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Is social media bad for you? The evidence and the unknowns
BBC ^ | January 4, 2018 | Jessica Brown

Posted on 02/01/2021 6:00:33 PM PST by DoodleBob

Three billion people, around 40% of the world’s population, use online social media – and we’re spending an average of two hours every day sharing, liking, tweeting and updating on these platforms, according to some reports. That breaks down to around half a million tweets and Snapchat photos shared every minute.

With social media playing such a big part in our lives, could we be sacrificing our mental health and well-being as well as our time? What does the evidence actually suggest?

...

ANXIETY

Researchers have looked at general anxiety provoked by social media, characterised by feelings of restlessness and worry, and trouble sleeping and concentrating. A study published in the journal Computers and Human Behaviour found that people who report using seven or more social media platforms were more than three times as likely as people using 0-2 platforms to have high levels of general anxiety symptoms.

...

DEPRESSION

While some studies have found a link between depression and social media use, there is emerging research into how social media can actually be a force for good.

Two studies involving more than 700 students found that depressive symptoms, such as low mood and feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness, were linked to the quality of online interactions. Researchers found higher levels of depressive symptoms among those who reported having more negative interactions.

...

ADDICTION

Despite the argument from a few researchers that tweeting may be harder to resist than cigarettes and alcohol, social media addiction isn’t included in the latest diagnostic manual for mental health disorders.

...

SELF-ESTEEM

Women’s magazines and their use of underweight and Photoshopped models have been long maligned for stirring self-esteem issues among young women. But now, social media...is taking over as a primary concern among some campaigning groups and charities.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Computers/Internet; Society
KEYWORDS: bigmedia; health; internet; mentalhealth; socialmedia
This is an old article, but if deplatorming etc wasn't enough of driver for you to get off of social media, maybe this happy little ditty from the BBC will help.

For what it's worth, this is THE strongest dopamine trigger online: New posts to you

1 posted on 02/01/2021 6:00:33 PM PST by DoodleBob
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To: DoodleBob

A good benchmark for what is good for you, or bad for you, are the Ten Commandments, properly used and understood.


2 posted on 02/01/2021 6:11:01 PM PST by Fester Chugabrew (No audit. No peace.)
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To: DoodleBob

Social media is bad for individuals in that it destroys societies.

I know I haven’t contributed much to this thread. I really just wanted to trigger your dopamine.


3 posted on 02/01/2021 6:11:07 PM PST by cockroach_magoo
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To: DoodleBob

Watch the Social Dilemma movie. Eye opening and frightening.


4 posted on 02/01/2021 6:15:08 PM PST by BozoTexino (RIP GOP)
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To: DoodleBob

.


5 posted on 02/01/2021 6:37:26 PM PST by sauropod (#ImpeachMcConnell. #Resist. #NotMyPresident.)
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To: cockroach_magoo

I think some people get carried away, and seem to live their lives on social media.

Some people spend hours a day online, and get into back and forth with tweets and messaging back and forth, texting, snapchat, instagram, Facebook, email, and God knows what else.

People really should limit how much time they spend online, and not spend so much time poring over their phones.

There is life to be lived out there. Your life is not to be lived on a cellular phone.


6 posted on 02/01/2021 6:49:42 PM PST by Dilbert San Diego
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To: Fester Chugabrew

Great Observation. Social Media I’d a disaster for the US and world.


7 posted on 02/01/2021 7:09:25 PM PST by richardtavor ( )
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To: DoodleBob

Yes.

Zuckermother allowed “researchers” to run psyops on hundreds of thousands of users to deliberately play with their emotions only showing negative posts for an extended period to see how the users responded (especially in their own posts).

You are a lab rat and never opted into their psychological experiments.


8 posted on 02/01/2021 7:11:56 PM PST by a fool in paradise (Call on Joe Biden to follow Donald Trump's example and donate his annual salary to charity. )
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To: richardtavor

There’s more to it than my post asserts. Social media, like guns, are morally neutral. What we do with them, in accord with the Ten Commandments, is what matters. So . . . the creation is good. All of it. Our propensity to abuse is our problem.


9 posted on 02/01/2021 8:04:27 PM PST by Fester Chugabrew (No audit. No peace.)
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To: cockroach_magoo
Thank you.

New posts to you

10 posted on 02/01/2021 9:06:26 PM PST by DoodleBob (Gravity's waiting period is about 9.8 m/s^2)
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To: cockroach_magoo
Thank you.

New posts to you

11 posted on 02/01/2021 9:07:23 PM PST by DoodleBob (Gravity's waiting period is about 9.8 m/s^2)
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To: DoodleBob

Two hours of media (newspaper, tv, computer, phone, internet) daily is ethical. People who spend 2:01 hours of media daily, like me when I am tired, need to be cautious and find healthy alternatives.


12 posted on 02/01/2021 10:07:01 PM PST by Falconspeed
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