Netflix’s Adolescence sparked the debate about whether social media can push boys towards misogyny. Research suggests a more complex picture: harmful content exists, but its influence and interpretation depend on much more than the type of content itself.
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Back to January 2021: you are at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic and decide to scroll through social media for some much-needed distraction. Within seconds, you come across posts about microchips in vaccines, COVID spreading through 5G networks, and President Trump suggesting that injecting
When mental illnesses are detected early and treated promptly, people affected tend to suffer less and have a better chance of recovery. Until now, identifying signs of mental illness in everyday life has required human expertise. Researchers are developing new approaches to automatically detect
Why do so many of us, especially women, struggle to feel comfortable in our own bodies? This article explores how sociocultural pressures and social media shape body dissatisfaction and drive interest in cosmetic surgery. It also offers evidence-based strategies to build a healthier, more
Do you find it difficult to reduce the time you spend on social media in the long term? Are you interested in learning why you often use social media excessively and what negative effects this can have on you? Here, you'll not only find answers but also practical strategies to protect your mental
Dating apps are said to have turned dating into an addiction. Instead of efficiently connecting people for in-person dates, users may get lost in “binge swiping”. But what makes it so hard to stop swiping – and when does it become a problem? We review existing research and explain what researchers
Social media is far more than a tool for communication, it is a digital social environment at scale. Unlike any other space before it, social media platforms expose us to the judgements of others. From expressions of admiration to condemnation, we are immersed in the opinions of others with
The popularity of users like politicians and political influencers on social media demonstrates their power and sway over public discourse today. But how do these political users gain and maintain power? This article explores how the current media landscape is dominated by political influencers and
Self-diagnosing occurs when individuals who are not medical professionals intrinsically establish themselves as living with a particular medical diagnosis. Self-diagnosing is becoming all the more prominent due to increasing communication about health, symptoms, and diagnoses online, namely on
From fight videos on TikTok to hate comments on Instagram, violence is omnipresent online, but what does it do to our empathy? Studies reveal that repeated exposure to digital aggression can reduce our ability to feel concern or discomfort when witnessing others' pain, especially in teens. Yet
