Social media: two Australian studies challenge the rationale behind the ban
The first study, published in January in JAMA Pediatrics , looked at more than 100,000 young Australians and highlighted a non-linear relationship between social media use and wellbeing. Heavy use is associated with lower wellbeing. However, in several groups, a complete lack of use is also linked to lower well-being: moderate use therefore corresponds to the best outcomes. Among older… boys, non-users are even three times more likely to experience low well-being than moderate users. Among girls, the results also vary with age: abstinence is more beneficial amongst the youngest, whilst moderate use becomes more beneficial during adolescence. The authors conclude that recommendations should go beyond simple time limits to take into account age, gender and patterns of use. They emphasise, however, that these are associations and not proof of…