Participants were measurably happier and less anxious.

But, disappointingly, not by a huge margin:

Perhaps this is due to the fact a significant number of users switched to less harmful online platforms and didn’t stop using their phones.

Or perhaps there is actually something more sinister. My real concern with this study is the involvement of Meta.

We actually have evidence that Meta halted internal research about social media:

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/meta-buried-causal-evidence-social-media-harm-us-court-filings-allege-2025-11-23/

Would you study tobacco and have tobacco companies involved?

Would you study obesity and have Coca-Cola involved?

I don’t want to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but could Meta actually bully/bribe Stanford in order to change the figures?

  • Apytele@sh.itjust.works
    5·
    12 hours ago

    This is why I opted for the keep messenger option when I deactivated my account. I have so many people even just from old jobs and while I can get a job pretty much anywhere I apply (that offers my specialty) and be working within a month, that comes with having to vet employers / weed out sketchy facilities.

    So I need to be able to message old coworkers and be like “hey do you know anyone who’s worked at ___? That 10k sign on bonus is SUS” and have them be like “yeah 5 people got fired and 15 bailed after the state inspection. They were reusing paper iso gowns and billing for surgeries their sister hospital in the city was doing to get the Medicaid incentive for providing rural care.” Like WUT. Honestly me having a low social media presence is a plus for most employers especially in psychiatry, but I need to be able to get the tea on these people before I sign up for REAL shitshow instead of the lowkey kind I’m used to.