heavy use of social media is linked to mental illness

Question

Youngsters report problems with anxiety, depression, sleep and “FoMO”

Comments

Good catch on the numbers lining up! The Economist is solid, but it’s also helpful to remember that correlation doesn’t necessarily mean causation. Mental health issues in teens could have multiple contributing factors, not just social media. Some studies even suggest that how one uses social media ,passively or interactively, impacts mental health differently. Emphasizing this could add depth to the discussion on social media's role in youth mental health.

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"I agree that this is in line with the ideas of cultivation theory, which contends that too much television viewing can alter people's perceptions of the world. This idea can also be applied to social media, where extended use may affect users' perceptions and interpretations of the outside world.

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After fact-checking, I agree that this article comes from a reputable source. While some of the vocabularies vary, research shows that social media provided through various mediums can affect mental health.

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Really great catch on the claims of both articles not quite lining up with each other. While I agree that the original author of the fact check did well in finding reputable sources to support their claim, the evidence provided does not combine into sound enough evidence to suggest that heavy use of social media is linked to mental illness. The article included in the original claim, as well as the two included in the fact-check, come from sound sources and provide important information. However, they fail to establish causation.

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The overwhelming amount of life highs people post on social media can also make it feel as though you are missing out. When you are bombarded with content that only shows perfect moments in people's lives makes it easy to feel like you are less than.

Answer 1

This article from The Economist claims that the heavy use of social media by young people (ages 14-21) can negatively impact their mental health. They support this claim by presenting a 2017 survey by the Royal Society for Public Health, a reliable charity that is dedicated to doing research in support of public health. The link that they embedded was no longer working, but I was able to locate the study on their website, (https://www.rsph.org.uk/our-work/campaigns/status-of-mind.html) and it aligns with the claims presented in the article, that the use of social media is linked to worsened sleep, anxiety, depression, FOMO, bullying, and worsened self-image. They used two other studies as well, both of which were linked and were legitimate studies. I was also able to find several other reliable sources making the same claims, such as UC Davis Health (https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/social-medias-impact-our-mental-health-and-tips-to-use-it-safely/2024/05#:~:text=Mental%20health%20impacts,reward%20center%20by%20releasing%20dopamine.), Yale medicine (https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/social-media-teen-mental-health-a-parents-guide), and the National Library of Medicine (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9915628/). This proves that The Economists claim is legitimate, because it is based on reliable research and evidence, and aligns with many other research studies.

Comments

This is a really good analysis of why this article is true! You looked into the sources and evidence that the article utilized and found out whether they were credible. I also liked how you referenced the NLM, it is a very useful source that I use to find anything health/medical related as they conduct their own studies and research and post their findings.

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This FactCheck goes beyond simplicity and provides us with more than enough information to understand the claim and the facts. You were able to incorporate lots of data found from other websites, and you linked them for further use which was great. The FactCheck is overall very organized and easy to read, making it an enjoyable experience for the person reading.

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I think you analyzed this claim very well, and pulled information and data which better unpacks the claim originally made. When you included the link to UC Davis Health, I opened the article and found their research also closely aligned with the website used to support the main claim. One thing from the UC Davis Health site which stood out to me was when they mentioned almost 4.9 billion people use social media worldwide as of just last year in 2023. I feel this number helps put into perspective how much of an impact social media and technology has on society. I also think it further supports the idea that those who may have experienced "FOMO" easily succumbed to eventually investing into different social media platforms that exist today.

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The review of the article's credibility is good.  You researched the article's sources and supporting data to determine its accuracy.   I appreciated how you cited the the National Library of Medicine; it's a great resource for finding anything related to health or medicine.

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This answer is very thorough. I agree completely that social media is negative towards mental health and can lead to increased anxiety and depression. Social media gives people new "problems" to stress about and people are constantly being exposed to poor opinions from people who are not qualified to be making certain claims.

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I think your response was very thorough and summarized well! You provide multiple sources while stating the most important facts. This helps allow the reader to understand your claim easily. Great job!

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I think this fact check is good because it doesn't just present an answer, but also shows evidence in multiple scientific studies done to prove the point. I think it's also worth pointing out that the studies are from reputable sources as well. You also presented the information in a very simple and understandable way.

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This is a very good and thorough factcheck. The evidence shows how social media can have a negative impact on mental health.  You use multiple reliable sources that back up your claim and explained them well!

