Tag: social media

Social Media Breaks Relieve Mental Health and Free up Time

Photo by Freestocks on Unsplash

Advising people to take a week-long social media break could lead to significant improvements in their wellbeing, depression and anxiety and could become a recommended part of maintaining mental health, according to the authors of a study published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking.

University of Bath researchers studied the mental health effects of a week-long social media break. Some participants were able to free up 9 hours a week of time otherwise spent scrolling Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok.

Their results suggest that just one week off social media improved individuals’ overall level of well-being, as well as reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety.

For the study, the researchers randomly allocated 154 individuals aged 18 to 72 who used social media every day into either an intervention group, where they were asked to stop using all social media for one-week or a control group, where they could continue scrolling as normal. At the beginning of the study, baseline scores for anxiety, depression and wellbeing were taken.

At the start of the study, average time spend on social media was 8 hours per week. After one week, the participants who were asked to take the one-week break had significant improvements in wellbeing, depression, and anxiety than those who continued to use social media, suggesting a short-term benefit.

Participants asked to take a one-week break reported using social media for an average of 21 minutes’ use compared to seven hours for the control group, with screen usage stats used to confirm adherence to the break. Lead researcher from Bath’s Department for Health, Dr Jeff Lambert explained: “Scrolling social media is so ubiquitous that many of us do it almost without thinking from the moment we wake up to when we close our eyes at night.

“We know that social media usage is huge and that there are increasing concerns about its mental health effects, so with this study, we wanted to see whether simply asking people to take a week’s break could yield mental health benefits.

“Many of our participants reported positive effects from being off social media with improved mood and less anxiety overall. This suggests that even just a small break can have an impact.

“Of course, social media is a part of life and for many people, it’s an indispensable part of who they are and how they interact with others. But if you are spending hours each week scrolling and you feel it is negatively impacting you, it could be worth cutting down on your usage to see if it helps.”

The team’s next steps include investigating short breaks in different populations (eg younger people) and to increase follow up time. If benefits persist, they speculate that this could help in mental health management.

Over the past 15 years, social media has undergone explosive growth. In the UK the number of adults using social media increased from 45% in 2011 to 71% in 2021. As many as 97% of 16 to 44-year-olds use social media, with scrolling being most frequent online activity.

Feeling ‘low’ and losing pleasure are core characteristics of depression, whereas anxiety is characterised by excessive and out of control worry. Wellbeing refers to an individual’s level of positive affect, life satisfaction and sense of purpose. According to the UK mental health organisation Mind, one in six people experience a common mental health problem like anxiety and depression in any given week.

Source: University of Bath

Negative Effects of Social Media on Girls and Boys

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

Girls and boys might be more vulnerable to the negative effects of social media use at different times during their adolescence, according to a study in Nature Communications. Girls were found to experience a negative link between social media use and life satisfaction when they are 11–13 years old and boys when they are 14–15 years old. Increased social media use again predicts lower life satisfaction at age 19 years. At other times the link was not statistically significant.

Since its rapid emergence over a decade ago, social media has prompted concern over its possible impacts on wellbeing, especially in younger people.

A team of researchers analysed two UK datasets which included longitudinal data on 17 400 young people aged 10–21 years old. The team looked for a connection between estimated social media use and reported life satisfaction and found key periods of adolescence where social media use was associated with a decrease in life satisfaction 12 months later. Working backwards, the researchers also found that teens who have lower than average life satisfaction use more social media one year later.

In girls, social media use between ages 11 and 13 was associated with a drop in life satisfaction one year later, whereas in boys this occurred between 14 and 15. This suggests that sensitivity to social media use could be linked to developmental changes, possibly changes in the structure of the brain, or to puberty, which occurs later in boys than in girls.

In both females and males, social media use at the age of 19 years was again associated with a decrease in life satisfaction a year later. The researchers suggest that that social changes at this age, such as leaving home, may make people particularly vulnerable.

At other times, the link between social media use and life satisfaction one year later was not statistically significant. Decreases in life satisfaction also predicted increases in social media use one year later; however this does not change across age and or differ between the sexes.

