The Problem With the OII’s Study
While the study claims to offer the first empirical evidence that Facebook usage is not overtly linked with a decline in mental health, there are a number of caveats worth mentioning here.
First and foremost, the two data sets – while substantial – are separate, and therefore their findings are not inextricably linked. While the study relates reliable information in a compelling manner, it is impossible to prove a “cause and effect” relationship between the two. Given how complex a phenomenon mental health is, it therefore seems unwise to assume any cast iron conclusions from the study.
If you were being hyper-critical, you could say the OII study is notable for what it doesn’t prove, rather than what it does.
In addition, the researchers admit that “the observed associations were small and did not reach a conventional 97.5% one-sided credibility threshold in all cases”, and that “in the United States, 13- to 17-year-olds are more likely to use TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat than Facebook, so the user base of Facebook now consists of relatively more older individuals”.
However, despite these caveats, previous research has aligned in some ways. For example, Stanford University found that deactivating Facebook could negatively impact mental health in some individuals, in 2019.