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This is a good source to support the claim because the source is a health related. Included other sources too that the original source used was smart and showed the original source is credible. The explanation was also good because it is true. The supporting resources included Yale and National Library of Science. Social media is so harmful to kids ages 14-21 because you are still growing as a person and defining yourself.

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I agree that social media does have negative aspects towards mental health. You did an great job at analyzing the articles you linked. It also helps a lot including more than one article in your analysis which further backs up the points you bring up.

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This was a great factcheck. You found the original source and checked that the claim and information offered in the article aligned, and you also were able to find other sources outside of the article that supported the claim. This was straight to the point and well done!

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I appreciate you use of good and reliable sources. It shows that you not only did normal research you went above and beyond to state your factcheck is true. Good Job.

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This is a really good answer and fact check to this claim. You have good reliable sources and the information you provided really helps me as a reader. You provide evidence that shows how social media can have a negative impact on mental health.

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You did a good job on this fact check to find the original study, even with the broken link, and backing it up with more reliable sources like UC Davis Health and Yale Medicine makes it even stronger. You did a great job showing that this claim about social media's impact on mental health is backed by tons of research.

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The Royal Society for public health's survey is a great credible piece of evidence, and it’s great that you verified it directly. It’s also interesting how you backed it up with evidence from other trusted sources like UC Davis Health and Yale Medicine that show a consistent link between heavy social media use and issues like anxiety or depression!

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I want to commend you on taking the time to find the broken link to the economist source for the claim. It should be also mentioned that when clicking on the source now it states that the study is more than 4 years old which indicates that they're may have been an updated study that could back up or provide different evidence to the study. In addition, your claim of The Economist paper being true is well argued because you have two additional pieces of evidence outside of the paper that support your claim. However, if there was anything I would add to this comment would be finding a study that shows how reduce screen time could lead to less depression.

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I like how you gave sources and included information that was once outdated in your response.

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This Is a great factcheck. I appreciate how you went out of your way to find the original study to make sure it has the same findings as repeated in the article. By doing this you were able to find out If the source had fabricated or exaggerated any of its claims. You also used great sources, all being .org, .gov or .edu. These all have high level domains, which are referred to as trusted organizations on the interment compared to the classic .com.

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I like how you used a mix of sources to back up the claim about social media's effects on sleep and anxiety. One thing that could make your fact-check even stronger is to explain how each study actually looked at these issues. For example, did any of them involve direct experiments with social media users, or were they based on surveys? Different methods can lead to different results, so breaking that down a bit might help readers see the strengths of each source you used.

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I like that you went the extra mile to find the Royal Society for Public Health study and confirmed the link between social media use and mental health issues. Social media and mental illness being linked is a pretty serious claim and needs to be checked.

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This response does an excellent job showcasing careful research and effective fact-checking, which are essential skills for a fact-check journalist. I liked how you demonstrated thoroughness by verifying The Economist's claim with the original 2017 Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) survey, proving that the link in the article was outdated and providing the updated link for some credibility. By citing additional sources from UC Davis Health, Yale Medicine, and the National Library of Medicine, you also establish that the claim is widely supported by very reputable institutions, which strengthens your argument and helps readers stay informed from multiple different perspectives.

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You did a great job tracking down additional sources to support the claim made by The Economist, especially the UC Davis Health article and the Royal Society for Public Health study. However, I think it’s important to keep in mind that while studies generally show a correlation between social media use and mental health problems, there are a few studies that suggest the relationship might be more complex. For instance, some research points to the type of social media interaction being key—active engagement (posting, commenting) might have different effects than passive scrolling. I found a study by the American Psychological Association (APA) that suggests young people who use social media to connect with friends or seek social support report fewer negative mental health outcomes than those who engage in more solitary, comparison-driven scrolling. I think it’s important to highlight that these effects aren't regular and can vary depending on how social media is used. You might want to include this angle as well for a more balanced view.

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This fact check was very well done, I appreciated how you used a mix of sources to come to a final conclusion on your thoughts on this claim. You used actual health articles such as the UC Davis Health article and the Royal Society, which are both very reliable.

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This is a fantastic answer to the claim. You put in a lot of effort to verify the reliability of their sources. Not only researching their first source's institution and reputation but to go further to check all of the sources cited. And then along with that you located your own reliable sources to fact-check all of the information. You do a great job of explaining what each article is claiming and how that relates to the initial claim. Great job!!

