Depression as a "disease of modernity"

As the Daniel Sumner said stigma around mental illness specifically depression is getting less with the passage of time.

And social media playing important role. Fake success stories making people think they are loser and unworthy. In the name of self care social media is promoting toxicity.

What we as society don't understand tiktokers, influencers they are all actors and selling their products.

These are some great answers and it was a really great question too. I think perhaps there maybe one more reason why depression may be seen to be on the rise. It is now less of a stigma to be seen struggling with a mental health issue. Hearing that someone is taking medication to combat depression or seeking ways to improve mental health does not raise as many eyebrows. Thus the statistics would see this as a rise when in reality many feel safer at least in their personal lives to admit these struggles exist and are more ready to self-report. However such stigmas still exist and will have to be combatted further but this might explain one reason for the apparent rise. This has to be considered along with sociological and existential reasons. Thanks for posting such a great question and some great answers.

i guess social media has been playing a key role in this. due to covid people are mostly spending time on social media and hence social media may trigger an array of negative emotions in users that contribute to or worsen their depression symptoms

In Today's world people are moving at a very fast pace. There is a continuous competition everywhere be at home or work places, we are just moving like machines. We have lost emotional connectedness. People are resistant to disclose their feelings, what they are going through. his emotional shallowness has made people so alone that they end up being depressed.

There is a lot more to the causes behind depression, but this also plays role at some point.