For the first time, a clear connection between the appearance of Facebook and significant damage to the mental health of students in the USA has been proven
In recent years, quite a few accusing fingers have been pointed towards the first social network, which Ototo celebrates 20 years of activity, with millions of friends and members all over the world. Claims that it deteriorates the culture of discourse, that it enables the spread of false news, that it presents a reality that does not exist, and that it is even responsible for increasing depression among its surfers are only a small part of the accusations that have arisen in recent years. An international study led by researchers from the universities of Tel Aviv, MIT in the United States and Bocconi in Italy, brought up new findings regarding the negative effect of the social network Facebook on the mental well-being of students in universities in the USA, already in its first years. The study examined the first two and a half years (2004 - 2006) in which the dominant social network operated mainly in academic institutions, when it was still possible to compare the users of the network with those who still do not have access to it, thus identifying a clear influence of the social network. The findings indicate dramatic differences, according to which access to Facebook increased by 7% the number of students who reported depression that made it difficult for them to function and by 20% the number of students who reported anxiety.
Just born and already causing trouble
The study was conducted under the leadership of researchers Dr. Roi Levy from the School of Economics at the Gershon Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof. Alexey Makarin from MIT University in the USA and Prof. Luca Braghieri from Bocconi University in Italy. The research was published in the prestigious American Economic Review, one of the most important international journals in the field of economics, and even won a prestigious award at the 2022 Econometric Society European Meeting (ESEM).
"Although over the years many studies have found a correlation between the use of networks and various mental symptoms, but in most cases the relationship is circumstantial and it is not possible to clearly determine that the use of social networks is indeed the cause of the mental problems. In the current study, we used a unique research method that allowed us to substantiate this claim," explains Dr. Roi Levy.
For the purpose of the study, as mentioned, the researchers returned to the year of the Facebook network's birth, 2004, at Harvard University in the USA. The researchers explain that when it was launched, Facebook was only open to students at Harvard University, meaning those with a Harvard email address. The network was a resounding success and soon it expanded to other universities in the US and abroad, until in September 2006 it was opened to everyone.
The unique research method used the two and a half years in which Facebook gradually spread, to compare the mental state of students who were exposed to it with those who were not. According to the researchers, this situation enabled research conditions similar to a 'natural experiment', which is not possible today, when billions of people use a large number of social networks. The research method merged information from two databases: the data on the spread of Facebook in US universities collected by the researchers, alongside a health survey called the National College Health Assessment, which is conducted periodically in colleges in the US and reflects the state of health in each college in real time.
"We focused on those questions in the survey concerning the mental health of the respondents. Thus we obtained a large sample with statistical significance. The sample allowed us to detect changes in mental health after the penetration of the Facebook network, not at the individual level but at the college level. Thus, in addition to the direct effect of the social network on its users, we could also examine an indirect effect on those who did not use it personally, but lived in an environment where the network is present", explains Dr. Levy.
"Access to Facebook increased by 7% the number of students who suffered from depression that made it difficult for them to function at least once in the year preceding the survey, and the number who suffer from an anxiety disorder by about 20%"
The social stage appearance for the 'enjoy more' phenomenon
The researchers built an index based on about 15 questions in the survey that were found to be relevant, in which the respondents referred to their mental state in the past year. They found a statistically significant decrease in mental health after the arrival of Facebook on campus, especially when it comes to depression and anxiety. Among the findings: access to Facebook increased by 7% the number of students who suffered from depression that made it difficult for them to function at least once in the year preceding the survey, and the number suffering from anxiety disorder by about 20%; The percentage of students who, according to the answers to the survey, are expected to suffer from clinical depression increased from 25% to 27%; And the proportion of students who stated that their studies were affected as a result of depression and/or anxiety increased from 13% to 16%. And more: the intensity of Facebook's mental impact reached about a quarter of that of job loss, and about 85% of the gap between the mental states of students with financial debt and that of students without debt, when job loss and debt are two factors known to have a strong impact on mental health.
"In this study, we tested the effect of Facebook at its beginning on the mental health of students who were exposed to it directly or indirectly, and we identified a statistically significant negative effect. The reason for this is open to interpretation. We believe that even then, as today, people used the social network to compare themselves to other users, and therefore the main victims were those who were initially in a sensitive position to such comparisons. To examine this, we relied on additional data from the general health survey, from which emerged, for example, a relatively high vulnerability of students who lived off campus and therefore did not take part in the college's social circle, and of students who had credit card debt, and were exposed online to their apparently more affluent friends.
"Also, we found that, although alcohol consumption among students did not change significantly, after the arrival of Facebook more students believed that their friends drank more alcohol, that is, 'enjoyed life' more than them. As we know, even today, when we all know social networks well, they generate jealousy, and users find it difficult to perceive that they do not necessarily reflect reality as it is. Not least 18-16 years ago, when the phenomenon was still completely new," concludes Dr. Levy.
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