Dr. Amy Orben, the study leader, said: “The link between social media use and mental wellbeing is clearly very complex. Changes within our bodies, such as brain development and puberty, and in our social circumstances appear to make us vulnerable at particular times of our lives.”

Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, a co-author of the study, said: “It’s not possible to pinpoint the precise processes that underlie this vulnerability. Adolescence is a time of cognitive, biological and social change, all of which are intertwined, making it difficult to disentangle one factor from another. For example, it is not yet clear what might be due to developmental changes in hormones or the brain and what might be down to how an individual interacts with their peers.”

Dr. Orben added: “With our findings, rather than debating whether or not the link exists, we can now focus on the periods of our adolescence where we now know we might be most at risk and use this as a springboard to explore some of the really interesting questions.”

A further complication is that social media use can negatively impact wellbeing, but also the reverse is true, previously reported and confirmed by this study.

The researchers stress that these population-level findings do not predict which individuals are most vulnerable.

Professor Rogier Kievit said: “Our statistical modeling examines averages. This means not every young person is going to experience a negative impact on their wellbeing from social media use. For some, it will often have a positive impact. Some might use social media to connect with friends, or cope with a certain problem or because they don’t have anyone to talk to about a particular problem or how they feel—for these individuals, social media can provide valuable support.”

Professor Andrew Przybylski said: “To pinpoint which individuals might be influenced by social media, more research is needed that combines objective behavioural data with biological and cognitive measurements of development. We therefore call on social media companies and other online platforms to do more to share their data with independent scientists, and, if they are unwilling, for governments to show they are serious about tackling online harms by introducing legislation to compel these companies to be more open.”

Source: University of Oxford

Social Media Overuse Impacts Easily Distracted People Harder

Photo by Tracy le Blanc from Pexels
Photo by Tracy le Blanc from Pexels

People who are easily distracted are more susceptible to psychological distress and mental health issues from high levels of social media use, according to a study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders. The study tracked the phone data of 69 participants ranging from 18 to 58 year-olds to see their usage of popular apps including Instagram and Reddit over a week period.

Using an eye gaze test, the researchers tracked participants’ levels of distraction and inattention. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, a well-known psychological scale, was used to measure and quantify measures of distress.

Lead researcher Tamsin Mahalingham, Master’s student at Curtin University, said that the results showed a strong connection with low levels of attention control and high social media use negatively impacting mental health.

“Past research has flagged concerns about the negative mental health effects from high levels of social media use, but there isn’t clear evidence about why this is, or who might be most at risk,” Miss Mahalingham said.

“Our findings suggest that if you are a very distractable person, high levels of social media use may be particularly bad for your mental health. Study results revealed that those who showed lower levels of attention control were particularly at risk of negative mental health effects of heavy social media use.”

“This inability to stay focussed may lead to exposure to more irrelevant and distracting information and potentially longer durations of social media use. On the other hand, those with higher levels of attention control may be able to more easily ignore irrelevant and potentially damaging information in news feeds such as advertising.”

Supervising researcher, Dr Patrick Clarke, said that the increased follow-on effects of greater social media use that could negatively impact emotional wellbeing.

“Social media apps are designed to draw us in and keep us engaged and the longer we spend on social media, the more we can be exposed to including negative content, or content leading to self-comparison to unattainable ideals, like those often illustrated by influencers,” Dr. Clarke said.

“More time on social media also means less time doing other, possibly more important or more productive tasks, which can also increase feelings of depression and anxiety.

“Our research helps to understand who is most at risk from the adverse mental health effects of social media use and suggests that improving attention may minimize those risks.”

Source: Curtin University

Ridhwaan Suliman on Twitter: Graphs, Insight and Empathy

Photo by Tracy le Blanc from Pexels
Photo by Tracy le Blanc from Pexels

The Daily Maverick interviewed Dr Ridhwaan Suliman, a senior researcher at CSIR who has entered the spotlight by posting his concise, easy-to-understand COVID numbers graphs on Twitter.

Trained as a mechanical engineer and with a PhD in applied mathematics, he develops computational tools to model and simulate physical systems and processes. Equations in real-world contexts and how they govern physical systems are the relationships he translates into code. And from the code and modelling he can find solutions to make things work more optimally.

