Stay away from smartphones if you are depressed

A new study has revealed that depressed people, who look for solutions through electronic interactions like smartphones, often tend to make their lives worse.

Prabu David of the Michigan State University's College of Communication Arts said that using a mobile phone for temporary relief from negative emotions could worsen psychological conditions and spiral into unregulated and problematic use of mobile phones.

David added that mobile phones can do a range of things that simulate human interaction, and added that it seduces people into believing it was real but the fact remains it was still synthetic.

In the study, the researchers examined two pathways for habitual use of a smart phone: to either pass the time or entertain, or to alleviate feelings of sadness or depression by seeking out others.

David said it was the second reason that could trouble.

He said this suggested that problematic use of mobile phone was fueled in part by the purposeful or deliberate use of the mobile phone to relieve or alleviate negative feelings.

David, however, added that habitual or ritualistic use to pass time was not strongly associated with it.

The researchers agreed that using a mobile phone in moderation was not a bad thing but urged the people not to replace it with real human interaction.

The study is published in the Journal Computers in Human Behavior.