Exploring the impact of social media on mental health, this chapter discusses trends following 1995, focusing on the introduction of key features and the rise in mental health challenges, especially among adolescents. It also highlights the shift towards algorithm-driven newsfeeds and the changes in online interactions due to the evolution of social networking platforms.
This week, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Apple, saying the company holds a monopoly over the smartphone market. We break down the lawsuit and ask whether it will be a major turning point in Apple’s dominance. Then, Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist, argues that smartphones and social media are the cause of widespread increases in mental health issues among young people. He tells us his four potential solutions to the problem. And finally, Reddit’s market capitalization hit $9.2 billion when it debuted on the New York Stock Exchange this week, but the company still isn’t making money. We talk about the challenges Reddit faces as it goes public, and how the site may change as a result.
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