As much as social media can open lines of communication beyond means we ever had before, platform diverse voices and expand our world view, it’s also a cesspit brewing insecurity, bigotry and hate. The idea that social media can hurt your mental health has been explored before, but a new study has now also linked the amount of social media accounts to increased depression.

The research, which appeared in Computers in Human Behaviour at the University of Pittsburgh, surveyed 2,000 participants, comparing the number of social media platforms they used alongside their symptoms of depression and anxiety. Those involved in the study who used seven to 11 social media applications “had substantially higher odds of having increased levels of both depression and anxiety symptoms”, whereas users who partook in two or less were at a smaller risk level. Users on the most platforms had 3.3 times the odds of suffering from anxiety and depression compared to those using the least social media sites. The level of risk still remains the same even after adjusting usage times.

Participants were asked about 11 of the most popular social media platforms when the research began in 2014: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google Plus, Instagram, Snapchat, Vine, Reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Other factors for increased depression and anxiety were also taken into account by the study, including race, gender, relationship status, household income, education, and total time spent online.

Lead researcher Brian A. Primack told Futurity that social media use may not be a direct cause, but rather a symptom itself, as people seek out an emotional outlet.

He explained: “While we can’t tell from this study whether depressed and anxious people seek out multiple platforms or whether something about using multiple platforms can lead to depression and anxiety, in either case the results are potentially valuable.”

“It may be that people who suffer from symptoms of depression or anxiety, or both, tend to subsequently use a broader range of social media outlets. For example, they may be searching out multiple avenues for a setting that feels comfortable and accepting,” Primack said. “However, it could also be that trying to maintain a presence on multiple platforms may actually lead to depression and anxiety. More research will be needed to tease that apart.”

The research team drew out a series of reasons for the correlation between mental health and multiple social media accounts. They thought that the set of “unwritten rules” that can be hard to navigate online gets worse when you’re juggling several different platforms, multitasking is linked to worse decision-making and cognitive skills, and that there’s more chance for ‘social faux pas’ the more you’re on.

Another recent study linked ‘lurking’ on social media to issues with mental health, increasing feelings of worthlessness.