Selfies causing 1 in 5 college students to suffer depression, expert claims

In the past few years, there have been an increase in the number of college students that have developed mental health issues.

A Center for Collegiate Mental Health report noted these issues are the primary reasons students seek counselling, the Daily Mail reported. Previous study has found one in five students develop depression or anxiety.

The biggest is social media, David Rosenberg, Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Wayne State University stated in a report in The Conversation.

Technology and the use of social media are the biggest and most dangerous contributing factors because of our excessive use of these platforms. In the age of selfies, it causes us to lose real social interactions and leads to a feeling of isolation, he explained.

It also creates a sort of tug of war between real life and the virtual one. The virtual life seems to rule and ruin what is really going on. The need to constantly look like you are having a fabulous life creates a lot of pressure.

Phone addiction is also lined to sleep disturbance, which can lead to stress, depression and anxiety.