Social Media

A one-year study tracking high school students suggests addictive use of short-form videos limits teenagers' ability to focus on the future. This shortened perspective makes it harder for them to bounce back from everyday academic setbacks.

Young adults who spend at least an hour daily on apps like TikTok show increased connectivity across multiple brain networks compared to lighter users, according to new research.

A new study suggests that for people with dark personality traits, problematic social media use is often tied to relationship jealousy. For these individuals, compulsive scrolling frequently involves suspicious thoughts and cyberstalking their romantic partners.

The passive consumption of endless short-form videos creates cognitive fatigue popularly known as brain rot. A new study reveals how this digital exhaustion initiates a psychological cascade of burnout, stress, and anxiety that ultimately precipitates depression.

A new study suggests that highly dedicated celebrity fans, commonly known as stans, are more likely to be female, LGBTQ+, and politically liberal. These individuals use social media to find social connection and promote their favorite public figures.

Managing smartphone use in schools consumes over three full-time staff salaries a year, according to a new economic analysis. While restrictive policies are slightly cheaper to enforce, they offer no measurable boost to students' mental health.

An international survey reveals that spending more time on social media and dating apps is tied to lower body satisfaction. The study highlights how these platforms are linked to a higher drive for muscularity, particularly in men.

Instagram posts tagged with #SexPositivity often promote objectification, narrow beauty standards, and commercial branding more than sexual empowerment, according to research published in Sex Roles.

A recent study of over two million tweets suggests members of Congress are increasingly using angry rhetoric on social media. Researchers found that Democratic lawmakers are disproportionately driving this trend of digital outrage to build their political brands.

Social media is often blamed for toxic political debates, but a new global study links digital aggression to offline issues. Researchers found that users in less democratic and economically unequal countries report experiencing significantly more online hostility.

A daily diary study found that people with high attachment anxiety experience a spike in depression and a drop in self-esteem on days when their partner pays more attention to their phone than to them.

Brain imaging reveals that young women who self-harm possess a distinct neurological vulnerability online. Unlike healthy peers, their brain's reward centers become highly engaged by negative comments, a trait that correlates with problematic social media use.

A new study reveals that receiving downvotes on Reddit doesn't silence users or drive them into echo chambers. Instead, negative feedback encourages them to post more frequently while softening the emotional tone of their subsequent comments.

A new study of TikTok’s algorithm reveals a distinct political imbalance. During the 2024 election, the platform consistently exposed users to more conservative and anti-Democratic videos, regardless of their initial political interests or engagement habits.