionnaire consisting of the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies of Depression Scale Revised (CESD-R), Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT), along with general questions relating to SNS use. Results: The results of the current study suggest that Instagram use (β = .24, p ≤ .05) and SNS addiction (β = .32, p = .001) were significant predictors of depression. The results also showed that Instagram use predicted SNS addiction (β = .22, p < .05). No such relationship existed between Facebook, Twitter or Snapchat and SNS addiction or depression. Conclusion: The results indicated that both Instagram use and SNS addiction were related to depression, and that Instagram use was related to SNS addiction. Results are explained from a uses and gratifications perspective. Further research using longitudinal designs is needed to establish the direction of this relationship

Regular and problematic leisure-time Internet use in the community: results from a German population-based survey

In our study, we attempted to identify systematically the use of Internet applications in the German population in order to derive risk factors for problematic use. In a representative survey of the German population, we queried 1,401 women and 1,111 men between the ages of 14 and 94 years by specific questions and standardized questionnaires on depression, anxiety (HADS), and depersonalization (CDS-2). The majority of the German population (55%) used the Internet in their leisure time. Users were younger and had a higher socioeconomic status (education, employment, income). Leisure-time use included e-mail and information search, as well as shopping. Chatting, online communities, games and sex were domains of young, mostly male adults. Overall, 9.3% reported at least one negative consequence of Internet use, especially neglect of recreational activities and problems with family/partner, work or education, and health. Problematic use was associated with longer average daily online times, avoidance of negative emotions, preference for certain applications (gaming, gam- bling, online sex) and an increased rate of depersonalization. The extent of Internet use per se is not sufficient as an addiction criterion and other negative consequences; rather, specific adverse consequences need to be identified. If the Internet is used excessively to cope with negative affect states and alternative means of coping (e.g., social support, health-promoting behavior) are diminished, a vicious cycle may ensue with increasing stress and reliance on the reinforcing properties of certain online activities that may finally lead to addictive behaviour

NotiMind: responses to smartphone notifications as affective sensors

Today's mobile phone users are faced with large numbers of notifications on social media, ranging from new followers on Twitter and emails to messages received from WhatsApp and Facebook. These digital alerts continuously disrupt activities through instant calls for attention. This paper examines closely the way everyday users interact with notifications and their impact on users’ emotion. Fifty users were recruited to download our application NotiMind and use it over a five-week period. Users’ phones collected thousands of social and system notifications along with affect data collected via self-reported PANAS tests three times a day. Results showed a noticeable correlation between positive affective measures and keyboard activities. When large numbers of Post and Remove notifications occur, a corresponding increase in negative affective measures is detected. Our predictive model has achieved a good accuracy level using three different classifiers "in the wild" (F-measure 74-78% within-subject model, 72-76% global model). Our findings show that it is possible to automatically predict when people are experiencing positive, neutral or negative affective states based on interactions with notifications. We also show how our findings open the door to a wide range of applications in relation to emotion awareness on social and mobile communication

NASA Ames DEVELOP Interns Collaborate with the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project to Monitor and Study Restoration Efforts using NASA's Satellites

In the past, natural tidal marshes in the south bay were segmented by levees and converted into ponds for use in salt production. In an effort to provide habitat for migratory birds and other native plants and animals, as well as to rebuild natural capital, the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project (SBSPRP) is focused on restoring a portion of the over 15,000 acres of wetlands in California's South San Francisco Bay. The process of restoration begins when a levee is breached; the bay water and sediment flow into the ponds and eventually restore natural tidal marshes. Since the spring of 2010 the NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) DEVELOP student internship program has collaborated with the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project (SBSPRP) to study the effects of these restoration efforts and to provide valuable information to assist in habitat management and ecological forecasting. All of the studies were based on remote sensing techniques -- NASA's area of expertise in the field of Earth Science, and used various analytical techniques such as predictive modeling, flora and fauna classification, and spectral detection, to name a few. Each study was conducted by a team of aspiring scientists as a part of the DEVELOP program at Ames

Apparatus and method for the evaluation of asphalt mixes

This invention describes an apparatus and method for analyzing the rutting and stripping characteristics of hot mix asphalt concrete samples. The apparatus measures the vertical penetration of a wheel rolling in a reciprocating motion across the surface of a compacted asphalt mix specimen. It incorporates precise environmental control and includes features for testing two or more samples simultaneously under wet or dry conditions or a combination of wet and dry conditions

