Dr Marc Siegel backs Sen John Fetterman's claim about social media's negative impact on depression

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Fox News contributor Dr Marc Siegel and Democratic Sen John Fetterman were in agreement as they both asserted that social media had exacerbated the challenges of coping with depression.

Fetterman had made the statement during a recent interview with NBC News, saying, "I've never noticed anyone to believe that their mental health is being supported by spending any kind of time on social media."

Siegel joined co-host Joey Jones on the January 1 episode of 'Fox and Friends' to elaborate on the topic.

'Social media accelerates mental health disorders'

When Jones brought up the impact of social media on "depression, anxiety, poor self-esteem, eating disorders, loneliness, and isolation," Dr Siegel included "sleep disruption" in the list.

Agreeing with Fetterman, Siegel proceeds to explain, "What happens is that social media is supposed to bring you in, in terms of inclusivity, but it ends up excluding you by targeting you… finding ways to ridicule you."

"People are anonymous on social media, so they don't have to be responsible for what they say. So they get it out on other people by a lot of meanness."

"Sen Fetterman was talking about how his family was targeted. He was embarrassed and it made his depression more stigmatized, and (turned it into) a downhill spiral," he continued.

The importance of family in fighting depression

Dr Siegel was of the opinion that family was the answer to fighting depression.

"When you go to the dinner table, when you get together with your family, you need to exclude the (phones), social media, and actually have a face-to-face gathering," he stated.

"I tried it last night at New Year's Eve dinner," he went on, sharing a personal experience. "I did not use my phone once, and the results that I had were so much more positive."

Siegel claimed that the results included better sleep, feeling better about oneself, and a boost in courage and self-esteem.

"Studies have shown a direct connection between excess use of social media in our teens and low self-esteem, depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. It's an incredibly bad epidemic going on right now," he added.

Siegel emphasized, "Education is the key to bringing about a change in outlook," expressing concern about the insufficient availability of mental health care services in the country.

He also cautioned parents about their behavior on social media, as children and teenagers are likely to emulate it.