As a boy, he took apart his brothers’ old toys to see how they worked, and he took the same approach with COVID data to make sense of it. He started tracking the data in early 2020, and wanted to contribute in some way amidst all the growing uncertainty.

“When I started seeing the raw numbers that were being fed to us daily I couldn’t quite make sense of it myself because the raw numbers in isolation don’t show what’s happening, actually.”

As he tweeted his analyses, he drew attention for his concise summaries of the situation, and praise for helping people to understand the trends. However, he stresses that this is all unpaid, with nobody else’s agenda and that he is not a medical expert.

https://twitter.com/rid1tweets/status/1434570126091821062
This week’s update from Dr Ridhwaan

“I’m just comfortable with the numbers.” He gratefully turns to the science experts he engages with on Twitter because “there’s so much more to learn”, he says. That, and a lot of background reading, which he readily dives into.

Dr Suliman’s tracking of the data let him identify gaps and to add to the call for open data, better data collection and smarter analysis. This allows for the factoring in of more variables and laying out of better parameters. “Sure, data can be manipulated to fit a certain narrative, but the benefits outweigh the risks,” he says.

Even in the polarising, easily toxic world of Twitter, Dr Suliman’s interactions show a great empathy.

“We’ve all had numerous moments in this pandemic when things have been depressing and that’s probably something that doesn’t come out on Twitter because you’re generally only sharing things when things are hunky-dory, you don’t share when you’re not okay. There have been many times when I’ve just wanted to stop tweeting, but I get drawn back by people who reach out and say ‘you’re helping me’ – and that’s good enough reason to continue.”

Since he first started on Twitter, he has since appeared numerous times on television to explain the data behind COVID numbers.

Despite his newfound fame however, he looks forward to the time when he can travel again.  “I’ll trade the followers any day for our lives to go back to some sense of normality,” he says.

Source: Daily Maverick

August Poll Results; 18-34s Upbeat on Vaccines

Photo by Mufid Majnun on Unsplash

To date, nearly 12 600 000 vaccinations have been administered in South Africa, with 23.66% of the adult population now fully vaccinated. Quicknews’ August poll revealed that 44% of site visitors felt that the government’s COVID vaccine rollout was “Acceptable”, while 51% felt it was either “Poor” or “Very Poor”. Only 5% rated it “Good” or “Very Good”.

The Department of Health’s COVID-19 and Vaccine Social Listening Report finds that the demand for vaccination had increased, with around 250 000 daily jabs, fuelled by a surge by the recent eligibility of the 18 – 34 age group. The report highlights include:

  • Social media conversations are more positive about the vaccine rollout with improved services, such as free transport and pop-up vaccination sites. Barriers to vaccination seem now to be more of an issue than vaccine hesitancy. It is noticeable that most anti-vax videos originated from other countries (especially the US), while most pro-vax are local (eg celebrating being vaccinated).
  • While vaccination is met with eagerness and discussion among the 18 – 34 age group, they also still appear to be the most vaccine-resistant age group, believing themselves to be healthy and not needing a vaccine. Discussion over whether vaccines should be mandatory is ongoing, eg to go to concerts, with some disinformation suggesting that it is already happening, and a sign of control by the state.
  • There has been increasing media coverage supportive to vaccines. The Department of Health’s vaccine demand acceleration plan has been met positively, as well as favourable coverage of the FDA’s full approval of the Pfizer vaccine. 
  • However, there are some negative views of the government’s vaccine prioritisation, and is seen as neglecting basic services such as sanitation and public transport. 
  • A WhatsApp survey run by Praekelt.org suggests that 90% of 4,000 people who had been vaccinated are willing to encourage others to do so. People reportedly have more rational concerns about vaccines (efficacy, side effects, developed so quickly, reports of deaths) and not the wilder conspiracy theories (eg tracking devices, depopulation).
  • Disinformation and problematic statements such as those from Rev Kenneth Meshoe vaccine-resistant statements and support for anti-vaxxers Dr Susan Vosloo and Prof Tim Noakes have undermined vaccine trust.
  • There is some debate over preferences over currently available vaccines or those that may be available later, eg Astra Zeneca, Sinovac. Confusion on reports that J&J second dose might be required and other booster shots.
  • The report notes some anti-vaccination sentiment in the Muslim community, with messages circulated that vaccines are haram (forbidden by Sharia law), though most Muslim authorities produce responsible evidence-based views.