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I fully agree with your comment. The article in The Economist seems well-supported by credible research, including the 2017 survey by the Royal Society for Public Health, to which you verified their claims on social media's impacts on mental health. Other sources you obtained, such as UC Davis Health, Yale Medicine, and the National Library of Medicine, support this very notion that excessive social media can be the cause of such issues as anxiety, depression, and self-esteem problems. The fact-checking and cross-referencing of credible studies performed show just how the legitimacy of the claim of this article stands upon solid ground for its evidence-based foundation.

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This answer does an excellent job of following the facts and concluding that the article is factual. Headlines catch our attention, but those that come from reputable sources can generally be trusted. However, it's important today that before we talk to others about what we have read, we take the time to make sure the information is legitimate, regardless of the source

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Fantastic answer with multiple credited academic and medical sources, explaining the contents and general information of each combining it into a great fact checking answer.

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Your response to this claim was really well thought out, and I appreciate how you included a variety of credible sources including Yale Medicine and UC Davis Health, both of which are very credible of course. Each article you cited supports the claim with differing evidence and perspectives. I like how you noted the survey and why it relates to the claim. Good job factchecking this!

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The overwhelming amount of life highs people post on social media can also make it feel as though you are missing out. When you are bombarded with content that only shows perfect moments in people's lives makes it easy to feel like you are less than.

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I loved how thoughout your response to the claim was! You used several credible sources to back up what you're saying. Each article supported what you were saying while adding several different view points o to let the reader see the argument from multiple perspectives.

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I think this is a strong factcheck. I like the details included like the year of the survey taken. I like how you include the specific results of heavy social media use like worsened sleep, anxiety, depression, FOMO, bullying, and worsened self-image.  And the 4 sources you provided are all reputable.

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This is a really great fact-check. You used great statistics and had several great credible sources that made your fact-check stronger. I like how you included effects of social media on kids such as FoMO, bullying, anxiety, and others. All of that made this fact-check very strong.

Answer 2

The Economist article discusses how young people aged 14-24, believe that platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter exacerbate anxiety, depression, and sleep deprivation. Social media use has been linked to body image issues, cyberbullying, and the "fear of missing out". Additionally, research tracked Facebook users over time, finding a correlation between increased activity and a decline in mental health. The NCBI conducted a study that explores similar concerns but provides a more structured scientific approach. They examined the specific psychological mechanisms behind social media use and found a link between heavy exposure to social media and an increased risks of anxiety and depression due to constant social comparison, cyberbullying, and the addictive nature of these platforms. This study aligns with the findings from The Economist. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9915628/

Comments

This is an awesome fact check to the claim of "Heavy Use of Social Media is linked to Mental Illness." The inclusion of statistics could even make it better and prove how much of an effect social media has on people aged 14-24. Additionally, you could agree with the fact check at the beginning to let the reader know what your viewpoint is rather than figuring it out mid way through the paragraph. The article included in your response is very good and closely relates and proves the claim said.

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I think that your use of sources is excellent, however, I wish that you used more quotes to specifically cite the evidence. You also mention two articles but only cite one of them. Most of this information seems paraphrased, but it also seems like you are very knowledgeable on the content which makes it understandable and clear.

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After reading your fact check, I think that your use of sources is pretty good, but I do wish that you used more quotes to cite the evidence that you used in your response. Most of your answer is easy to understand with clear information though there are things to improve upon.

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This response is effective because it combines evidence from credible sources to provide a well-rounded analysis of social media's impact on mental health. It highlights specific issues such as body image concerns, cyberbullying, and the fear of missing out, making the argument relatable and clear. I like this response because it is structured, informative, and balanced, making it both compelling and easy to follow.

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This is a nice fact-check! You succinctly reiterate in information while providing a reputable source/study that backs up the impact of social media on the youth. I think that while this fact check is good, using specific figures or quotations from your research could help make it even better. Good job!

Answer 3

The Economist article, “How heavy use of social media is linked to mental illness,” briefly explains the increase in mental health issues, like anxiety and depression, that social media has had on individuals aged 14-24. To further prove this claim, the article, “The Social Dilemma: Social Media and Your Mental Health” (https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/it-or-not-social-medias-affecting-your-mental-health), expands on this idea by saying, “[Fear of missing out] can create anxiety and depression. When people look online and see they’re excluded from an activity, it can affect thoughts and feelings, and can affect them physically.” This proves that the article from The Economist is not misinformation and is telling the truth about how extended use of social media sites can decrease an individual’s mental health.

Comments

I like how you used another article to back up the claim made by The Economist. However, it would have been helpful to include more sources to further prove its validity, especially with quantitative statistics. It's also important to explain how these two sources are connected specifically (was The Social Dilemma article referenced in The Economist article or did you look up the claim separately?)