Homoleptic complexes of a porphyrinatozinc(II)-2,2’:6’,2’’-terpyridine ligand

Three homoleptic complexes containing the metalloligand 7-(4-([2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridin]-4′-yl)phenyl)-5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrinatozinc(II), 1, have been prepared. [Zn(1)2][PF6]2, [Fe(1)2][PF6]2 and [Ru(1)2][PF6]2 were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, and the electrochemical and photophysical properties of the complexes have been investigated. In solution, each complex undergoes two reversible porphyrin-centred oxidation processes, with an additional reversible metal-centred oxidation for [Fe(1)2][PF6]2 and [Ru(1)2][PF6]2. Solution absorption spectra are dominated by the Soret and Q bands of the metalloligand 1. Spectroelectrochemical data for the complexes are presented. The results of a nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopic investigation of [Zn(1)2][PF6]2, [Fe(1)2][PF6]2 and [Ru(1)2][PF6]2 are presented. For [Zn(1)2][PF6]2, S1 excitation leads to an efficient intersystem-crossing to the T1 state, whilst for [Fe(1)2][PF6]2, excitation of the 1MLCT transition is followed by fast deactivation to the 3MC state followed by thermal decay to the ground state. Excitation of the 1MLCT transition of [Ru(1)2][PF6]2 results in an intersystem crossing to 3MLCT; triplet-to-triplet energy transfer occurs giving the [Zn(TPP)] T1 state which regenerates the ground state of the complex

The relationship between addictive use of social media and video games and symptoms of psychiatric disorders: a large-scale cross-sectional study

Over the last decade, research into ‘addictive technological behaviors’ has substantially increased. Research has also demonstrated strong associations between addictive use of technology and comorbid psychiatric disorders. In the present study, 23,533 adults (mean age 35.8 years, ranging from 16 to 88 years) participated in an online cross-sectional survey examining whether demographic variables, symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), anxiety, and depression could explain variance in addictive use (i.e., compulsive and excessive use associated with negative outcomes) of two types of modern online technologies: social media and video games. Psychometrically robust instruments were utilized. Correlations between symptoms of addictive technology use and mental disorder symptoms were all positive and significant, including the interrelationship between the two addictive technological behaviors. Age appeared to be inversely related to the addictive use of these technologies. Being male was significantly associated with addictive use of video games, whereas being female was significantly associated with addictive use of social media. Being single was positively related to both addictive social networking and video gaming. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that demographic factors explained between 11% and 12% of the variance in addictive technology use. The mental health variables explained between 7% and 15% of the variance. The study significantly adds to our understanding of mental health symptoms and their role in addictive use of modern technology. Clinical implications, strengths, and limitations are discussed

A High Density of Human Communication-Associated Genes in Chromosome 7q31-q36: Differential Expression in Human and Non-Human Primate Cortices

The human brain is distinguished by its remarkable size, high energy consumption, and cognitive abilities compared to all other mammals and non-human primates. However, little is known about what has accelerated brain evolution in the human lineage. One possible explanation is that the appearance of advanced communication skills and language has been a driving force of human brain development. The phenotypic adaptations in brain structure and function which occurred on the way to modern humans may be associated with specific molecular signatures in today’s human genome and/or transcriptome. Genes that have been linked to language, reading, and/or autism spectrum disorders are prime candidates when searching for genes for human-specific communication abilities. The database and genome-wide expression analyses we present here revealed a clustering of such communication-associated genes (COAG) on human chromosomes X and 7, in particular chromosome 7q31-q36. Compared to the rest of the genome, we found a high number of COAG to be differentially expressed in the cortices of humans and non-human primates (chimpanzee, baboon, and/or marmoset). The role of X-linked genes for the development of human-specific cognitive abilities is well known. We now propose that chromosome 7q31-q36 also represents a hot spot for the evolution of human-specific communication abilities. Selective pressure on the T cell receptor beta locus on chromosome 7q34, which plays a pivotal role in the immune system, could have led to rapid dissemination of positive gene variants in hitchhiking COAG

Problematic mobile phone use and smartphone addiction across generations: the roles of psychopathological symptoms and smartphone use

Contemporary technological advances have led to a significant increase in using mobile technologies. Recent research has pointed to potential problems as a consequence of mobile overuse, including addiction, financial problems, dangerous use (i.e. whilst driving) and prohibited use (i.e. use in forbidden areas). The aim of this study is to extend previous findings regarding the predictive power of psychopathological symptoms (depression, anxiety and stress), mobile phone use (i.e. calls, SMS, time spent on the phone, as well as the engagement in specific smartphone activities) across Generations X and Y on problematic mobile phone use in a sample of 273 adults. Findings revealed prohibited use and dependence were predicted by calls/day, time on the phone and using social media. Only for dependent mobile phone use (rather than prohibited), stress appeared as significant. Using social media and anxiety significantly predicted belonging to Generation Y, with calls per day predicted belonging to Generation X. This finding suggests Generation Y are more likely to use asynchronous social media-based communication, whereas Generation X engage more in synchronous communication. The findings have implications for prevention and awareness-raising efforts of possibly problematic mobile phone use for educators, parents and individuals, particularly including dependence and prohibited use