Source: SA Coronavirus Portal

Social Media Breaks Don’t Relieve Boredom or Stress

Photo by Tracy le Blanc from Pexels

A team of researchers has found that workers using their smartphone to take short breaks do not find reductions in boredom or fatigue. 

Smartphones have had an inescapable impact on society, and allow users to engage with a variety of apps. Anecdotal evidence also suggests that people use their phones in other ways as well, such as to alleviate boredom or to reduce stress. The researchers noted that many people use their smartphones to take short breaks from their work—and they wondered if doing so actually helped with boredom or reduced stress.

To find out, researchers at Radboud University’s Behavioural Science Institute in The Netherlands recruited 83 PhD candidates, each of whom were asked to report their level of boredom and fatigue every hour while they were working. They also received a smartphone app that logged its usage.

In comparing phone usage with self-reported levels of boredom and fatigue, the researchers were able to track the volunteers’ use of their phones to deal with boredom or fatigue. They found that not only did using their phones in such a manner not alleviate boredom or fatigue, in many cases it in fact made things worse. Volunteers who described themselves as more bored or more fatigued than others in the study did not take longer smartphone breaks than those feeling less bored or fatigued.

The researchers acknowledged that their study was small but their results suggest that workers might consider fatigue or boredom reducing alternatives. They noted also that some prior research has shown that boredom can sometimes be alleviated by engaging in activities that bring some degree of joy. They suggest that rather than mindlessly scrolling, they find ways to use their phones to bring them joy, such as by looking at pictures of loved ones.

Source: Medical Xpress

Journal information: Jonas Dora et al, Fatigue, boredom and objectively measured smartphone use at work, Royal Society Open Science (2021). DOI: 10.1098/rsos.201915

Validity of Screen Time Studies Questioned

Photo by Tracy le Blanc from Pexels


In the largest study of its kind to date, a systematic review and meta-analysis of people’s perceptions of their screen time compares to their actual usage, estimates of usage were found to be accurate only in about five per cent of studies.

Multiple studies have linked increasing amounts of ‘screen time’, looking at and using devices such as computers, tablets and smartphones, to a wide range of negative health outcomes such as depression and inactivity.

The international team say their results cast doubt on the validity of research on the impact of screen time on mental health, and its influences on government policy, as the vast majority rely on participants’ self-reported estimates on the amount of time spent on digital devices, rather than logs of actual usage, or tracked time. This research was published in Nature Human Behaviour

For lead researcher Dr Doug Parry at Stellenbosch University, the studies highlight how much our current perceptions of technology are built up on long-lasting, unchallenged assumptions.

“For decades, researchers have relied on estimates of how we use various technologies to study how people use digital media and the potential outcomes this behaviour can lead to. Our findings suggest that much of this work may be on unstable footing.”

“The screen time discrepancies highlight that we simply do not know enough yet about the actual effects (both positive and negative) of our media use. Researchers, journalists, members of the public, and crucially policy makers need to question the quality of evidence when they consider research on media uses and effects. We can no longer simply take claims of harmful effects at face value.”

The researchers also investigated whether questionnaires and scales addressing ‘problematic’ media use, such as excessive or so-called ‘addictive’ media use, were suitable substitutes for logged usage. There was even less of an association with usage logs to these measures.

Exhaustive literature survey

The research identified every existing study that compares logged or tracked media use measures with equivalent self-reports. Screening more than 12 000 articles for inclusion, they found 47 studies that included both types of measures. From here they were able to identify and extract 106 comparisons, based on 50 000 individuals, to address the question of how closely self-report estimates relate to logs of actual usage.

“These highly flawed studies are over-inflating the relationships between digital media use and typically negative outcomes, such as mental health symptoms and cognitive impairments, which of course explains the pervading view that smartphones among other technologies are bad for us,” commented Dr Brit Davidson from the University of Bath’s School of Management.

“Media and technology use takes the blame for everything from increases in teenage depression and suicide to higher incidence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and violence. If we want to properly investigate harms, we must first tackle assumptions about screen time and disentangle how people are actually using their phones or other technologies of interest.