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I like your summary of the initial post, it helps to give the reader context and show what evidence you will be using to back up your claim. I also like how you used the other article, but I think you could have used an additional source especially because the effects of social media have been researched so extensively

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I like your use of furthering the discussion by adding the source “The social dilemma” this is a very thoroughly conducted study and goes into depth on how exactly social media is designed to get you addicted, and how that can impact your mental health. Tristan Harris, one of the main contributors for this documentary was actually a former Google design ethicist, and had a first hand look at how tech companies and major cooperations design their products to be more addictive.

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A great straightforward summary that overall validates the claim. In providing another article, you were able to further link it to the current article as well. Did your other article provide any other studies or data in return?

Answer 4

This article from The Economist makes the claim that “Heavy use of social media by young people can have negative effects on their mental health.” They link social media usage to anxiety, depression, FOMO, lack of sleep, and negative self-image. The article supports their claim by providing a 2017 survey by the Royal Society for Public Health. The claims from this study match with the claims in the article. I looked into the other sources they used as well, all of which proved to be reliable. I looked into this claim further and found a variety of other reliable sources which share the same claim, such as The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Social Media and Youth Mental Health, which expands on this claim explaining, “Excessive and problematic social media use, such as compulsive or uncontrollable use, has been linked to sleep problems, attention problems, and feelings of exclusion among adolescents. Sleep is essential for the healthy development of adolescents. A systematic review of 42 studies on the effects of excessive social media use found a consistent relationship between social media use and poor sleep quality, reduced sleep duration, sleep difficulties, and depression among youth. Poor sleep has been linked to altered neurological development in adolescent brains, depressive symptoms, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. On a typical weekday, nearly 1-in-3 adolescents report using screen media until midnight or later. While screen media use encompasses various digital activities, social media applications are the most commonly used applications by adolescents.” (https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf) 

Comments

I believe you've analyzed this article well! I appreciate how you were able to pull from the article for information backing up the claim, as well as being able to go into multiple different sources such as official government health websites. Additionally, you could have condensed the second source of information and instead referenced certain quotes and expanded upon them.

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I think this was a really good analyzation, you used many different stats to prove why you believe this article so true.

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I like how you backed up your points with reliable sources like the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory and provided various data points verifying the claim of the original post. However, I've found that it’s always worth noting that not all social media use has the same effects on the same people. That being said, great fact-check and I also believe this claim to be true based on research, these posts, and personal experience.

Answer 5

Looking further into the survey that tracked a group of 5,208 Americans between 2013 and 2015, there is definitely a decrease in mental health associated with Facebook activity according to the charts and tables on the Semantic Scholar website. With 294 Citations and 71 References, the Association of Facebook Use with Compromised Well-Being: A Longitudinal Study is a very reliable survey proving this claim to be true. The source and abundant additional supporting information is legitimate. 

https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Association-of-Facebook-Use-With-Compromised-A-Shakya-Christakis/5270606dec382cfd50e925467ba35dac44654fc1

Comments

I like how you included a study and data to confirm that the claim is true. Maybe you could site some specific data from the study that shows the link between Facebook activity and a decrease in mental health.

Answer 6

The article from The Economist that claims heavy use of social media is linked to mental illness is completely true. The article states "But they also said that the platforms exacerbated anxiety and depression, deprived them of sleep, exposed them to bullying and created worries about their body image and “FOMO” (“fear of missing out”). Academic studies have found that these problems tend to be particularly severe among frequent users". This claim of frequent issues of anxiety, depression and sleep deprivation line up with The National Library of Medicine's article on Link between excessive social media use and psychiatric disorders. 

The story states "Social media use is the second leading cause of disability among psychiatric disorders". It also says "However, unrestrained use of social media can lead to the development of many psychosocial problems, such as disturbed sleep4–6, decreased subjective happiness7, and poor academic performance8,9, in addition to anxiety and depression6,10". This article explains how social media and mental illness directly coincide wth one another. When an individual has a problem with their mental health they often lean onto social media, and when one examines their mental illness it can often come from chronic social media use. Therefore proving the claim that heavy use of social media is linked to mental illness as true. 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10129173/

Comments

This review is very helpful on why this article is true. You looked into the sources and the evidence that the article used and found a second article to back up the claim from The National Library of Medicine.

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i like that you went in depth with your analysis, and provided a government issued website to factcheck. i also like that you used quotes and data points.

