RESEARCH
This isn't opinion. This is peer-reviewed science, leaked internal documents, and government investigations. The evidence is overwhelming.
Teens using social media 3+ hours/day have 3x the risk of depression
Increase in teen depression since 2012 (smartphone adoption)
Increase in teen suicide attempts since 2008
Of Facebook users say it would be hard to give up
Mental Health
Association of Facebook Use With Compromised Well-Being
Shakya & Christakis • American Journal of Epidemiology • 2017
Finding: Facebook use was negatively associated with overall well-being, including life satisfaction, mental health, and physical health.
Read the study →Social Media Use and Adolescent Mental Health
Twenge et al. • Clinical Psychological Science • 2018
Finding: Adolescents who spent more time on screen activities were significantly more likely to have high depressive symptoms or at least one suicide risk factor.
Read the study →The Facebook Experiment
Allcott et al. • American Economic Review • 2020
Finding: Deactivating Facebook for 4 weeks increased well-being, reduced political polarization, and freed up time—without lasting effects on Facebook use after reactivation.
Read the study →Attention & Cognition
Brain Drain: The Mere Presence of One's Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity
Ward et al. • Journal of the Association for Consumer Research • 2017
Finding: The mere presence of your smartphone—even when off—reduces cognitive capacity and impairs cognitive functioning.
Read the study →The Attention Economy
Lorenz-Spreen et al. • Nature Communications • 2019
Finding: Collective attention spans are narrowing due to information overload and increased competition for our attention.
Read the study →Teen & Child Development
Instagram's Effects on Teen Mental Health
Facebook Internal Research • Leaked Internal Documents • 2021
Finding: "We make body image issues worse for one in three teen girls." "Teens blame Instagram for increases in anxiety and depression."
Read the study →Social Media and Youth Mental Health
U.S. Surgeon General • Advisory Report • 2023
Finding: Adolescents who spend more than 3 hours per day on social media face double the risk of poor mental health outcomes.
Read the study →Addiction & Design
How Technology Hijacks People's Minds
Tristan Harris • Center for Humane Technology • 2016
Finding: Social media apps deliberately exploit psychological vulnerabilities using techniques like variable rewards, social approval, and fear of missing out.
Read the study →Problematic Social Media Use
Andreassen et al. • Psychological Reports • 2017
Finding: Social media addiction follows the same patterns as substance addiction: salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, and relapse.
Read the study →A Note on This Research
The studies listed here represent a fraction of the growing body of evidence on social media's harms. We've prioritized peer-reviewed research, government reports, and internal documents over opinion pieces. That said, correlation isn't always causation—but when former executives admit they designed these products to be addictive, the picture becomes clear.