It’s popular to think social media harms teens. There is no data to support this. But study after study shows it’s not true.
The head of Common Sense Media, which as a parent I used to think was a useful resource, is pushing nonstop falsehoods and gut feelings on this topic, in support of a dangerous California ballot initiative.
Where California goes on this, much of the western world follows. It’s worthwhile being aware of the facts on this.
h/t @mmasnick
I don't know about the ballot initiative or Common Sense Media, but plenty of studies suggest or show online harms associated with adolescent use of social media. Can you share any specific sources that lead you to believe "no data support this"?
Pediatrics, psychiatry, and public health are among the fields that have contributed to research. Then, there's also the platform's own research, which reported that use was associated with depression, anxiety, and a distorted view of oneself.
A good overview of the types of harms found in both internal and external research can be found here Case Study on Online Youth Harms – Project Daisy
Many of these harms are not unique to social media, just as burns aren't exclusive to car accidents. The claim there's no evidence of harm, though, is difficult to understand.
That is independent of what we do, whether people are overreacting about it and how we approach it, so I want to make that distinction.
Balt, E., Mérelle, S., Robinson, J. et al. Social media use of adolescents who died by suicide: lessons from a psychological autopsy study. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health 17, 48 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-023-00597-9
Bozzola E, Spina G, Agostiniani R, Barni S, Russo R, Scarpato E, Di Mauro A, Di Stefano AV, Caruso C, Corsello G, Staiano A. The Use of Social Media in Children and Adolescents: Scoping Review on the Potential Risks. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Aug 12;19(16):9960. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19169960.
Finkelhor D, Turner H, Colburn D. Prevalence of Online Sexual Offenses Against Children in the US. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Oct 3;5(10):e2234471. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.34471.
Janice, H. T. (2023). US Surgeon General warns about excessive social media use by young people. BMJ: British Medical Journal (Online), 381 doi:https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.p1211
Li, E. Rosalie. 2023. “Penny for Their Harm.” InfoEpi Lab, December. https://infoepi.org/posts/2023/12/20-penny-for-their-harm.
Riehm KE, Feder KA, Tormohlen KN, et al. Associations Between Time Spent Using Social Media and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems Among US Youth. JAMA Psychiatry. 2019;76(12):1266–1273. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.2325
Franchina, V., Vanden Abeele, M., van Rooij, A. J., Lo Coco, G., & De Marez, L. (2018). Fear of missing out as a predictor of problematic social media use and phubbing behavior among Flemish adolescents. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(10), 2319.
Twenge, J. M., Haidt, J., Lozano, J., & Cummins, K. M. (2022). Specification curve analysis shows that social media use is linked to poor mental health, especially among girls. Acta Psychologica, 224(103512), 103512.
Vincente-Benito, I. (2023). Influence of social media use on body image and well-being among adolescents and young adults: A systematic review. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing & Mental Health Services, 61(12), 11-18. doi:https://doi.org/10.3928/02793695-20230524-02
Wilksch, S. M., O’Shea, A., Ho, P., Byrne, S., & Wade, T. D. (2020). The relationship between social media use and disordered eating in young adolescents. The International Journal of Eating Disorders, 53(1), 96–106.
@erosalie @c_9 I discuss some of those in the post, but most of the research shows no *causal* link, and the few that show correlational links have evidence that the correlation is the other way (i.e., those facing other problems end up spending more time on social media...).
None of that's to say we shouldn't look for ways to help those in need, but to challenge the premise that social media is INHERENTLY harmful to kids, which is the theory behind the initiative.
@mmasnick @erosalie @c_9 this argument reminds me of smokers- every one had one grandfather who smoked a pack a day and lived to be 90. Social media has profit as a no. 1 priority. While there is nothing wrong with that, if there isn’t strong regulation in play users get the short end of the stick. I’m a high school teacher - kids low self confidence is a huge problem, becaused they are surrounded by filtered images.
@mmasnick @erosalie @c_9 yeah, that’s the problem- I’m not good enough to do it. I’m not strong enough to fight FB, IG, Snap, influencers, celebrities, corrupt politicians. God knows I try and fail each and every day.
There are very liberal democratic countries that have very clear limits on freedom of speech (Germany, Scandinavia...). Regulation is not perfect but is necessary. Because you can do as much harm with words as with guns.
@ProfT @erosalie @c_9 yes, and we've seen how those "very clear limits on freedom of speech" are regularly abused to silence the at risk and marginalized. I'd rather we don't do that here.