A new research report published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society is saying that those who replace face-to-face interactions with non-personal correspondence are more likely to develop depression down the line, according to Today.
Emails, calling, texting and other forms of communication that don't involve actually talking to other people face-to-face pales in comparison to live meetings.
The study, which surveyed more than 11,000 people, found that those who would have regular contact with friends and family were at a reduced chance of developing depression, versus those who did not, according to the Telegraph.
Those that did not regularly see friends and family were at an 11.5 percent increased chance of developing the mental illness.
"We see a dose dependent effect with in-person contact. The more face-to-face meetings, the lower the rates go," said lead researcher, Alan Teo.
Teo believes that it isn't harmful to communicate digitally or not in person, "but the message is that they are no substitute for face-to face contact, which acts as a sort of vitamin for depression prevention."
The research also found that those who were at a certain age benefited from particular socialization, with those ages 50-69 having a more profound reaction when having face-to-face interactions with friends, while those 70 and up benefited more from interactions with family and children, according to Medical News Today.
