social media – A New Vision for Mental Health

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt – a pocket full of poison

Author: Editorial 22nd March 2024 0 Comments

“An urgent and persuasive warning about the toll of ‘phone-based childhoods’” This article by Sophie McBain has been published in The Guardian. It begins: “At the start of the 2010s, rates of teenage mental illness took a sharp upward turn, and…
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a wellbeing society

anxiety, children and adolescents, Jonathan Haidt, smartphones, social media, Sophie McBain, The Guardian

Twitter (X) use predicts substantial changes in well-being, polarization, sense of belonging, and outrage

Author: Editorial 21st March 2024 0 Comments

This paper from Victoria Oldemburgo de Mello, Felix Cheung, and Michael Inzlicht has been published in Communications Psychology. The abstract says: “In public debate, Twitter (now X) is often said to cause detrimental effects on users and society. Here we address…
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a wellbeing society

Communications Psychology, Felix Cheung, Michael Inzlicht, polarisation, polarization, Research, social media, twitter, Victoria Oldemburgo de Mello, wellbeing, X

For Teen Girls, Rare Psychiatric Disorders Spread Like Viruses on Social Media

Author: Editorial 16th November 2023 0 Comments

“Researchers argue that a massive sudden spread of unusual psychiatric problems follows the pattern of ‘psychosomatic social contagion.’” This report by Peter Simons has been published by Mad in America. It begins: “TikTok’s ‘sick-role subculture’ leads to children taking on the…
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a wellbeing society

children and adolescents, Comprehensive Psychiatry, Mad in America, Peter Simons, psychosomatic social contagion, Research, social media, TikTok, wellbeing

Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention

Author: Editorial 18th February 2022 0 Comments

With relevance to wellbeing (and improved sense-making), this book has been written by Johann Hari. The publishers say: “Why have we lost our ability to focus? What are the causes? And, most importantly, how do we get it back?For Stolen Focus, internationally…
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a wellbeing society

ADHD, attention span, diet, Impairment of sense-making, information overload, Johann Hari, sleep disruption, smartphones, social media, wellbeing

How mental health became a social media minefield

Author: Editorial 7th February 2022 0 Comments

Subtitled “Social media is now basically WebMD for mental health”, this article by Rebecca Jennings has been published by Vox. It begins: “When I first downloaded TikTok, in the fall of 2018, it only took a few days for my…
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a wellbeing society

ADHD, Culture & Society, Rebecca Jennings, social media, TikTok, Vox

Pop Pills: the usage of behavior medication by kids in the USA

Author: Editorial 4th November 2021 0 Comments

POP PILLS is the result of an extended investigation by French photojournalist Baptiste Lignel on the use of “behavior medication“ by youths in the USA. The publishers say: This book combines M. Lignel’s photography with elements from popular culture and social media, which bring additional voices to the narrative…
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a wellbeing society

ADHD, anxiety, Baptiste Lignel, behavior medication, behaviour medication, books, Culture & Society, depression, OCD, popular culture, social media, USA

Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic for Teen Girls, Company Documents Show

Author: Editorial 16th September 2021 0 Comments

James Wakefield, reporting for the BBC, cites an article in the Wall Street Journal headlined “Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic for Teen Girls, Company Documents Show”. His article begins: “Facebook-owned Instagram has been criticised for keeping secret its internal research into…
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a wellbeing society

anxiety, BBC, children and adolescents, depression, Facebook, Instagram, James Wakefield, National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, social media, suicidality, teenage girls, Wall Street Journal

Living online: the long-term impact on wellbeing

Author: Editorial 28th June 2021 0 Comments

Committees within the UK Parliament consider policy issues, scrutinise government work, expenditure, and examine proposals for primary and secondary legislation. The UK Parliament’s Covid-19 Committee say that: “The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated our rapidly increasing reliance on digital technology. This inquiry will…
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COVID-19, Covid-19 Committee, digital technology, online life, social media, UK Parliament, wellbeing, working life

Teens, tech and mental health: Oxford study finds no link

Author: Editorial 6th May 2021 0 Comments

Zoe Kleinman reports for the BBC : “There remains ‘little association’ between technology use and mental-health problems, a study of more than 430,000 10 to 15-year-olds suggests. The Oxford Internet Institute compared TV viewing, social-media and device use with feelings of depression, suicidal tendencies…
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a wellbeing society

Andrew Przybylski, children and adolescents, Clinical Psychological Science, depression, Oxford Internet Institute, Research, social media, suicide, teenagers, wellbeing

Social media damages teenagers’ mental health, report says

Author: Editorial 28th January 2021 0 Comments

Cristina Criddle reports for the BBC: “Teenagers’ mental health is being damaged by heavy social media use, a report has found. Research from the Education Policy Institute and The Prince’s Trust said wellbeing and self-esteem were similar in all children of…
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a wellbeing society

BBC, children and adolescents, Cristina Criddle, Education Policy Institute, exercise, Family income, maternal health, Millennium Cohort Study, Research, self-esteem, social media