Answer 7

The article shared shows some research studies for people in age groups 14-24.  The research shows how almost all social media platforms have negative effects with bullying, FOMO, and depression.  To go along with this article another one says, "Using that data, the organization drew some conclusions on the relationship between high school students' social media use and bullying, feelings of hopelessness, and suicide risk. The findings show that most students use social media frequently and it significantly affects their mental health." 

Frequent social media use tied to bullying and suicide risk, CDC finds | Mashable

Comments

I looked into the source you used, and while reliable, quoting the original CDC document would have been more useful and strengthened your claim and reasoning here. Besides this, your claim helps the original poster out.

Answer 8

This article from the Economist explains the effect on young people that spend a great amount of time on social media, supporting that heavy users can exacerbate anxiety, depression, deprived sleep, bullying and create worries about body image FOMO. Doing some research on other studies like the one conducted at Columbia Psychiatry it is seen the “same effects” (“Smartphones, Social Media, and Their Impact on Mental Health”) that heavy users have in social media aligning with the claim the Economist makes. According to an article from the university of Staford they also claims that “social media addiction has a strong link with mental health problems” (“Social Media Addiction and Mental Health: The Growing Concern for Youth Well-Being | Stanford Law School”). In this article they also mention several studies conducted through diverse sources pointing and proving that the heavy use of social media has a strong link to mental illness.

Comments

Please include source links for anything you cite in your fact-check (re: The Economist).

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https://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/research/research-areas/child-and-adolescent-psychiatry/sultan-lab-mental-health-informatics/research-areas/smartphones-social-media-and-their-impact-mental-health

https://law.stanford.edu/2024/05/20/social-media-addiction-and-mental-health-the-growing-concern-for-youth-well-being/

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You did a great job summarizing and backing up The Economist's claims with evidence from other sources and the studies from Columbia Psychiatry and Stanford really reinforced the point that heavy social media use is tied to mental health issues!

Answer 9

This claim can be deemed as true, as according to the linked article, “The most convincing effort was a survey that tracked a group of 5,208 Americans between 2013 and 2015. It found that an increase in Facebook activity was associated with a future decrease in reported mental health.” After diving further, this study was done by the Semantic Scholar Organization which can be proven to be a reliable source. This statements in both articles support the idea that the constant use of social media can deplete one's mental health.

Sources

https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Association-of-Facebook-Use-With-Compromised-A-Shakya-Christakis/5270606dec382cfd50e925467ba35dac44654fc1?p2df

https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2018/05/18/how-heavy-use-of-social-media-is-linked-to-mental-illness?utm_medium=cpc.adword.pd&utm_source=google&ppccampaignID=17210591673&ppcadID=&utm_campaign=a.22brand_pmax&utm_content=conversion.direct-response.anonymous&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw68K4BhAuEiwAylp3kojZc-_RSnDsZNcqsrkgak4j9Q8JBp2LzzSAIP-uPjHy9VeuAY_qzBoCFfEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Comments

Hi there! I liked how you got right to the point that the claim was true based on the article, Which was exactly what we needed to know. We wanted to see if the claim was true or if it was misleading. So it's great that you were able to figure that out. Although you did state a reason as to why the claim was true, I would try to expand more on what you read in the articles the person provided, as well as more reasons as to why you agreed this claim was true to really win over the people that are reading your fact check. That why they have more then a reason to believe that these articles are true for the claim. Good Job!

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A nice job determining the claim as true. By diving further and searching the studies, it's a great way knowing it's a valuable source! However, it would've been further better if you provided more evidence from other articles in return that could further backup your claim. Do you think there's other studies that can further justify this claim?

Answer 10

This is true. The article from the economist claims that constant use of social media platforms by younger generations causes a negative impact on their mental health. In the article the reference and link both a survey and an experiment that's contents back up the claims in the article. Not only did the content of the article back up the claim but when I searched "heavy use of social media linked to mental illness", there were many different articles that backed up the claim. Sources like NIH and Stanford law both had articles with the same claim, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10129173/, https://law.stanford.edu/2024/05/20/social-media-addiction-and-mental-health-the-growing-concern-for-youth-well-being/.

Comments

Your answer is clear, concise, and aptly addresses the prompt. However, I find it a bit lacking in details. Perhaps, you could include some brief overviews of some of the top sources that support the claim made in the original source. Putting some outside sources in conversation with one another to support the original source would enhance the credibility of your answer immensely.