The chapter explores the challenges scientists face in studying the impact of social media on mental health and emphasizes the need for high-quality data and a combination of research methods. It discusses the varying effects of social media use on mental health, highlighting the need for personalized recommendations and parental involvement.
Ian Sample talks to Dr Amy Orben, who leads the digital mental health programme at the Medical Research Council’s cognition and brain sciences unit, about why the link between teen mental health and social media is so difficult to study, what the current evidence tells us and what advice she gives to parents whose children are entering the online world for the first time. Help support our independent journalism at
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