“Importantly, these questionable studies are also being used to influence policy. The UK and Canada both have forms of screen time guidelines based on poorly conducted research, which is clearly worrying and hard to reverse.”

The researchers hope that the findings will prompt a change in how technology use is measured, as well as how society regards technology use, leading to a better understanding of our relationship with technology.

Source: News-Medical.Net

Journal information: Parry, D. A., et al. (2021) A systematic review and meta-analysis of discrepancies between logged and self-reported digital media use. Nature Human Behaviour. doi.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01117-5.

Distraction a Big Problem in Teletherapy Sessions

Photo by Tracy le Blanc from Pexels

A small survey has found that although therapists appear to prefer virtual sessions over in-person meetings, a significant proportion admit to being distracted while delivering care.

A third of respondents admitted to providing lower-quality care to clients during online sessions. Overall, 39% admitted to checking emails and social media while providing virtual care.

These were the results of a survey of 600 therapists conducted and published by OnlineTherapy.com, a virtual directory for teletherapists and counselors. It’s also an affiliate of the controversial app BetterHelp, stating on their website that the company “may receive compensation from BetterHelp if you purchase products or services through the links provided.”

Online care is generally well received by therapists: nearly half said they prefer virtual sessions over in-person meetings. They appreciated many advantages of virtual therapy, such as working from home which allows therapists to keep a flexible schedule and increases their availability. Video sessions also provide therapists with a uniquely intimate look into their clients’ daily lives, making assessing their mental health easier.

However, teletherapy has introduced its own challenges. Besides the struggle to remain for therapists to stay focused themselves, 56% of those surveyed said their clients are more easily distracted during virtual sessions, and 48% reported technological issues as a major impediment to their practice.

Peter Yellowlees, MD, of UC Davis Health in Sacramento, California, noted with concern and confusion that 16% of therapists reported substance use before or during their sessions.

“There are all sorts of people in this world who call themselves therapists, most of whom have very reasonable training, but quite a number don’t,” Dr Yellowlees told MedPage Today, expressing serious doubts about whether these rates of social media distraction and substance use during virtual sessions would ring true for mental health clinicians with PhDs and MDs.

According to a spokesperson from OnlineTherapy.com, the survey only asked if respondents were currently practicing mental health professionals and did not ask for their credentials or certifications.

The results of the survey did, however, echo Dr Yellowlees’s own concerns of mental health problems on the rise of among therapists in general. The vast majority (90%) said that during the last year they suffered mental health issues, including anxiety disorders (50%) and depressive disorder (48%). This would likely impact the level of care that a therapist able to provide to their clients.

A further concern is that 17% of respondents reported seriously considered suicide since the start of the pandemic.

But  Dr Yellowlees also sees teletherapy as a way for therapists to start getting the help that they need, rather than simply treating themselves in fear of stigma or possible repercussions for their licences.

“It’s undoubtedly helped significantly,” Dr Yellowlees said. “We know that certain teletherapies are actually good for the mental health of providers, as well as the patients.”

Source: MedPage Today

South African Volunteers Battle Vaccine Misinformation

Man with LED mask reading a burning newspaper. Photo by Connor Danylenko from Pexels.

As the long-delayed vaccine rollout in South Africa has begun, the government has run a public campaign to tackle prevalent health myths. But there are also volunteers who are waging an online battle against COVID and vaccine misinformation, as reported by the BBC.

Sarah Downs, who is studying molecular biology and infectious diseases, debunks false claims under the alias Mistress of Science and is fighting a surge of misinformation in South Africa. A relatively small collection of Facebook groups and users are responsible for promoting this misinformation. When she tweeted about her grandmother’s passing, a COVID denier questioned whether an autopsy had been performed. 
“We estimate that it’s about 20 000 South Africans who are actually active on anti-vax Facebook pages,” said Prof Hannelie Meyer, a pharmacist and adviser to the South African Vaccine and Immunisation Centre (Savic).

Most anti-vaccine claims in South Africa actually originate in the United States, according to a 2015 study. Anecdotal evidence, such as the spread of false claims about vaccines and DNA by an American osteopath, show this trend still holds in the pandemic.

