It has become a big question lately: Are social media platforms negatively affecting users’ mental health?
And if so, how and to what degree? Now, a new study conducted by an online therapy directory service finds a majority of Americans -- 58% -- say they have experienced negative mental health effects from using social media.
The study from OnlineTherapy.com, which is based on a survey of 1,250 US adults conducted via Pollfish on Oct. 7, 2021, found most were, whereas only 25% said their mental health has not been negatively affected, while 10% said they were unsure, and 7% said they don’t use social media at all.
The findings follow numerous recent reports about social media’s harmful effects, including documents "leaked" by [likely plant of a pretext] former Facebook Product Manager Frances Haugen, who in September showed Facebook’s attempts at hiding the platform’s harmful effects on users, especially teenage girls.
According to OnlineTherapy’s report, anxiety was the leading side effect of social media use, with 64% of those negatively affected.
Other side effects included depression (56%), dissatisfaction with life (52%), fear of missing out (52%), and body-image issues (51%).
More negative feelings correlated to more time spent on social media, the report found. And 64% of users who spent 4+ hours on social media per day experienced depression, compared to 44% of users who spent 3 or less hours per day on social media.
Fifty-seven percent of the former group reported feeling lonely, while 35% of the latter group reported loneliness as a side effect of app use.
Unfortunately, social media has been shown by some studies to be incredibly addictive, mostly due to the predatory purposes of platform algorithms.
With uncontrolled targeting of this kind, users are likely to experience misinformation, leading to a lack in critical thinking abilities.
OnlineTherapy’s report showed that 71% of those who experienced mental health issues from social media blamed misinformation and disinformation. More: Media Confidential
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