Late-night Facebook and Twitter sessions make everyone depressed, and researchers at Ohio State University Medical centre think they know why. It has less to do with vanity Google searches or looking up old friends, and more to do with sitting in front of a glowing screen in the dark.
Photo by Sergei Chumakov (Shutterstock).
The study, published in Molecular Psychiatry, found that the preliminary response in hamsters to dim, unnatural light at night reflected previously observed changes in human behaviour, and closely mimicked symptoms of depression (in the hamsters, it was drinking nothing but sugary water and being generally lethargic.) While the research is preliminary, the takeaway is clear: keep the lights on as long as the computers are on, or keep your computing to daylight hours.
At the very least, kill the screens before bed. Don’t pretend you don’t do it too — we’re all guilty to some extent. Does your experience match the researchers’ conclusions? Share your thoughts in the comments.
The Real Reason Your Late-Night Facebooking Is Making You Depressed [Blisstree via Reuters]
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