- A new report suggests social media platforms are "not safe" for teenagers and are causing harm on a "massive scale" due to their current "algorithmic" design.
- Academics from New York University, contributing to the World Happiness Report, found "overwhelming evidence" of direct harms like cyberbullying and "compelling evidence" of indirect harms such as depression and anxiety.
- The report, based on an analysis of seven studies, argues that the rapid adoption of social media by adolescents in the early 2010s significantly contributed to population-level increases in mental illness by the mid-2010s.
- Researchers also noted that social media platforms emphasising communication are more beneficial for user happiness than those focused on "algorithmic content".
- This report emerges as the UK government considers a social media ban for under-16s.
IN FULL