Prof Meyer said that while data on vaccine hesitancy in SA are limited, studies indicate that more wealthy and educated groups, particularly among whites, are less willing to be vaccinated.

Leading virologist Prof Jeffrey Mphahlele has also pushed back against rumours, such as COVID and its vaccines being a Western plot to reduce Africa’s population and control its natural resources. He called the misinformation “mind boggling” – pointing out the supposed plot would require the West to create a virus that killed millions of its own people.

Even authority figures have promulgated falsehoods: South Africa’s top judge was recently criticised after a video showed him linking vaccines to a “Satanic agenda.”

One of the most prominent groups on Facebook, with some 10 000 members, seeks to spread “awareness” about vaccines but the members’ hard-line anti-vaccine attitude is very clear, ridiculing or dismissing vaccines. One video posted in the group – originally aired on an evangelical US Christian television programme – suggested getting a jab could lead to “a lifetime of illness”.

Sarah Downs stepped in to help answer questions amidst the deluge of misinformation, and one person she helped was Sheona Lottering, a swimming teacher.

“I had a friend that forwarded me a German article,” Sheona said. “She was trying to convince me that death was one of the side-effects [of a COVID vaccination].

“And I was a little bit freaked out about that.”

Sarah explained the subtleties around adverse events to her, and now Sheona keeps in contact with Sarah over difficult vaccine-related questions.

Lisa (not her real name) spends hours lurking in Facebook groups to guide people towards trusted sources of health information.

“The claims are so bizarre I could hardly believe there are people believing these things,” she said. “I don’t like misinformation, so when I see something, I just try to correct it.”

Doing this for over a decade, she’s seen communities grow and knows their tactics. She said that young mothers are a particular target in Facebook groups, where posts are coordinated to try and convince them not to vaccinate their children., which is when Lisa steps in. She keeps her inbox open and believes gentle communication works best – asking about people’s concerns rather than shouting statistics at them.

But Sarah, Lisa and other volunteers we spoke to risk exposing themselves to online abuse, and the prospects of persuasion can often seem slim. It’s difficult, pro-health work – that isn’t paid. So do they judge success?

“I think if I can just help one person be a little bit less terrified… that’s what I aim to get out of it,” Sarah says. “And if they’re willing to take the vaccine, even more so.”

Source: BBC News

A Dozen Accounts Responsible for Majority of COVID Misinformation

Photo by Connor Danylenko from Pexels

According to a report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), the majority of COVID and vaccine misinformation posts emanate from a dozen accounts.

Out of 812 000 anti-vaccine messages shared or posted on social media platforms between Feb 1 and March 16, 2021, 65% were attributed to just a handful of individuals, whom the report authors have dubbed the “Disinformation Dozen”, 13 users spread across 12 accounts (one of the accounts refers to a couple, Ty and Charlene Bollinger, who are alternative medicine activists).

Some of the individuals named include entrepreneur Joseph Mercola, author Robert F Kennedy Jr and chiropractor Ben Tapper, with the report including examples of the COVID misinformation that they shared on various social media platforms.

Mercola for example has shared his views on unproven COVID cures in various anti-vaxxer groups on Facebook, including one article saying “hydrogen peroxide treatment can successfully treat most viral respiratory illnesses, including coronavirus” getting 4600 shares.

The report notes that Robert Kennedy Jr often shares misinformation linked COVID vaccines to deaths, and his organisation, Children’s Health Defense, released a film in March that targeted American black and Latino communities with anti-vaccine messages. 

“According to our recent report, anti-vaccine activists on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter reach more than 59 million followers, making these the largest and most important social media platforms for anti-vaxxers,” said CCDH CEO Imran Ahmed.

“Despite repeatedly violating Facebook, Instagram and Twitter’s terms of service agreements, nine of the Disinformation Dozen remain on all three platforms, while just three have been comprehensively removed from just one platform,” the report added.

To combat the disinformation problem, the CCDH urged social media companies to deplatform the Disinformation Dozen, along with key organisations associated with the 12 individuals.

In a statement to Engadet, Facebook took issue with the report, claiming that “it taken action against some of the group”. However, the report contends that Facebook’s algorithm struggle to identify COVID misinformation.

Source: The Star