A comprehensive study conducted by the University of Oxford’s Internet Institute, involving data from nearly 1 million individuals across 72 countries over 12 years, has found “no evidence” that the growth in Facebook usage led to “widespread psychological harm”. In contradiction to prior analyses and general perceptions, this study discovered “positive correlations” between Facebook adoption and indicators of well-being.
The research combined Gallup’s well-being data with Facebook’s global membership statistics to assess how engagement with the platform related to life satisfaction, positive psychological experiences, and negative psychological experiences.
While Facebook supplied data that had been verified for accuracy, the social media company neither commissioned nor influenced the study’s design, nor was it aware of the findings in advance. The research underwent peer review by the Royal Society Open Science journal.
Andrew Przybylski, a professor at Oxford University specializing in human behavior and technology, emphasized that the study “did not support the idea that Facebook membership is related to harm.” He even suggested a possible connection between Facebook and positive well-being. However, he cautioned that this finding doesn’t equate to evidence that Facebook is universally beneficial for users’ well-being.
The research spanned from 2008 to 2019, focusing on Facebook’s global reach, with data from 946,798 individuals gathered through Gallup’s World Poll Survey. The study’s co-author, Matti Vuorre, highlighted the innovative approach taken to analyze social media and noted that these findings should steer discussions about social media toward a more empirical foundation.
This study counters previous research, including 2021 academic analyses that indicated negative effects of Facebook on US college students’ mental health. Lawsuits alleging mental harm, depression, and anxiety caused by tech companies have been on the rise, with Facebook’s parent company, Meta, facing legal challenges. Despite the contradictions, the debate about social media’s impact continues, with broader empirical research encouraged to provide a clearer understanding of its effects.
SOURCE: Ref Image from The Independent
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